Personal Process

Overview

Each module begins with a Concept in Action activity. These informal activities introduce key rhetorical concepts and discuss how they can be applied in your writing in and outside of class. To complete the activity, open a Google or Word doc and follow along with each prompt – starting with Exercise 01. This is a space to get messy with learning as you build your understanding of key rhetorical concepts. You will be graded based on completion of the activity.

Concept in Action: Writing is a Personal Process

Throughout your academic journey, you’ve likely been asked to write essays, reflections, or research papers. But have you ever paused to think about how you write? This lesson explores the idea that writing isnt a single actits a series of processes. Well break down what those processes are, explore how they differ for individuals, and offer strategies to help you understand and improve your own writing practice. Understanding writing as a process can help build critical skills like reflection, adaptability, organization, and communicationskills that matter far beyond the classroom.

Exercise 01: Free Write on Writing

Many people picture writing as a straight path: you start at the beginning and finish at the end. In reality, writing is more like a loop or a web. Writers move back and forthbrainstorming, drafting, revising, rethinking.

Take 35 minutes to reflect on and respond to the following prompts. Dont worry about grammar or structurejust write:

• What steps do you take when you’re asked to write something?
• What part of writing feels hardest for you, and why?
• Do you ever revise your writing? If so, when and how?

Writing is Not Linear

In writing studies, we think a lot about writing not as a singular process but as a series of processes that are unique to each writer.

Key stages in the acti of writing might include

• Prewriting (thinking, brainstorming, outlining, note-taking, research, etc.)
• Drafting (getting ideas down without worrying too much about perfection)
• Revising (re-seeing your writingreorganizing, developing ideas, clarifying meaning)
• Editing (polishing grammar, punctuation, formatting)
• Reflecting (thinking about what worked, what didnt, and why)

Think About This:

• Do you go through all of these stages? Are there any you skipor spend extra time on?
• Understanding that writing is recursive (not linear) can help you be more patient and strategic with your writing tasks.

Exercise 02: Everyone has a Writing Process

Just as no two artists create the same way, no two writers follow the exact same process. Some writers draft quickly and revise later. Others take a long time to generate ideas before they even start writing.

Your writing process is shaped by:

• Your past experiences with writing
• Your learning style and habits
• The type of writing you’re doing (academic, personal, professional)
• Time constraints and deadlines

Map Your Writing Process

Draw or list the steps you typically take when you have to write something. Be honesteven if your process involves procrastinating or writing at 2 a.m.! Now compare your process to the idealized one we discussed. What do you notice?

Exercise 03: Reflection Makes You a Stronger Writer

Writers improve not just by practicing writing, but by reflecting on it. Self-awareness helps you make conscious choices rather than repeating habits that dont work for you. There’s no correct writing process, only what works for you! The issue is that sometimes (or often), our personal writing process might include practices that aren’t actually working for us.

Ask Yourself:

• What strategies help me get started?
• How do I know when a piece of writing is “done”?
• Where do I get stuckand how do I usually get unstuck?

Try This:

Keep a short writing journal after each major writing assignment. Jot down what went well, what was hard, and what you’d try differently next time. Over time, youll develop a clearer picture of how you write best.

Exercise 04: The Writing Process Beyond the Classroom

In professional and public contexts, strong writing is often the result of clear, adaptable processes.

Think About:

• A grant proposal that went through several rounds of feedback
• A social media campaign that was drafted and revised for clarity and tone
• A report edited by multiple people for a workplace presentation

These arent first draftsand neither should your important work be.

Durable Skill Spotlight: Writing + Adaptability

Writing processes build durable skills like flexibility, problem-solving, and time management. These skills show up when:

• You adjust your writing to meet a new audience
• You collaborate with others during the revision process
• You manage deadlines across stages of a large writing project

AI Use Spotlight: Supporting (Not Replacing) Your Process

As a beginning academic writer, learning to understand and develop your own writing process is essentialnot just for improving your writing, but also for using tools like ChatGPT effectively. AI can help you generate ideas, suggest outlines, or catch grammar issuesbut it cant think, reflect, or make meaning for you.

Smart Writers Ask:

• How can I use AI to support my writing process, not bypass it?
• Can AI help me brainstorm, revise, or get feedback at specific stages?

Using AI well starts with knowing what you need as a writer. When you understand your process, youre better equipped to use AI as a toolnot a shortcut.

Try This:

Use an AI tool to generate an outline or introduction for your next essay. Then revise it, making changes that reflect your voice, ideas, and purpose. Did this help your process? Where did it fall short?

Lesson Citations

• Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process. Oxford University Press.
• Murray, D. M. (1972). Teach Writing as a Process Not Product. National Council of Teachers of English.
• Sommers, N. (1980). Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers. College Composition and Communication, 31(4), 378388.