What are the Types and Components of the Process of Writing 

Back to: Pedagogy of English- Unit 5

Writing is a highly important skill one must master if one wants to learn a language successfully. It is an active language learning skill because it is produced in nature. Writing is a process of using words to communicate with people. Writing is used to express ideas and opinions. It can be used for both personal and professional purposes. There are many types of writing such as fiction, poetry, non-fiction, technical writing, journalism, and academic writing. Each type of writing has its own specific purpose and format. Some people like to read and write at the same time. Others prefer to work on one thing at a time.

Types of Writing

There are several types of the writing process which include the following:

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing can be termed as a form of story writing as it tells a story. It can be fiction or nonfiction and may contain essays, fairy tales, movies, and jokes. They mainly have five elements which include plot, setting, character, conflict, and theme.

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing refers to writing where the author intends to create a clear picture of what he or she is describing in the mind of the reader. It incorporates sensory details with the use of specific techniques. In descriptive writing, one must pay close attention to the details by including all the five senses.

Expository Writing

Expository writing is the kind of writing which describes facts to educate the readers rather than providing them entertainment. For example, non-fictional books, textbooks, and biography. It includes writing that educates and explains its readers instead of attempting to persuade or entertain them.

Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing refers to the form of writing that tries to convince the reader of the writer’s opinion. It is a form of nonfiction writing that encourages the development of logical arguments, a cohesive summary, and careful word choice.

Creative Writing

Creative writing is a form of writing that extends beyond the traditional forms of professional, technical, or academic writing. Creativity is at the forefront in this form of writing and it encompasses a wide variety of genres and styles including both fiction and nonfiction such as poetry, storytelling, prose, and the like.

Objective Writing

Objective writing refers to writing which can be verified through evidence and facts. It lays stress on facts, arguments, and information and can be contrasted with subjective writing.

Subjective Writing

Subjective writing refers to writing which involves personal feelings, opinions, viewpoints, and biases. In this form of writing, the author often uses the word “I”. It focuses on the writer’s personality, experience, and opinions.

Review Writing

Review writing is a critical evaluation of a publication, company, product, or service and it may include various fields such as current affairs, culture, literature, politics, and more.

Categories of Writing

There are three main categories of writing.

Fiction

The first type of writing is fiction. Fiction is a story that is written from someone’s point of view.

Non-fiction

The next type of writing is non-fiction. Non-fiction can be about facts and events, or it can be about an opinion.

Poetry

The third type of writing is poetry. Poetry is a piece of writing that uses language in a different way than other types of writing. Poetry is considered to be more difficult to write than other types of writing. Poetry requires you to be able to use a lot of different techniques to make the words sound interesting.

Components of Writing

Prewriting

Before writing, it is important to decide what you want to write and research it. You must find or think of a topic you want to work on and once you’ve decided on it, you can proceed with the research work. For research, you must gather information from reliable sources. The process of research will vary based on the area you are working on.

Planning and Outlining

Planning and outlining what you want your writing to be about and the outcome you want from it is important. It will make your writing more organized and help you work on it easily and effectively as well. Using a logical structure when you are conveying information is essential. Planning the structure of your work can make your writing process much more hassle-free.

Writing the First Draft

Once you’ve outlined the structure, you can proceed with the first draft where you can note down all the points you want to add to your content. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect as it is more concerned with the collection of ideas rather than the correction of sentences.

Redrafting and Revising

After you have completed your first draft, you can go through it once again and see if you have missed out on any important details. You can also make the necessary changes you think you must make in the content.

Editing and Proofreading

Once you have revised the content and ensured that you have added all the details in your writing, you must start editing it and perfecting it. Look for grammatical errors and make sure that your sentences are formed correctly. Do thorough proofreading to see if your work is completely ready and free of errors.

These are the various types and components of the writing process and going through each one of them is important to make sure your content is of good quality.