1. The Writing Process: An Overview

2. The Writing Process Pre-Writing Drafting Polishing Editing Revising
Reflecting
Drafting
Polishing
Editing
Revising

3. Pre-Writing Techniques
How do you organize your ideas when you are preparing to write?
Brainstorming
Discussing
Free Writing
Listing
Outlining
Charting/Mapping

4. Brainstorming
“Brainstorming” means thinking of as many ideas as possible in a short amount of time.
Write down your ideas so that you don’t forget them.
Write down everything that comes to your mind; don’t worry about sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.

5. Example of Brainstorming
Topic: What would I do with one million dollars?
Travel--Europe, Asia, S. America
Pay off our house
Share--give a scholarship, donate to charities
Buy a lot of books!
Invest/save and let the interest grow

6. Topics for Practice
Take 5 minutes to brainstorm ideas about the following question:
What are some of the most memorable experiences of your life?

7. Discussing
“Discussing” is similar to brainstorming, but you do it with a partner or group.
Assign one person to write down the ideas.
Write down everything that group members say related to the topic; don’t worry about sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.

8. Topics for Practice
Take 5 minutes to discuss the following question with a partner or group:
What do you think are the most important events in a person’s life? (starting school, getting married, etc.) Why are they important?

9. Free Writing
“Free Writing” is like pouring all of your thoughts onto paper.
Don’t take your pen off the page; keep writing for the entire time.
If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write” until you do.
Don’t try to sort “good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.

10. Example of Free Writing
Topic: Describe the most beautiful place you’ve seen.
I remember climbing to the top of Smolenskii cathedral in autumn, the leaves of St. Petersburg on fire, like an ocean of gold red leaving me breathless with its depth. Stretching out for miles and miles it was all I could see and suddenly the grime and sorrow of the city was drowned with beauty, God’s beauty, God’s love for everyone, his artistic touch meant just for me at this moment.

11. Topics for Practice Free write for 5 minutes on the following topic:
What is the most frightening experience you have ever had?

12. Listing
“Listing” is similar to “brainstorming.” The idea is to write down as many things as possible.
Use single words or phrases, not sentences.
Listing works well for descriptive-type writing.
Don’t worry about spelling or sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas.

13. Example List
Topic: Describe your favorite room in the house/apartment where you live.
Kitchen/Dining Area
White tile, walls, countertops
Flood of sunlight
Healthy plants
Sturdy pine furniture
Glass door--view of lawn and trees

14. Topics for Practice
Take 5 minutes to practice listing in response to the following topic:
Describe your bedroom in the house you grew up in.

15. Outlining
“Outlining” is a more organized form of pre-writing than the others we discussed.
It can be used after you have generated ideas through brainstorming, free writing, or other pre-writing techniques.
It works well for structured types of writing such as essays.
You can use complete sentences, but you don’t have to.

16. Example Outline
I. Introduction: Internet “dating” has advantages and disadvantages.
II. Advantages
a) meet people around the world
b) not based on appearance
III. Disadvantages
a) can you trust them?
b) may be too far away to meet in person
IV. Conclusion: Some success stories, but too risky

17. Topics for Practice
Spend about 5 minutes creating an outline based on the following topic:
Do you agree with the English Only policy at the ELC? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this policy?

18. Charting
Sometimes you will want to organize your ideas for writing in a chart.
Charting works very well for comparison/ contrast writing or examining advantages and disadvantages.
You can use many different kinds of charts, depending on your topic and the kind of writing you are doing.

19. Example Chart

20. Topics for Practice
Draw a chart to organize your ideas about the following topic:
Compare the similarities and differences between your city and Provo.

21. Mapping
“Mapping,” sometimes called “semantic/ idea mapping” or “webbing,” is another way to organize your ideas.
Start with your topic in the center, and branch out from there with related ideas.
Use words and phrases, not complete sentences.

22. Example Map education My future family work
Instill a love of education in my children
Never stop learning
education
Eventually get a PhD
My future
Learn to love whatever work I am doing
Make them a priority
work
family
Stay at home while raising children
Use the skills I have learned in as many ways as possible
Raise healthy, happy children
Stay close to my husband

23. Topics for Practice
Draw a map to organize your ideas about the following topic:
What are some things that you have learned in your life so far?

24. Writing Process Stages
Prewriting
Organizing
First/Rough Draft
Revising
Final Copy ???
Proofreading

25. Organizing/Outlining
Decide what points from prewriting will be included in essay/composition
Give them order (chronological, spatial, order of importance, etc)
Use numbers
Draw arrows and shuffle ideas around
Determine items not to be included and cross them out

26. First/Rough Draft Initial attempt at sentences and paragraphs
Work from the organized prewriting
Use complete sentences grouped according to similar ideas
Unity: all sentences in paragraph relate back to topic sentence
Coherence: all sentences make sense/are logical in order presented

27. Revision Check! Check! Check! Identify and correct any content errors
Reorganize
Omit unnecessary parts/wordiness
Check for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, etc.
Peer-edit; an extra set of eyes can oftentimes find things that you cannot!

28. Final Copy/Proofreading
Is it???
Look over your work; re-read
Have someone else read/check it
If you find any errors, correct them
Check! Check! Check again!
If another proofreading yields no errors, then it is your final copy

29. Use of Writing Process
These steps will be adhered to for all composition work
Writing pieces are not simply “one and done,” but rather, they are works in progress
You may always re-submit a composition to be re-evaluated for that very reason
The average of the two scores will then become your recorded grade

30. Format for Compositions
All stages of Writing Process evident and handed-in with word-processed final copy stapled on top (if utilizing GoogleDocs, all parts must still be submitted)
Double-Spaced
1” margins all around
12-pt. font
MLA heading

31. MLA Heading for Compositions
1” margin
Barack Obama
English 3
R. Matsago—Instructor
September 6, 2011 (due date)

32. Writing Genres for Compositions
Descriptive
Narrative
Persuasive
Expository

33. Descriptive Writing Do what it says—describe!
Paint picture for audience through use of effective words
FRED: use facts, reasons, examples, details

34. Narrative Writing Tells a story
May be your own (autobiographical) or someone else’s (biographical)
Generally organized time-wise (chronologically) using transitions to get from one part to the next

35. Persuasive Writing
Goal is to get another to see/believe your way of thinking
Convince through use of persuasive techniques (ethical appeal, emotional appeal, rational appeal)
Again incorporate FRED—facts, reasons, details, examples
An essay, by definition, is your opinion backed up by evidence

36. Expository Writing “Expose” or reveal a truth Explain a process
Detail items on an agenda
Summarize something

37. SAT and PSSA Writing May be any type of those mentioned
At least 2 different types
Timed (no extra time for SATs)
Stages of Writing Process should be utilized to organize and control focus
Final Draft goes in space allotted to be evaluated
PRINT NEATLY—easier for human to read/grade

38. Rubric for Standardized Tests
Focus
Content
Organization
Style
Mechanics