A study was undertaken to observe the prewriting processes of four high and four low writing apprehensive college students and to explore any composing patterns that seemed characteristic of the two groups. During the study, each of the eight participants attended at least four 90-minute sessions that were designed to document the complex processes of composing from a number of different perspectives. In all, four methods of indirect observation were used to gather data: timed codings of composing aloud activities, videotaped interviews concerning the mental processes students employed in composing, thinking aloud protocols, and videotaped recording of the students' physical behaviors during composing. The main conclusion of the study was that the high and low apprehensive students approached composing tasks with different attitudes, perceptions, and expectations. The four high apprehensive students approached writing with anxiety, and tended to rush through the task without planning. The low apprehensives were confident about their writing ability, but did not always enjoy composing. They tended to use several prewriting strategies and to plan their work. They also expected to write well. (The coding schema used in the study is appended.) (FL)