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Chapter 7 Writing as a Process
7
Writing as Writing as
a Process a Process
Nothing you write, if you hope to
be any good, will ever come out as
you fi rst hoped.
—Lillian Hellman, 20th century
American playwright
How much planning goes into a business
document? What should you achieve with the
fi rst draft? Why is it important to revise and
proofread your work before it is seen by readers?
The answer to these questions begins with this
fact: good writing comes about when writers
approach a writing task as a process.
Using a process to guide business writing,
you are more likely to keep the message on
track. Your written communication will be crisp
and clear because you know what you want to
accomplish, then plan, create, evaluate, and revise
accordingly. You also take the time to check
each revision for any mistakes. With practice,
the writing process will become second nature
as you produce business e-mail, letters, reports,
presentations, and other types of communication.
Objectives Terms
writing process
four C’s of
communication
prewriting stage
writing stage
post-writing stage
publishing stage
writer’s block
primary readers
secondary readers
plagiarism
direct approach
indirect approach
outline
revising
editing
objectivity
proofreading
proofreaders’ marks
published
formatting
layout
readability
When you complete Chapter 7, you will be able to:
• Explain each step in the writing process, its
proper sequence in the process, and how it
is applied to develop written communication.
• Describe the steps in the prewriting stage
used to prepare to write a message.
• Apply the steps in the writing stage as you
create your message.
• Use proofreading techniques to perfect the
fi nal draft and produce error-free business
writing.
• Publish the fi nal message using appropriate
formatting guidelines.
Go Green Go Green
Did you know that the batteries in cell phones and iPods are composed of
hazardous material that will harm the environment if they are disposed of in a
landfi ll? Batteries should always be properly recycled by a reputable organization
and never thrown in the regular trash. To be environmentally savvy and save
money, consider using rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries, like those
in cell phones, can be used many times over and will save you trips to the store to
purchase disposable batteries.
1. Take an inventory of your electronic equipment. How many batteries do you
need in any given day to power your devices?
2. How much do you spend a year in disposable batteries? How often do you
have to replace your rechargeable batteries?
3. How much could you save if you used rechargeable batteries in place of
disposable batteries?
Reading
Prep
Before reading
this chapter, read the
opening pages for this
unit and review the
chapter titles. These
can help prepare you
for the topics that will
be presented in the
unit. What does this
tell you about what
you will be learning?
Writing Process
Rhetoric is the study of writing or speaking as a way of communicating
information or persuading somebody. The writing process is a set of sequential
stages for each writing task. The writing process includes prewriting, writing,
post writing, and publishing, as shown in Figure 7-1. By going through these
stages, you will learn to critique and revise your own writing to achieve a
clear, concise, courteous, and correct communication. These standards, known
as the four C’s of communication, apply to all types of written communication.
Three tasks are completed in the prewriting stage.
• Think about the topic and purpose.
• Plan the content.
• Read or research as needed to gather information.
The tasks should be done in the order that works best for the writing
assignment. For example, if you need to write a report, you might want to
look at similar reports before planning yours. On the other hand, simpler
communication, such as a letter, might require looking up some information to
include after the content is planned.
Once the prewriting tasks are completed, you are ready to begin the
writing stage. The writing stage includes creating rough drafts and getting
ideas on “paper.” After a fi rst draft is completed, you will revise the content.
Edit the sentences and language as many times as necessary until you are
satisfi ed the document achieves its purpose.
In the post-writing stage, a fi nal edit of the work is completed. During this
stage, you may also have someone else review the draft and provide feedback.
After the document has been revised for the fi nal pass, proofread it to make
sure the work is free from errors.
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4
Student Focused
Each chapter opens with a consistent plan of learning for success.
Excellent Organization
Famous Quote
A quote about
communication sets the
stage for each chapter.
Go Green
Sharing best practices for the environment,
Go Green gives tips on ways to wisely use
resources in a business setting.
Objectives defi ne the
goals for learning the
chapter content. The
objectives are correlated
to the main chapter
headings.
To set the stage for
reading with a purpose,
reading strategy tips are
given for each chapter.
Objectives
Highlighted Terms
To reinforce terms introduced
at the beginning of the chapter,
highlighting emphasizes the
important business vocabulary.
Prepare to Read
Terms
Through the presentation of
important terms, a framework
is created to build a business
vocabulary.