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Professional Writing

4 Step Writing Process

Do you find it hard to sort through your ideas and focus on essential details when you're trying to write? Do you find a blank page intimidating, and you're not sure how to get started?

The 4-Step Writing Process is a step-by-step guide to help you work through key stages of any professional writing project. While the writing process can look different for everyone, there are four basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text. 

  1. Prewriting
  2. Drafting
  3. Revising
  4. Editing

The Final step is sharing your work with your audience. Read the infographic below for a detailed explanation of each step.

Academic Writer Tutorials

Prewriting

Learn about steps to take before writing a paper to make the process smoother.

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© 2023 American Psychological Association.

Drafting

Learn tips to confidently tackle your rough draft and experience a smoother writing process.

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© 2023 American Psychological Association.

 

Revising, Editing, and Proofreading

Learn how to successfully revise, edit, and proofread your draft so you can confidently submit a polished paper.

Academic Writer

© 2023 American Psychological Association.