A blank Microsoft Word screen. Your fingers resting on the keys, waiting for the words to come out. A complete sense of doubt that this assignment will ever get finished. This is writing anxiety, and it may have happened to you at least once or twice in your life. Never fear–The Writing Center is here! Writing anxiety is a very real situation, and the writing process can help you overcome this nervous feeling and leave you feeling empowered to continue on your writing journey. 

What is the writing process, and how does it help me overcome my writing anxiety? You may have heard of it in the past, and it generally consists of planning, drafting, revising/editing, and publishing (Dziak, 2024). Writers can overcome anxiety by using the writing process to break down their assignments into manageable steps. Let’s look into each part:

Planning: This is the first step in the writing process, including any steps associated with thinking about the assignment. Planning allows the writer to make sense of the ideas in their mind, and it is one of the most important, yet most often overlooked, parts of writing. Planning could look like brainstorming, such as listing or creating a mind map or freewriting to write down anything you might know about a topic (Dziak, 2024). Purdue Global offers a very informative resource showing examples of planning here. It might also look like doing research at the library on your paper’s topic, and lastly, planning might look like creating an outline (Dziak, 2024). In the Purdue Global Writing Center, tutors can help in the planning process by discussing your assignment and talking through your ideas of where to start and where you might go. Planning can ease anxiety by turning your assignment into smaller, clearer steps to give you a sense of direction before you begin writing.

Drafting: This is the second step of the writing process where the writer begins to write out their words into the assignment’s format. Author Jane Smiley writes, “Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist. It’s perfect in its existence. The only way it could be imperfect would be to not exist” (On First Drafts: 26 Quotes From Famous Writers – Writing Routines, 2019). Writers may often want to judge their first draft, which could lead to frustration and feeling stuck. Try to let the words flow on the page as they are without judgment. You will have time later to polish the writing. During this process, work on getting something on the page, as you know you can adjust it at a later time (Dziak, 2024). In the Purdue Global Writing Center, tutors can help in the drafting stage to ensure students are meeting the requirements of the assignment within the draft. When you’re writing, use the guidance you have provided for yourself in the planning process to complete your first draft. Think back to the effort you may have put into your outline, freewrites, or mind maps. Those will be your guides when you write out your draft. Don’t worry about getting your assignment perfect just yet–focus on getting words out. You will have time to shape and polish everything later. Letting go of the idea of perfection when drafting reduces internal pressure and helps you maintain focus on getting your ideas out on the page without a fear of judgment. 

Revising/Editing: This is the third and fourth step where the writer can begin to make changes in content and grammar and punctuation to polish their draft. The revising stage may span multiple drafts. The Purdue Global Writing Center tutors may be very helpful in pointing out where students may need to improve their grammar/punctuation and provide resources to inform students how to use punctuation and grammar properly. Tutors may also provide insight into the assignment’s content to ensure clarity and connection of ideas. 

It is important to distinguish between revisions and edits. Revisions are changes the writer may make that are associated with the content of the paper. In the revision process, the writer will ensure their ideas connect and make sense (Dziak, 2024). During the editing stage, the writer checks their grammar, spelling, and punctuation to ensure a flow and readability in their assignment (Dziak, 2024). When you dedicate time to revise and edit, this can ease the inner critic that may have popped up earlier in the drafting process. 

Publishing: The final stage of the writing process is publishing. For a professional writer, that would look like sharing their writing with the world (Dziak, 2024). For a student, this is the step where they submit their assignment to their professor. This could also look like sharing your assignment with the class on a discussion board post or even submitting your paper to PG411’s Paper Review Dropbox for a tutor to review. The publishing stage can bring a sense of relief that you made it through the writing process!

It’s important to note that a writer may go back and rework their assignment during the writing process. Writers may often move back and forth between stages. If a writer is in the revision stage and sees they may need more content to provide context, they can go back to the planning stage and continue to the drafting stage. Each step can be revisited until your assignment feels complete. Give the writing process a try to make writing feel less overwhelming—and maybe even a little empowering.

References 

Dziak, M. (2024). Writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing). Salem Press Encyclopedia.

On First Drafts: 26 quotes from famous writers – writing routines. (2019, February). Writing Routines. https://www.writingroutines.com/famous-writers-on-first-drafts/