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I just finished a set of conferences with my students which inspired me to write about the most important rule of writing — writing is a process.

So many of difficulties struggling writers face occur when they ignore this simple rule. Once you embrace the fact that writing is a process rather than an event, once you recognize that the more time you give the process to work the better, then not only will writing be easier you will also write better.

Writing is a process. While that process varies somewhat based on the task and the individual writer, the basic steps it includes are the same no matter what.

First is the initial brainstorming process. No actual writing takes place in this step although there may be some note taking or non-stop writing exercises. The more time you give yourself for this process then the easier the next step will be. Experiment with various forms of brainstorming and prewriting to determine which works best for you and your various writing tasks. What may work in one type of writing may not work as well with another. The more you experiment then the more likely you will find the optimum brainstorming process for you.

Second is the drafting process. That first rough draft should be a quick and painless draft. Your main goal at this point is simply to capture the fruits of your brainstorming in one document. Just write until you have tapped your brain. Do not hold yourself back by rewriting, revising, or editing. Do not pause to worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word choice. If you are conscious that you will need to fill in gaps then simply hit return twice (my usual technique) or write in all caps MORE LATER then move on. The important goal at this point is simply to capture your ideas in one place as quickly as possible. It does not have to be pretty and likely it will not be pretty, but it will be done.

Third is the revision process. This should take more than one draft to accomplish. Again, do not spend time worrying about spelling, grammar, punctuation, revising or editing. Fix the obvious errors that are distracting to you as you rework but that is not your main goal. Your main goal with this part of the process is to look at the big picture. Is your thesis clear and well supported? Are your ideas well organized and fully developed? Are there any gaps in the writing or logic? Do your ideas transition well from one to another?

Fourth is the editing process. Now is the time to worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice. Zoom in your focus from the big picture to the sentence and paragraph level. This effort may take one or more drafts to polish your writing to the desired level.

If you are creating a more in-depth project then you may also need to add a step between brainstorming and drafting that includes research and organization which would make the writing process include five steps.

The most important part of creating your own individual writing process is to let it evolve as your skill grows. The more you refine and polish your process then the better the work you produce. The key to developing a successful writing process it to give yourself time — time to let your process evolve and time to let your writing develop. This means not to rush the development of your writing process. Let it evolve over many different projects. This also means not to rush your actual writing. Allow days to pass between various stages and drafts. The more time you allow to pass then the more work your subconscious will do for you and the fresher eyes you will be able to bring to the project.

I promise that if you remember the most important rule of writing then you will improve as a writer. Developing your own individual creative process and giving it time to work will make you a better writer.

I hear it all the time from my students and at the seminars and workshops I lead. The writers that I work with are excited to work with a “real” writer. Most people define a “real” writer as one who is published. Therefore I, with three published novels and innumerable newspaper and magazine articles under my belt, certainly qualify.

However, the longer I am involved in the business of professional writing and the teaching of writing the more I question that definition. For me, being a “real” writer is much more about a state of mind rather than a state of being. I believe very strongly that you need to become a real writer before you can become a published writer for I know that while most (if not all) published writers are real writers that the reverse is not necessarily true. I have known many real writers who have not yet been published but I believe they will be some day — if they just stick with it.

Real writers are made. No one is born to be a writer although many real writers are born with a drive or need to be a writer and this is certainly a help during the difficult times and challenges that all real writers face. A real writer requires five essential tools.

The first, and most important, is a unique writing process. In order to write well and effectively not to mention to grow as a writer, you must develop a writing process. A nonexistent, or inefficient, writing process can greatly hinder your ability to write but a writing process tailored to your unique strengths and weaknesses can make your writing stronger and easier.

The second element goes along with the development of your writing process. This is learning your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. What is the most difficult part of writing for you? What is the easiest? The more you know about your own writing then the better equipped you are to take advantage of the areas where you are strongest and to work on the areas where you are weakest.

Another essential element to becoming a real writer is criticism. Writers need to develop the skills necessary to be critical of their own work and to edit effectively. Most real writers also have a support network in place, such as a critique group or critical reader, to assist with this process.

Real writers also need to be readers. Writers must read a variety of authors and types of writing in order to learn more about the language, its structure, and its varied uses. Reading provides inspiration in terms of ideas but also language use and vocabulary. Real writers love language and words and cannot get enough of either. Real writers are readers.

The final essential ingredient for a real writer is a strong work ethic. Real writers practice their craft on a regular basis (usually daily). Some writers only write a few hours a day while others spend many hours writing. The length of time is not as important as a regular writing schedule that is only altered for major holidays or life-threatening illness. Even if you can only carve out an hour a day that is enough time to write a novel if that is your goal. The important part is making your writing a priority and giving your writing muscles a regular workout.

If you want to be a real writer then you must work on these five essential tools of the writing trade: individual writing process, knowledge of strengths and weaknesses, criticism, reading, and work ethic. Once you have mastered these five tools of the trade then you are on the way to becoming a real writer.

Many struggling writers come to me asking what they can do to improve their writing. They continually face problems with sentence and paragraph structure as well as surface errors such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They know the basic rules of English and can often be very effective helping other writers revise their work but somehow manage to overlook the errors in their own drafts.

It is a common problem and the solution is a dirty little secret among writers. It is a dirty secret because it is so simple and writers often feel foolish practicing the method — read your writing out loud.

The human brain is very sophisticated. When you read to yourself then it will automatically make corrections for you. This means that you will read the words, structure and meaning you intended to create whether or not you actually achieved your goal. However when you read out loud your brain cannot trick your ears and you will hear awkward sentence structure. The process of reading out loud will also allow your eyes to catch surface problems that you might skim over when reading to yourself.

While employing the simple technique of reading your work out loud to catch your writing errors can help you improve your work, it is only one technique. Often the root cause of many writing problems lies with the writer’s individual writing process — or the lack of one. Spending time developing a process for your writing is the single most effective way to improve the quality of writing experience as well as the work it produces.

Even after you have developed your personal writing process you must also allow yourself time to brainstorm, write, revise and edit. Too often the reason that revision and editing are not effective is because the writer attempts these processes too close in time to the initial draft. Allow yourself at least a day but preferably longer between drafts, revision and editing and you will be amazed at the results you can achieve.

Today most writers tend to draft electronic versions of their paper. I do so myself. However I know that I can more effectively revise and edit on the printed page. When I complete a draft I print it out and then set it aside to let it ferment. After returning to the project I am able to bring a fresher eye due to our time apart as well as different perspective because the words are in print rather than on screen. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

The technique of reading your work out loud may be simple but it is extremely effective and employed by writers at all levels and of all ages, however it works best when you combine it with an effective writing process, allow enough time for an adequate drafting and revision process, and revise and edit drafts on the printed page. You can become a better writer if you employ these simple strategies and tips.