The Writing Process ENG101 (Notes based on Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers)

Discussion question #1: How do you feel about writing papers?

Discussion question #2: What’s your “process” for writing papers?

PLANNING Establish purpose Identify audience Generate ideas Develop a working thesis Organize ideas (outline or map) DRAFTING Write the first draft, then later the second, third... REVISING Get feedback Improve content, organization and expression of ideas EDITING/PROOFREADING Correct for errors in grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation Make final corrections and print out a “clean” copy The Writing Process

 Realize that writing takes time.  Know that writing requires focused attention, free of distractions.  Recognize that all writing involves rewriting, often many times.  Believe that the physical act of writing helps ideas spring to mind.  Think critically about the world around you. How to think like a writer Quick Box 5.2, p. 62

Peer pressure The effects of peer pressure on students The effects of peer pressure on middle school students The effects of peer pressure on middle school boys Final topic: How peer pressure creates bullies out of middle school boys. Begin by selecting a topic You may need to narrow a broad topic Use prewriting techniques to narrow a broad topic

 Notice the world around you. Watch/listen to the news. READ!!!  Talk with others. Pay attention to different viewpoints.  Freewrite for 5-10 minutes (see p. 65)  Brainstorm (see example on p. 66)  Ask questions (see p )  Create a cluster map (see example on p. 68) Ways to generate ideas about your topic:

 For three minutes, freewrite on the following prompt: What will your life be like in five years? How will it be different from how it is now?  Do not worry about grammar, spelling, or even writing complete sentences.  Do not stop writing; do not let your pen leave the paper. If you cannot think of anything else to write, simply write the alphabet or “I don’t know what else to write” until another idea pops into your head. Practice freewriting

What topics would you like to read and write about this semester? Practice brainstorming (listing)

Dating Practice mapping

Practice Questioning Topic: _______________________________________ Who?Who is involved/affected? Who is for (or against) it? What?What happened? What does it mean? What causes it? What are its effects? What is it like (or different from)? When?When did it happen? When will it begin (or end)? Why?Why is it important? Why is it interesting? Where?Where does it happen? How?How does it happen? How does it change things? How should people react to it?

 Your thesis is the sentence that states what your essay is about. Often appearing in the introductory paragraph, your thesis lets your readers know your writing topic and the central point you will make about the topic.  See examples on pp Developing your thesis Topic Central point about topic Thesis Statement

 Read over your idea generation material (i.e.—freewriting, brainstorm list, answers to questions). Look for ideas that seem related, or look for one that seems most important. Select one of these ideas to narrow down to your topic and central point.  If you cannot identify both a narrow topic and a central point, then return to the idea-generation step (i.e. do more freewriting, questioning, brainstorming, etc.).  Write out your preliminary “working” thesis the best you can. You can always revise it later to make sure that it has all of the qualities of an effective thesis. Drafting your preliminary thesis

Refer to Quick Box 5.4 on page 70  It states the topic of your essay  It states your central claim clearly  It leads to the essay’s topic sentences that start the body paragraphs  It usually comes at the end of your introductory paragraph  It uses clear, straightforward language  It may preview your main ideas Qualities of an effective thesis

 Avoid factual statements that lead nowhere  Avoid writing announcements or stating your purpose like “The purpose of this essay is...”  Avoid expressions such as “In my opinion,” “I think,” and “I believe.”  Avoid writing an thesis statement that is too broad or too narrow in focus. What to avoid in writing a thesis statement

 Work on Writing Thesis Statements on page 22 in your Workbook for Writers  Work in pairs; discuss your answers Exercise: The Thesis

Organizing your ideas  The formal outline (example p )  Should be typed and attached to your essay! Tips Tips:  If you have trouble developing your outline, return to the idea generation step.  As you outline, think about your preliminary thesis—you may want to reconsider your central point and revise your thesis.  Try using the automatic outline feature in Microsoft Word.  In general, recognize that more detailed outlines make for smoother drafting!

 A first draft is often called a “rough draft.” It is your first effort to transform your ideas and outline into an essay.  This first draft is tentative and will undergo many changes and corrections before it can be developed into a “final draft” (although, no writing is ever “final” )  See sample first draft on pp Writing the first draft

Essay Structure Capture readers’ attention (“Hook”) Provide background info State THESIS Introductory Paragraph Topic sentence (1 st point of thesis) Major/minor supporting details First Body Paragraph Topic sentence (2 nd point of thesis) Major/minor supporting details Second Body Paragraph Topic sentence (3 rd point of thesis) Major/minor supporting details Third Body Paragraph Summarize thesis and main supporting points Provide additional insight on topic Conclusion Paragraph Typical Essay Structure

 Read: “Banning Alcohol on College Campuses” by Marcie Katz, pp Thoughts? Reactions? Sample Essay

 Be open to new ideas and discoveries. Your outline is flexible.  Don’t expect your body paragraphs to be richly detailed and perfectly written when you are writing your first draft; you can revise them later to make them better.  If you are having trouble drafting, try the following:  Paste in the section of your outline as a “placeholder” and move on to the next section. Highlighting unfinished sections is also helpful.  Stop and generate more ideas through freewriting, brainstorming, questioning, etc.  Leave your work for a while. Your ideas may need an “incubation period.” (This is another reason it is important to start working on your essays early!) Drafting Body Paragraphs

 Reconsider your thesis—Does it make a clear point about your topic? Is it effectively written?  Reconsider your body paragraphs—Do they each begin with clear topic sentences that directly relate to your thesis? Do they contain enough supporting details? (RENNS, p. 92) Do each of your body paragraphs stick to one main point?  Reconsider your introduction, conclusion, and title—Do they create interest in your essay? Are they suited for your audience and purpose? Do they give your readers a good impression? Revising content

 Evaluate how you organized your ideas:  Did you include enough transitional words and phrases to give your essay “coherence”? (See list of transitions on p. 94)  Did you include transitional sentence to achieve coherence between paragraphs? Revising organization

 See Revision Checklist on p. 80 0for revising sentences:  Use active voice  Achieve sentence variety—use coordination & subordination to combine sentences  Use formal, specific diction (word choice)  Eliminate wordiness  Avoid clichés Revising Sentences

 Note Procedures 1, 2, & 3 on p. 93  See example of Procedure 3 on pp  Work on Exercise: Evaluating a Draft on pp with a partner; create a list of “strengths” and “recommended revisions” Peer Review

 Take a break for a day. The time away will help restore your objectivity so you can better assess your writing as a reader.  Revise in stages—first revise for content, next for organization, then revise sentences. Or first revise your body paragraphs, then revise your introduction, and then revise your conclusion. Take breaks between stages.  Read your draft out loud or ask someone to read it to you. You may hear problems with your writing that you did not see.  Avoid dwelling on grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. You can fix these errors in the editing stage of the writing process.  Revise more than once! Revising Tips:

Editing/Proofreading (the final stage of the writing process)  Editing is the process of finding and correcting mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage. Editing Tips:  Take a break so you can look at your draft with “fresh eyes”  Edit more than once.  Learn the rules. You can’t spot and correct mistakes without knowing English grammar and usage rules.  Edit a print copy. SLOWLY read one sentence at a time and use a pen to mark edits.  When in doubt, check it out. If you sense something “doesn’t sound right,” then there is probably a problem. Look it up or ask for help.  Do not rely too heavily on Microsoft Word spelling and grammar checks. They are not foolproof and often overlook errors.

Don’t procrastinate. It often takes a lot of time for your ideas to “incubate.” Write in stages. Do a little bit of work every day instead of a lot of work all at once. Take pride in your writing. These are your ideas in your words—be proud of them! Have fun! Good luck!

Write a journal entry about your experiences as a student writer. You can write about any of the following:  Explain your own writing process  Discuss your feelings about writing—do you like to write? Why or why not?  Describe a positive (or a negative) experience you have had with writing for school. (Think all the way back to elementary school, if you like.) Journal Prompt