Q A writing process is an essential part of creating a successful piece of writing. We rarely create our best work by sitting down and writing something start to finish without preparation. Instead, we typically create our best written work when we approach it deliberately and methodically, through a writing process. It may seem like these steps of the writing process are "extra work," but you'll find that the essay will be much easier to write (and much better) after completing the writing process assignments. A lot of us might be familiar with the experience of staring at a blank computer screen for hours trying to figure out where to start--investing in the writing process work helps with that. This is your first writing process assignment for Essay One. In this prewriting stage of the writing process, you are attempting to establish the main ideas of the argument you will present in Essay One. In your prewriting, you shouldn't be concerned about perfect, polished sentences. Moreover, you're not trying to write in a structured way yet. You're just trying to find the main ideas and evidence for your argument. In the next stage of the writing process (the blocking plan), you'll start to figure out how to shape these ideas into a well-organized essay. I recommend completing this activity before reading the upcoming lectures on thesis statements and essay structure. Essay One Prewriting Assignment