Sunday, December 10, 2017

Writing Is a Process

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), one of the guardians of the English language, has argued for years that writing is a process as well as a product. The product is what we write, the white paper, proposal, report, procedure, email, speech, essay, story, play, or poem that informs, persuades, guides, or entertains our readers. The process is how we write, the steps we take to move words, sentences, and paragraphs from our brains to the screen or paper. 

In its position statement Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing, the NCTE claims that everyone has the capacity to write and to become better writers. An effective use of the writing process enables students to achieve multiple benefits:
  • Break writer's block.
  • Eliminate procrastination.
  • Reduce writing-related stress.
  • Generate creative ideas.
  • Organize content logically.
  • Draft messages quickly.
  • Revise, edit, and proofread efficiently. 
  • Improve their productivity.