When Writing is a Challenge What Students Can Do

Can’t Think of an Idea? Try Looping Write nonstop for 3 to 5 minutes on the topic, noting whatever comes to mind. Reread what you have written to look for a spark, or emerging idea. Begin with that spark and write for a few minutes more. Find a new spark and write a summary sentence. Repeat this process until a central idea emerges. Write nonstop for 3 to 5 minutes on the topic, noting whatever comes to mind. Reread what you have written to look for a spark, or emerging idea. Begin with that spark and write for a few minutes more. Find a new spark and write a summary sentence. Repeat this process until a central idea emerges.

When Planning Your Writing Avoid outlines, dictionaries, and grammar checks until you have your thoughts on paper! Think about what you would say about the topic if you were talking to a friend about it. Write your ideas just as they come into your mind. Quickly bracket words, phrases, and sentences that don't sound right to you and then move on. Come back to what you have marked after you have gotten all your initial ideas down on paper. Avoid outlines, dictionaries, and grammar checks until you have your thoughts on paper! Think about what you would say about the topic if you were talking to a friend about it. Write your ideas just as they come into your mind. Quickly bracket words, phrases, and sentences that don't sound right to you and then move on. Come back to what you have marked after you have gotten all your initial ideas down on paper. 

For the First Draft Reread the assignment. What are the requirements? Reread your ideas. Have you addressed the requirements of the assignment? Who is your audience? Which methods of development will work best for the requirements, your ideas, and your audience? How will you support your ideas? Do you need to do some research to find supporting details? Organize the ideas you wrote down and write a complete draft. Go back to the words, phrases, and sentences that you bracketed and think about how you can be more clear and effective in your wording. Reread the assignment. What are the requirements? Reread your ideas. Have you addressed the requirements of the assignment? Who is your audience? Which methods of development will work best for the requirements, your ideas, and your audience? How will you support your ideas? Do you need to do some research to find supporting details? Organize the ideas you wrote down and write a complete draft. Go back to the words, phrases, and sentences that you bracketed and think about how you can be more clear and effective in your wording.

Some Examples of Revision

What Does It Mean to Revise My Draft? Revision is changing ideas, organization, or voice, which requires deeper and more sweeping changes than correcting errors. It is sometimes called global revision or deep revision. Revision is best done early in the writing process before you are too committed to the direction you are going to want to make big changes. Revision is changing ideas, organization, or voice, which requires deeper and more sweeping changes than correcting errors. It is sometimes called global revision or deep revision. Revision is best done early in the writing process before you are too committed to the direction you are going to want to make big changes.

Some Areas to Consider Revising The focus: What is most important? The purpose: What do I want from the audience? The type of writing: Would this work better as a narrative or an essay? The point of view: Whose voice should come through the piece? The sequence: What order works best? The types of organization: Which methods of developing my ideas would be most effective? The focus: What is most important? The purpose: What do I want from the audience? The type of writing: Would this work better as a narrative or an essay? The point of view: Whose voice should come through the piece? The sequence: What order works best? The types of organization: Which methods of developing my ideas would be most effective?

Some Examples of Editing

What Does It Mean to Edit My Draft? Editing is making minor changes in word choice, sentence fluency, or conventions, which requires only surface corrections. It is sometimes called local revision or surface revision. Editing is best done just before the writing piece is complete. Editing is making minor changes in word choice, sentence fluency, or conventions, which requires only surface corrections. It is sometimes called local revision or surface revision. Editing is best done just before the writing piece is complete.

How Do I Know What to Edit? Review your portfolio. What errors have teachers marked in your previous writing? Use a style book or a Web site to help you figure out how to correct those errors. Once you understand your mistakes, review the current piece again to ensure that you have not repeated the errors. Review your portfolio. What errors have teachers marked in your previous writing? Use a style book or a Web site to help you figure out how to correct those errors. Once you understand your mistakes, review the current piece again to ensure that you have not repeated the errors.

A Caution about the Thesaurus A thesaurus does not give the connotations or shades of meaning of a word. Consider this example: The parents explained to their children that cheating on a homework assignment is immoral. If you want to replace the word immoral, the word lewd is among the synonyms listed in the thesaurus, but the word lewd means immoral in a way that is crude or vulgar. This is clearly not appropriate for the sentence above. Thus, use the thesaurus to remind you of words you know. If you are considering choosing a word you don’t know, look at examples of the way it is used and be sure that you understand any implied meanings before you use the word. A thesaurus does not give the connotations or shades of meaning of a word. Consider this example: The parents explained to their children that cheating on a homework assignment is immoral. If you want to replace the word immoral, the word lewd is among the synonyms listed in the thesaurus, but the word lewd means immoral in a way that is crude or vulgar. This is clearly not appropriate for the sentence above. Thus, use the thesaurus to remind you of words you know. If you are considering choosing a word you don’t know, look at examples of the way it is used and be sure that you understand any implied meanings before you use the word.

Some Resources for Writers NCTE’s National Gallery of Writing: Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference Strunk and White’s Elements of Style The OWL at Purdue University: Grammar Girl Ask Oxford by Oxford Dictionaries NCTE’s National Gallery of Writing: Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference Strunk and White’s Elements of Style The OWL at Purdue University: Grammar Girl Ask Oxford by Oxford Dictionaries

Tips for Successful Writing Write every day--outside of school. Review the rubric before you begin an assignment. Write down ideas first without worrying about structure, form, or correctness. Do a draft well before the assignment is due to allow the draft to “get cold” so that you can be more objective about it. Have a parent read the rubric and what you have written and provide feedback. Have your parents host a writers’ conference for you and your friends who have the same assignment. Ask for the teacher’s help if these strategies are not enough. Write every day--outside of school. Review the rubric before you begin an assignment. Write down ideas first without worrying about structure, form, or correctness. Do a draft well before the assignment is due to allow the draft to “get cold” so that you can be more objective about it. Have a parent read the rubric and what you have written and provide feedback. Have your parents host a writers’ conference for you and your friends who have the same assignment. Ask for the teacher’s help if these strategies are not enough.