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College Composition / Unit 1   CMP 0011 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Writing Process Is Recursive

Captions available

The idea

The writing process moves through prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, but rarely in a straight line.

In practice

Writing is recursive: writers push forward, step back and repeat steps as ideas develop, adding, deleting and reordering as they reread.

Where people slip

Expecting a good writer to finish in one pass sets a false standard; returning to earlier steps is normal, not failure.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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