The Writing Process ENG 101 Notes based on

The Writing Process ENG 101 (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?

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

How to think like a writer Quick Box 5. 2, p. 62 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.

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

Ways to generate ideas about your 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. 66 -67) Create a cluster map (see example on p. 68)

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

Practice mapping Dating

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

Developing your thesis 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. Topic Central point about topic See examples on pp. 69 -71. Thesis Statement

Drafting your preliminary thesis 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.

Qualities of an effective 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

What to avoid in writing a thesis statement 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.

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

Organizing your ideas The formal outline (example p. 72 -73) 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!

Writing the first draft 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. 83 -84.

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

Drafting Body Paragraphs 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!)

Revising content 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 organization 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 Tips: 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!

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. S L O W L Y 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!

Journal Prompt 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. )