The writing process
Writing is not a simple act, but a complex activity. A good writer understands how he writes and is aware of his writing process. This process can be described using the Deming circle, a simple model for continuous quality improvement:
The writing process does not stand alone but is also influenced by external factors. For example, the audience you are writing for, your client or your supervisor, the official requirements for a text or thesis and the time available for writing the text.
Writing is a cyclical process
Many students attempt to write their thesis in a linear way. They begin with the first sentence of their thesis and try to write sentence after sentence. It is very frustrating for them to discover that they are not going to succeed that way. If a text is even a little complex they won’t be successful using this approach because the process is simply not linear. It is like taking three steps forward and with the fourth step noticing that you are back to square one, however, you have reached a higher level. Students who are not fully aware of this get stuck. Nobody is able to write a perfect text in one go. A text is created by going through the process of planning, writing, revising and improving several times. Writing a text can be very frustrating if you are not fully aware of this. Many students try to write their thesis in a linear way. However, because the process is not linear they will not succeed with this approach.
Below you will find links to the various stages of the writing process. All the various activities involved in each stage are explained with tips as to how best to go about these tasks.
Stages of the writing process | Subjects |
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