5.2. Writing as a Process

Writing as a process is a way to recognize that writing is thinking and good writing takes time. In this approach, the emphasis is not just on the final product, but rather on the way that you engage in the process of writing. Writing as a process can be generally divided into five stages which include: brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.

While these stages will be presented separately here, it is important to remember that these are not necessarily linear. You might create a draft and start revising only to discover that you need to go back and brainstorm more. Or maybe you start brainstorming and that naturally moves into drafting. That’s okay, and you should choose a process that works for you. The goal, however, is to engage in a writing process makes sense for you and that helps you maintain meaningful progress.

Many writers often feel that they can only write when they are under intense time pressure; this often results in writing up against a deadline, often frantically late at night. While ill-advised, this might have worked in some writing contexts, and maybe it still continues to be an approach for finishing your course assignments. Maybe writing an entire paper the night before it was due worked for you throughout your college career. That approach won’t work for the statement of purpose because of the amount of reflection required. Remember, the SoP moves beyond a summary of your CV/resume and into a discussion of experiences, motivation, and program fit. This requires that you’ve thought about your experiences and how they have influenced your motivation. It also requires you to take time to look at graduate program websites. Whatever your writing process might be, you are strongly encouraged to lean into a process approach when writing your SoP.

Let’s explore each of these five stages of the writing process.