1. How to Write Your Best Paper: Discovering and Refining Your Writing Process Presented by Judith M. Davis, Director Writing Technology Laboratory Student Support Services October 30, 2002

2. Understand that writing is an individual, recursive process Planning Prewriting Organizing Drafting Revising Editing Proofreading

3. Planning Think! Analyze the assignment –Requirements –Topic –Purpose –Audience Research –Preliminary –Topic focused

4. Prewriting List Brainstorm Cluster/mind-map/web Freewrite Outline

5. Organizing Outline important ideas from prewriting Structure a thesis Plan primary and secondary support

6. Drafting Just do it! Write without editing Consider opening strategies –“Hook” the reader –State the thesis –Forecast the direction of the essay “Layer” the paragraphs –Topic sentence –Primary support –Secondary support

7. Leave a strong final impression –Restate thesis –Sum-up key ideas –Make a concluding statement

8. Revising “Re-see” your essay Check organization Ensure sufficient development Examine use of sources Build smooth transitions –Order –Repetition of key ideas –Use of transitional expressions Evaluate opening and closing

9. Editing Read aloud Read for trouble Read backwards

10. Proofreading Read for new errors Read backwards to re-check spelling Check formatting