My teacher just assigned a paper, what should I do?

Every writer has a different way of going about the process of writing. “Real Writers in Action” shows how four writers go about writing in ways that are sometimes similar and often quite different. Writers also adjust their writing process to the particular circumstances of their writing situation. For example, a memo that needs to be done by the end of the day will not get as much revision as a major report due in three weeks. However, most good writers in most situations find themselves cycling through the stages of inventing, organizing, drafting, revising and editing as they write. As the diagram above is meant to indicate, the general flow of the process is from inventing to editing, but one rarely moves through these stages in a neat, linear way.

Experienced writers have two advantages novice writers often lack:

1. They understand these stages – the value of them and how and when to move between them.
2. They have a variety of tools at their disposal to help them when they get stuck at any one of these stages.

The How to Write a Paper pages will help you gain these advantages. By clicking on any one of the inventing, organizing, drafting, revising and editing stages, you will find an explanation of the stage as well as a “toolbox” of strategies for working through that stage. Like a craftsperson, you will find that you have your favorite tools. However, different jobs sometimes require different tools and what worked once will not always work the next time. So, experiment with the different options and try new tools when you get stuck.

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