Planning and Proofreading

This section explains planning and proofreading which are both essential steps in the writing process. Planning and proofreading should serve as the two main bookends of your writing process. Planning allows you to organise your thoughts and structure your narrative effectively, while proofreading ensures that your writing is polished, error-free, and ready for your audience.

Planning to Write

Planning is a crucial phase in the writing process. Even professional writers, such as novelists, often begin with a detailed plan to guide the development of their first draft. This plan serves as a blueprint, helping them organise their thoughts and ideas before they start writing.

There are various planning techniques you can use, depending on your preferences. Some methods work better for different types of stories or writing tasks. Experiment with a few and find what suits you best.

Here are some options to help you plan your writing:

• Mind Map: This visual tool is great for exploring ideas. It starts with a central theme or concept in the middle of the page, and you branch out with related ideas, characters, events, or settings. This allows you to see how all your ideas are connected.
• Bullet Points: A simple, straightforward way to outline your ideas. You can list key events, characters, or locations in short, clear points. This approach works well for those who prefer a concise overview.
• Flow Chart: This method allows you to map out the sequence of events in your story, showing how one event leads to the next. It's helpful for understanding the progression of your narrative.
• Table: A structured way of organising ideas. For example, you could divide your table into columns such as Character, Setting, Key Events, and Emotions, making it easier to plan different aspects of your story.

What to Include in a Plan

Your plan is essentially an outline that helps you organise your ideas in preparation for writing. To ensure that your story is structured effectively, consider using a five-stage story arc as a framework. This arc breaks your narrative into five stages:

1. Exposition – the introduction, where you set the scene, introduce characters, and provide necessary background.
2. Rising Action – where the main events and conflicts unfold, building tension.
3. Climax – the turning point, where the conflict reaches its peak.
4. Falling Action – where the aftermath of the climax is explored and the tension begins to ease.
5. Resolution – where the story concludes, and loose ends are tied up.

In addition to these structural elements, you can also use your plan to highlight specific writing techniques you wish to incorporate, such as:

• Figurative language: Make a note of where you want to include similes, metaphors, personification, etc.
• Sentence variety: Plan where you might use short, punchy sentences for fast-paced scenes or longer, descriptive sentences for reflective moments.
• TiPToP: Recall the TiPToP technique for structuring your paragraphs (Time, Place, Topic, Person) and make sure you include this in your plan.

A plan is not only a tool for structuring your narrative but also a place to jot down any specific words, phrases, or ideas you want to explore during the writing process.

Proofreading Your Work

Once you've completed your first draft, proofreading is the next critical step. Proofreading helps ensure that your writing is clear, coherent, and error-free. Here's how to approach the process:

• First Reading: Check for Sense
  Start by reading through your work for overall sense. Does the story flow logically? Are your paragraphs in the right order? Ensure that the structure makes sense and that the transitions between ideas, scenes, or characters are smooth. If you’re writing by hand, don’t hesitate to add symbols like // to mark where new paragraphs should begin.
• Second Reading: Spelling and Punctuation
  Read your work slowly, focusing on spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Look out for common mistakes such as missing commas, misplaced apostrophes, or incorrect word choices. It’s easy to miss errors when you’re caught up in the creative flow, so take your time to spot any issues.
• Final Check: Read Aloud
  After the first two rounds of proofreading, consider reading your writing aloud. Hearing your words will help you identify awkward phrases or sentences that sound unclear. You can also catch any overlooked punctuation mistakes, such as missing full stops or commas, that could affect the flow of your writing.

The Importance of Planning and Proofreading

Good writing doesn’t happen by accident; it takes careful thought, organisation, and revision. Planning allows you to structure your ideas effectively, making your writing clearer and more organised. Proofreading ensures that your final draft is free from errors and flows well.

By incorporating both planning and proofreading into your writing process, you give yourself the best chance of creating a well-rounded and polished piece of writing that will engage your reader. Both stages help you refine your ideas, polish your language, and enhance the impact of your narrative.

Example of Planning and Proofreading in Action

• Planning Stage:
  Imagine you're writing a short story about a character's first day at a new school. You could use a mind map to explore ideas for settings, characters, and conflicts. Perhaps you decide that the exposition will introduce the character arriving at school, the rising action will involve meeting new friends, and the climax will be when the character has to stand up in front of the class. You’ll note on your plan that you want to use similes to describe the character’s nervousness and metaphors to represent the school as an "unknown jungle".
• Proofreading Stage:
  Once you’ve finished your draft, read through it carefully. In the first reading, you might realise that your character’s introduction feels rushed, so you decide to add more description. In the second reading, you check for punctuation errors and fix a few missing commas. Lastly, in the final check, you read aloud and spot a sentence that doesn’t flow well, so you rephrase it to improve clarity.

By following these steps, you ensure that your writing is not only creatively strong but also clear and technically sound.