Cognitive models of the writing process make a distinction between the functions of planning and translation: the first to generate ideas, the second to represent these ideas in written linguistic conventions. For many writers however, ideas do not always appear to precede the act of writing, rather they appear to be discovered through it. This article reports on interview data investigating the metacognitive thinking of adolescent writers about their own composing processes. The data will show that young writers differ in their understanding of their own composing styles and some struggle with the classroom imposition of pre- and post-composing strategies requiring that they plan and revise; talking instead of planning and revising as they translate. The findings will be considered in the light of contrasting models of writing composition, problem solving models and the dual-processing model. The article will call for a writing pedagogy that better recognises the different ways young writers might integrate planning and translation.