Pre-writing Stage

Depending on the kind of text, the pre-writing or invention stage will consist of different activities. Usually, some
kind of reading, experimenting, or data collection, as well as the formulation of a thesis (often in the form of a
thesis statement) is necessary before actual writing can begin. Here, we offer advice on some central aspects of
the pre-writing stage that are connected with writing.
The pre-writing stage consists of all the work that is done before actual text production takes place. Thus, reading
of background material, performing experiments and other kinds of data collection, analysing the material that is
under investigation, etc. are tasks that are part of the pre-writing stage which will ultimately affect the actual
writing process.
In an early article on process-oriented writing, Rohman (1965) emphasised the importance of the pre-writing
stage, describing it as "the stage of discovery in the writing process when a person assimilates his 'subject' to
himself" (p. 106). This is worth considering; during this assimilation process, the writer’s approach to his or her
project develops.