ABSTRACT
Good writing is more than just good luck and natural talent: It’s the result of a logical process. Because the writing process can seem intimidating (or just plain hard), some people prefer to just rush in and start writing. Good writing isn’t easy. This chapter presents the following nine-step writing process: research, creativity/brainstorming, organizing/outlining, writing, revising, editing, seeking approval, distributing, and evaluating. Audience research generally falls into three categories: demographic, psychographic and behavioral data. Many things affect organization, including the target audience’s interests, the type of document one are writing and the importance of each piece of information. Because strategic writers are so busy, evaluation can get overlooked in the rush to the next assignment. However, evaluation of past documents can lead to future successes. The top three problems authors see in student writing are a lack of research, a lack of strategic (goal-oriented) focus and a lack of polish (too many first drafts with small errors and awkward passages).
