Abstract
Writing workshops have been recommended by numerous researchers and practicing writing teachers. Motivation, instruction, feedback, and opportunity all contribute to students' enthusiasm for writing. Instruction continues to move toward increasing students' abilities to generate thoughts and ideas and then, as a second but equally important concern, to communicate these ideas in written form, and to do so often. The writing process consists of five recursive stages, each of which should be explained and modeled for students. The stages are planning/prewriting, composing/drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. In the planning stage, students can use online tools and resources to further their understanding of a topic. The first stage of any writing effort is a "planning/prewriting" stage in which writers explore and then organize the ideas they feel passionate about—so much so that it will sustain the hard work to follow. Composing, or drafting, is the stage in which writers develop their topic and actually translate their ideas into written form.