Writing is a developmental and flexible process. Using a prescribed process for acts of writing during instruction does not take into account individual differences of writers and generates writing instruction that is narrow, rigid, and inflexible. Preservice teachers receive limited training with theory and pedagogy for writing, which potentially leads to poor pedagogical practices with writing instruction among practicing teachers. The purpose of this article was to provide teacher educators, preservice teachers and practicing teachers of writing with a knowledge base of historical research and models that define and describe processes involved during the acts of writing.