Making the Writing Process Work for You

Effective Writers Understand that Writing is a Process:  

• Begin writing before you’re ready (for example: annotate your texts, journal, establish motivating questions, do some pen-on-the-page timed writing, or open up a “zero” draft that you plan to scrap). 
• Be open to writing as a process of discovery.  Your ideas can – and even should – change as you write.  
• Get feedback on your drafts by working with a peer, going to your professor’s office hours, or visiting the UP Writing Center. Writing Assistant Co-Pilots in the Writing Center can help writers in any discipline at any stage of the writing process. 
• Emulate good writing. Ask your professor for examples or follow the lead of a writer whose style you admire. Read widely; notice and identify what you like.  
• Allow the process to take time. Start writing assignments well in advance and break them into smaller parts. A tool like the Writing Assignment Calculator can help. 
• See your writing as a reader will. During the revision process, read your work out loud or print it out. You might notice mistakes or confusing elements you would otherwise miss.  
• Remember that writing is a conversation. Engage with your sources as co-conversants. Make sure you believe in what you’re writing, that you understand it well, and that you have a clear sense of purpose. 
• Use sources responsibly. Consult reliable, peer-reviewed sources whenever possible. Use your discipline’s preferred styles for citation. Be wary of using AI tools for research, as they are known to produce inaccuracies and routinely fail to handle information with academic integrity. 
• Keep writing and keep improving. You won’t become a perfect writer by completing one assignment or taking one class. Writing is a process; becoming a flexible writer is a process, as well. 

Some Features of Effective Writing: 

• Effective writing is engaging and has a strong sense of purpose. Its central claim is clear and compelling. 
• Its argument is well organized and cohesive, with supporting parts clearly distinguished and developed with sufficient depth and complexity.  
• Its handling of evidence reflects careful reading, selection, and citation of sources, attentive to detail, nuance, and larger patterns.  
• The writing demonstrates an awareness of its genre and the genre’s stylistic conventions (including formal and grammatical conventions). The writing anticipates and engages with its audience’s needs, expectations, and potential responses.