Writing is an art. Although much of the focus concerning writing in educational institutions is on how to write correctly, the skill of writing with style and entertaining the reader must be developed with discipline and practice. It is helpful to be familiar with the stages of the writing process: Prewriting, Writing, Editing, Revising, and Publishing. The prewriting stage starts with an idea or inspiration and involves research and planning. Freewriting is a common prewriting technique used by writers to explore and form ideas—it is recommended that serious writers devote about ten minutes a day to freewriting.

The writing stage (also known as the drafting stage) produces a rough draft. As with the prewriting stage, it is important that the writer not focus on perfection while forming a rough draft. This can create serious problems such as writer’s block. It is not necessary for the writer to use proper grammar or spelling, or even put paragraphs in order.

In the editing stage, the writer reads the rough draft and decides what will stay or go. It is often wise to enlist peers to review the work and add their input. The editing stage leads right into the revision stage, where the rough draft is rewritten to include the changes, and the publishing stage, where the work is polished and prepared to be turned in to a teacher or publisher.

Whether you are writing for school or professionally, utilizing the writing process will help you practice and fine tune your writing ability. Writing is difficult, but with guidance and discipline, just about anyone can do it. Start with a blank piece of paper and a sharp pencil, and go from there.