Writing Process

There is no one correct way to write. Some people find they write better starting off with literal pencil and paper, while others jump right in tapping away on the keyboard. There are hundreds upon hundreds of books that will tell you how to write in detail, but at the end of the day, you must discover what is the best way for you. There is, however, a basic writing process that applies to every method: prewriting, writing, postwriting, and publishing.

The prewriting stage is where you plan your writing project. In this stage, the audience is defined; who will be the reader? Also, the message is identified; what are you telling the reader? Determine not only what research needs to be completed, but also where the information will be located. Conduct the research, and keep detailed source notes in case you need to go back to the original information. Finally, the project is outlined at this stage. This includes organizing the material to construct the flow of the story.

The writing stage is where the story is developed. Begin this stage by creating a first draft. After that, revise the manuscript to improve the story, its flow, and the characters. There will likely be many rounds of revisions. This is the stage when you should seek input from others. It is up to you to decide which draft to send to reviewers, but getting others to review your manuscript is important. Finally, edit the last draft for grammar, sentence structure, voice, word usage, and spelling.

The postwriting stage is where the final edit of your manuscript occurs. Proofread the manuscript for spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors. Do not rely on your word processor’s spell-check feature. Manually proofread the manuscript. Reading the manuscript aloud can help, as can reading it on paper if you wrote it on screen or vice versa. It is important to remember that this stage is not about revising, but do not hesitate to make edits if you find something that needs to be improved. The next step is publishing; that’s where the publisher comes into play.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.