1. Planning. Effective pre-writing planning is the most productive habit one can develop. It applies to the writing at all grade levels from first grade through graduate school.
A good guideline is to set aside 20 percent of total available time for planning. Planning time will not significantly cut into either the quantity or the quality of the writing piece. In the remaining 80 percent more content is written, and far better than when the writing process begins immediately.
2. Evaluation. Even if one does no revision or editing, it is extremely valuable to thoughtfully evaluate each piece of writing. That’s how one learns and improves.
3. Editing. Learning how to quickly and efficiently manipulate words, images, and sentences in order to effectively communicate is a critical life skill. The best time to develop that skill is when editing one’s own writing.
4. Revision. Revision is a powerful and effective writing tool. Check spelling, grammar, punctuation.
