An optical writing control device that controls a light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K) that exposes a photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K) and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K), comprising: a light emission control unit that controls light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K) based on information on pixels constituting an image to be formed and output, and exposes the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K); a detection signal acquisition unit that acquires a detection signal of a sensor that detects an image on a conveying path on which the image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K) is transferred and conveyed; and a correction value calculation unit that calculates, based on the detection signal when the sensor detects a pattern for correction (400, 450) used to correct a transfer position of a developer image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K), a correction value used to correct the transfer position, wherein the light emission control unit is configured to draw two patterns as the patterns for correction (400, 450) used to correct the transfer position, the two patterns including a narrow width pattern where a width of the pattern in a main-scanning direction corresponds to a width of a detection area of the sensor in the main-scanning direction, and a wide width pattern having a wider width than the width of the narrow width pattern in the main-scanning direction, and control the light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K), after calculation of the correction value based on the detection signal of the wide width pattern is completed, in a manner where the narrow width pattern is drawn upon the calculation of the correction value, characterized in that even after the calculation of the correction value based on the detection signal of the wide width pattern is completed, the light emission control unit controls the light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K) in a manner where the wide width pattern is drawn upon the calculation of the correction value, if the detection signal acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit that should have been detected was not detected or if a period between two timings at which detection signals are acquired is shorter than a predetermined period or if the calculated correction value exceeds a predetermined specified allowable range. a light emission control unit that controls light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K) based on information on pixels constituting an image to be formed and output, and exposes the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K); a detection signal acquisition unit that acquires a detection signal of a sensor that detects an image on a conveying path on which the image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K) is transferred and conveyed; and a correction value calculation unit that calculates, based on the detection signal when the sensor detects a pattern for correction (400, 450) used to correct a transfer position of a developer image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive element (109Y, 109M, 109C, 109K), a correction value used to correct the transfer position, wherein the light emission control unit is configured to draw two patterns as the patterns for correction (400, 450) used to correct the transfer position, the two patterns including a narrow width pattern where a width of the pattern in a main-scanning direction corresponds to a width of a detection area of the sensor in the main-scanning direction, and a wide width pattern having a wider width than the width of the narrow width pattern in the main-scanning direction, and control the light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K), after calculation of the correction value based on the detection signal of the wide width pattern is completed, in a manner where the narrow width pattern is drawn upon the calculation of the correction value, characterized in that even after the calculation of the correction value based on the detection signal of the wide width pattern is completed, the light emission control unit controls the light emission of the light source (130Y, 130M, 130C, 130K) in a manner where the wide width pattern is drawn upon the calculation of the correction value, if the detection signal acquired by the detection signal acquisition unit that should have been detected was not detected or if a period between two timings at which detection signals are acquired is shorter than a predetermined period or if the calculated correction value exceeds a predetermined specified allowable range.