I begin the process of writing by thinking about the topic. This may include brainstorming and collecting data to expand my knowledge of the subject. When I brainstorm I get a paper and pen to write down any ideas that come to mind. I then develop the jumbled mass of thoughts into a list of more complete ideas or points that I wish to address. After gathering my thoughts, I begin to think about the paper's format. I attempt to understand my audience and what I want them to grasp from my paper. Depending on the purpose of the writing, I mentally choose a format that helps me best arrange my thoughts. After organizing my thoughts and developing an understanding of the paper as a whole, I write a thesis statement, which acts basically as the topic
