makers and rhetorical conventions and to put them cohesively into a written text, how to revise text for clearer meaning, and how to edit text
for appropriate grammar. The definition above shows that writing is a productive language
skill of thinking, drafting, and revising that consists of many constituent parts, content, organization, originality, style, fluency, accuracy or using
appropriate rhetorical forms of discourse to communicate a message by making signs on a page.
b. Writing Process
As stated earlier, writing is a combination of process and product. Richard Renandya 2003:315 say that writing process tends to be
formed in two stages, the basic stages and the external stages. The basic stages involve planning, drafting, revising, and editing. The external stages
involve responding, evaluating and post-writing.
In line with Richard Renandya, Harmer 2004:162 states that there are four stages in the writing process. The first stage is
planning.Experienced writers plan what they are going to write. It means before starting to write they have to decide what they are going to write.
The second is drafting. It is the first time a writer attempts to write. In this stage the writer trying to make assumption that will be emended later. The
third is editing reflecting and revising. Reflecting and revising are often helped by other reader or editor who gives comment and makes
suggestions. Another reader is reaction on a piece of writing helps the writers to make appropriate revision. The last is final version. In the last
stage, the writers have to edit their draft, and then make the necessary
changes for the final version.
Osima and Hogue 2006:205 also state that there are four stages of writing process. The first is creating pre-writing. In this step, writers
choose a topic and collect the information of the topic that they have in creating step. The second is outlining that means organizing ideas into an
outline. The third is writing a rough draft. In this stage, writers follow the outline and ignore the grammar, punctuation or spelling. The fourth step is
polishing. This step is also called revising and editing. In addition, Langan 20005:16 says that there are four processes of
writing: prewriting, writing a first draft, revising, and outlining. It means that in writing there are several things that the writers need. The first stage
is prewriting to develop a topic and get words on a paper. The next stage is revising. It means rewriting a paper and building on what has already been
done, in order to make it better. The last stage is outlining. It provides a quick check on whether your paper will be unified, be adequately
supported and be well organized. However, Boardman and Frydenberg 2002:27-28 state that there
are at least five stages in constructing a good written text. The first is establishing topic. The second is organizing ideas. The third is writing first
draft. The fourth is revising first draft. The last is proofreading the final draft.
Based on some theories above, it can be summarized that in general there are three steps of writing process, they are: pre-writing, writing, and
rewriting. Pre-writing includes any stimulating activities before writing. It consists of planning and drafting. Writing refers to the activities of
organizing one’s ideas into sentences and paragraphs in the written form. While rewriting involves revising and editing.
c. Writing Skill
As the most difficult skill, writing deals with some aspects which should be known by the learners. Writing is not only about theoretical idea,
but it more concerns on practical thing. In facts, writing deals with some sub- skills, including micro- and macro- skills.
In order to acquire the writing skills, there are some micro- and macroskills which should be mastered by the learners. Brown 2004:221
states someaspects included in them, in more detail, they are:
Microskills 1. Produce graphemes and orthographic patterns of English.
2. Produce writing at an efficient rate of speed to suit the purpose. 3. Produce an acceptable core of words and use appropriate word
order patterns. 4. Use acceptable grammatical systems e.g., tense, agreement,
pluralization, patterns and rules. 5. Express a particular meaning in different grammatical forms.
6. Use cohesive devices in written discourse.
