My Ideal Writing Process: From Prewriting to Publishing

Every writer has a preferred writing process, and here is mine. (I admit this is my ideal process, but I don’t always follow it to the letter.)

Prewriting

In the prewriting stage, I mind map or freewrite in my journal. I may or may not have my topic in mind, but even if I do, I try not to hinder my creativity from exploring even unrelated issues. This allows me to brainstorm and gather my thoughts before moving on to the next step.

Drafting

Next, I move on to drafting by hand. I’m a pencil and paper kind of guy. Using pencils and a plain white writing pad helps me fight distraction and perfectionism. My main goal in this stage is to get words on paper. This process has more structure than the prewriting in my journal, but it still can be messy. I let my ideas flow onto the paper without worrying too much about grammar or sentence structure.

Transcribing

After I have a basic idea on paper, I move to my computer to transcribe it into a digital format. I type the words into a document without any heavy editing. This allows me to have a clean digital copy of my work that I can easily work with in the next stage.

Editing

Then, once I have the document typed, I begin to edit, using all the digital tools at my disposal. This stage may last days or weeks. I carefully review my writing, fixing any grammatical errors, improving sentence structure, and ensuring that my ideas flow smoothly. This is the stage where I refine my work and make it ready for publication.

Publishing

Finally, I either submit my work to other outlets or press the “post” button on my blog. Publishing is the final step of my writing process, where I share my work with others. It’s a rewarding moment to see my words out there, whether it’s in a magazine, a website, or my own personal blog. Overall, this process allows me to go through the necessary steps of writing, from brainstorming to editing to publication.