This slideshare gives a demonstration of the writing process that students can use in the college classroom. This is a simple three step process that involves: planning, drafting and revising. Developing as an academic writer does not have to be a difficult task. Follow the three steps, and you will be on your way to improving or enhancing your writing skills.

1. The Writing Process
A Process for Beginning College
Students
By Marsha Lynn Hudson

2. A New Phase in Life
When students leave high school, and come to
college—they embark upon a new phase of life.
• Often times, students think that they can do
the same type of writing in college as they did
in high school.
• Students can learn to write academically
through the following three steps.

3. A Three Step Approach to Writing
• Step 1- Planning
• Step 2- Drafting
• Step 3- Revising

4. Planning
What is planning?
• When the instructor gives the assignment, it is
time to start planning right away.
• If the instructor gives subjects to choose from,
choose a subject that you are familiar with.
• Planning involves thinking, brainstorming and
reading.

5. The Assignment
• The assignment is to write about Causes and
Effects. Causes focus on why we do what we
do, and effects examine the results and the
outcomes.
• Questions to choose from for your paper.
• Why do people smoke?
• Why do students do poorly in college?
• Why do people exercise?

6. Planning-Continued
• Now, it is time to decide on a topic that you
can write about in an essay.
• Let’s say you choose..
• Why do students do poorly in college?
• Your plan is to write your
• paper on this topic.

7. Drafting
What is drafting?
• Drafting is when you start writing down ideas.
You make a sketch of what you want to write
about. Drafting can even be an informal
outline.
• It is time to start writing out
• Your ideas at this time.

8. Drafting- A look at Causes
• Let’s look at the question you choose to write
a paper on.
• Why do students do poorly in college?
List some causes…
• 1. Poor attendance.
• 2. Lack of good time management.
• 3. Procrastination
You can pick 2 from the list above.

9. Drafting- A look at Effects
• What are some results or outcomes of doing
poorly in college?
• 1. Making low grades.
• 2. Failing in classes.
• 3. Dropping out.

10. Writing a Thesis
• Now that you have the causes and the effects,
you can write a thesis statement.
What is a thesis statement?
• The thesis statement is a sentence that tells
what the essay will be about.

11. A Sample Thesis Statement
• Students do poorly in college because of poor
attendance and lack of good time
management; the effects making low grades,
failing classes, and even dropping out of
college.

12. A Sketch or Outline
• Thesis: Students do poorly in college because of poor attendance and bad time
management; the effects are making low grades, failing classes and dropping out.
I. Poor Attendance
A. details
B. details
C. Details
II. Bad Time Management
A. details
B. details
C. Details
III. The effects
A. making low grades
B. failing classes
C. dropping out

13. Developing the Essay
• You have chosen your:
• Topic for the paper.
• Causes and Effects.
*You have developed:
*The Thesis Statement
It is time to write the first draft of your essay.

14. The Five Paragraph Essay
• Although you will eventually write more
paragraphs while in college, a good start is to
write the basic 5 paragraph essay.
• I. Introduction
• II. Cause 1- Poor Attendance.
• III. Cause 2- Bad Time Management.
• IV. The effects ( they can all go together).
• V. Conclusion

15. Revising
• If you wait until the last minute to do the
paper, then you may be tempted to skip this
step.
• If you do the paper the night before it is due,
you may be tempted to skip this step.
• If you do not realize that this is an important
step, you may be tempted to skip this step.

16. Revising Saves You Points
What is revising?
• Revising is when you go over the paper, and
look for grammar or punctuation errors.
• Revising is when you work on word choice,
and you get rid of all of those pronouns like
“it” and “they.”
• Revising is when you make sure you have
followed all guidelines from the instructor.

18. Consistency
Consistency is the key.
• If you follow the writing process and
implement the three steps, you will soon
become a good academic writer.
• The three step process starts over with each
new writing assignment or essay.
• Always use the steps to the writing process if
you want to be a great college writer.

19. Recap
• The three steps of the writing process are:
• Planning
• Drafting
• Revising
• Avoid skipping the steps!
• Use these steps with each writing assignment.
• Be Consistent!