The process of writing

Writing can be intimidating, harrowing, mysterious. Thinking about the process of writing—breaking the act down into simpler steps—can help demystify it. Used sensibly, a process model of writing combines two seemingly contradictory elements: on the one hand it simplifies writing by treating it as a series of simpler steps; on the other it stresses how dynamic writing is, and the way that thinking and writing are intertwined. Nuts and Bolts suggests a four-step process model: （1） generating ideas, （2） mapping the argument, （3） composing a draft, and （4） revising. The steps overlap and interact. Revision, for instance, typically sharpens ideas and improve an argument's organization.