Prewriting is the stage of the writing process where we are supposed to release our creativity and come up with a topic and produce evidence to support our opinion and compose a product that would surely deem us a literary genius.  If you're like me, this doesn't happen.  Prewriting, for me is a thing of the past.  In elementary school and middle school, we were taught to use the "balloon method" or the "tree method" to brainstorm possible topic ideas.  Classmate Katie Arthurs said the "balloon method" works best for her because it allows her room to be creative.  Prewriting is also a stage where you can decide which side of an argument you can best support.  During prewriting, you jot down ideas that best state your point of view on a certain topic.  If you don't particularly support one side or the other, prewriting can give you some direction.  Another classmate, Liza Potter, said that when prewriting, she brainstorms both sides of an argument and chooses the side with a stronger argument. 

     The second stage that we identify in the writing process is drafting.  This is the process when we actually sit down and start to write.  This may be the most difficult stage in the writing process for some of us.  When I write, I easily get distracted and stray from the original ideas in my head.  This is where prewriting can come into play.  If you did prewriting before starting to draft, you have an outline to follow to get yourself back on track.  For those of you who are like me, since you don't have an outline, you lost your train of thought.  Classmate Liza Potter said that she writes a little, leaves and comes back to finish the rest.  This may help to clear you mind and get you back on the right track.  This is where your topic comes into play.  (armbrest@email.unc.edu) said that in order to make her topic more interesting, she relates it to her life and writes from her own experiences.  Drafting may be the most difficult for some because if you don't have a desirable topic, you will dread writing and this can prolong the entire experience. 

    Revising can come before; during and after you compose your thoughts.  Revising after you write is more effective and makes the process go a lot quicker.  If you revise as you go, you are slowing down your writing process and possibly disturbing your creative flow, considering you had one to begin with.  Editing is a process that most of us don't spend too much time on because we feel that we've already addressed this stage when we revised our work.  Editing is best when you get someone else to do it for you or wait a few hours or even days to do.  Getting a fresh perspective will help you find mistakes you missed before.

    When considering writing as a process, teachers should remember that each child would bring to their writing what they have experienced in their life.  Everyone writes differently.  Everyone has his or her own way of enacting the writing process.  At some point, we all go through the cycle of the writing process, in one order or another.  Teachers should realize that each student would write their way and incorporate standard ways to teach the writing process that encourages individualism.  For example, teachers should encourage all students to pre-write, using whatever method brings out their creativity.  By doing this, they have standardized one stage in the writing process while encouraging each student to do it their own way, as long as it's communicated to the students that prewriting is a good way to get your creativity flowing.

    The writing process is a learning process and as we go through each stage, we learn more about ourselves.  Katie Arthurs put is best when she said, "I write as I learn, and I learn as I write."  That quote sums up the writing process as a whole.