1. Planning/Brainstorming: This stage involves determining the main idea (topic sentence) and gathering supporting details or evidence. You might outline briefly or freewrite to get your thoughts organized.
2. Drafting: This is where you write the paragraph based on your plan. You write the topic sentence, develop supporting sentences with evidence and examples, and ensure a logical flow of ideas. Don't worry too much about perfection at this stage.
3. Revising: This is where you critically examine your paragraph's content. You check for clarity, coherence, and completeness. You ensure your supporting details effectively support your main idea and that the paragraph has a logical structure. You might add, delete, or rearrange sentences.
4. Editing: This final stage focuses on the mechanics of writing – grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. It's about polishing your paragraph to ensure it is error-free and reads smoothly.
These stages are iterative; you might move back and forth between them as needed. For example, you might discover a necessary addition during the editing stage that requires revising the structure.