Expert vs. Novice Writing Strategies

All writers have varying levels of expertise.  Many studies have been done by researchers interested in determining the different techniques and strategies employed by expert versus novice writers.  Their findings indicate that expert writers draw on their experiences, plan their documents, are flexible in their writing, and use metadiscourse.  Studying both expert and novice writers' approaches to their work can help a professional writer determine where they are on the continuum of expertise, learn from novice mistakes, and gain new strategies to further improve their own writing.

The following sections cover several key writing strategies, expert and novice approaches to each, and finally provide applications for professional writers to their own writing development.

• Metadiscourse
• Planning
• Flexibility and time
• Experience and audience awareness