From Idea to Prose:  The Writing Process by Alpha3760

The Writing Process:   An idea begins in your head and you decide to write the story.  Believe it or not, well written stories do not pour forth from a writer’s head like water over a waterfall.  But come to think of it, water doesn’t just fall over the ledge into the waiting pool below.  No, the water cycle must complete itself.  Water must evaporate from the surface of the ocean, store itself in the atmosphere, fall to earth as rain, navigate the streams and rivers until it reaches that magnificent falls.  So too, your story must fulfill its own process.    The Prewrite Prewriting is a necessary step in creating your story.  No two writers prewrite the same way.  Some make jot lists, some do web maps, some choose outlines and some keep pages of notes or sticky notes tacked all around.  The method should be the one that fits the writer.  Prewriting is undervalued by many and seen as unnecessary.  Yet when composing a work of any length, a fluid prewriting can help keep the story and characters focused and true.   The Draft Now is the time to get the ideas down on paper, or your computer screen.  Don’t worry about mechanics or grammar now.  Don’t worry about word choices or spelling.  Just get it all down.   Editing and Revisions Take your draft and polish it.  Clean up your grammar, sentence structure, word usage and organization and content.  Are there references that need further explanation?  Could you have used better words?  Do your research. Whether it’s a fan fiction or strictly original, research shows attention to detail.  Never neglect the editing and revision stage.  Taking your time here says to your reader that you are proud of your work, that you feel it is worth being taken seriously.  It also tells them that you value their time and their effort in reading your story, that you care about their experience as your reader.   Publishing Even if your story is simply printed out and tucked in a binder that stores your work, treat your narrative as if it were important.  Publish your work on a website, create your own web page that showcases your work, or simply have it bound or bind it yourself and keep it proudly displayed.  You’ve poured a bit of your self into your work.  Be proud.

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