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"Swoopers write a story quickly, higgledy-piggledy, crinkum-crankum, any which way. Then they go over it again painstakingly, fixing everything. . . . Bashers go one sentence at a time, getting it exactly right before they go on to the next one. When they're done, they're done.”
—Kurt Vonnegut
Previewing the Writing Process
Are you a swooper or a basher? You’ll find out as you personalize the writing process over time. You’ll customize these five steps.
Prewriting ■
Writers fill their brains with amazing ideas, and then they must write about them. They select a topic, gather details about it, and make a writing plan.
Writing ■
Writers create a first draft following their plan (or not). This is their first look at a developing story or essay.
Revising ■
Writers read what they wrote and improve the ideas, organization, and voice. They may ask someone else to read their work and suggest ways to improve the words and sentences.