Home > Subjects > English > English level 3 > 3.1 Writing > Subject content > Writing process
- Subject: English
- AS: 90720
- Level: 3
- Credits: 4
- Internal
3.1 Produce an extended piece of writing in a selected style
Writing process
An extended piece of writing is one of considerable length, importance, or worth, with ideas that show maturity, depth of thought, and awareness of a range of dimensions or viewpoints. You may be asked to write in the style of one of the following: an opinion, review, or story/narrative.
The writing process is a series of steps you need to take in order to complete the task.
- Understand the task
- Brainstorm ideas
- Organise ideas
- Write your first draft essay
- Edit, redraft, and rework
- Proofread
- Write good copy
For writing a short story see The short story - a study in intense brevity and scroll through to understand the writing process of a short story.
Each of these stages can be supported by using examples and exemplars of your selected type of writing to inspire new ideas and ways of looking at your material. Read all exemplars carefully several times. Think about the task, the audience, the quality of ideas, and language used. Highlight sections you like, comment on what you like and what could be changed.
When reading examples of your selected text type use these questions to help identify the unique characteristics:
Ideas – the topic or theme:
- What topic or theme is the writing about?
- What is the point of view or angle of this topic?
- How has this been developed throughout the writing?
Structure – organisation of ideas:
- How has the topic been introduced or the scene or tone been set?
- What are the main points or events and how have they been organised?
- What details, facts, evidence, or feelings are linked to these points or events?
- What main idea or theme is reinforced in the conclusion?
Style – language techniques
- Can you identify any interesting / effective / unusual use of language?
- Is the narrative written in the past or present tense?
- Which point of view is used? (For example, is the narrative told in the first or third person?)
- What is the mood or tone and how has it been created?
Writing Conventions – rules of writing
- Has the writing been proofread thoroughly to eliminate spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors?
