The Writing Process

1. The Writing Process

2. How do you write? • Do you sit down and write a whole essay in one sitting? Revise as you go? Start and then put it away to finish? • Do you write from the top of your head or do you gather information and outline your ideas first? • Do you worry about grammar as you write? Or do you proofread once finished? Or finish typing and just hit print?

3. These are all questions to ask as you reflect on your own writing process. Reflecting on these questions will force you to analyze your writing and hopefully reflect on how you can implement a new approach and improve your writing.

4. The Basic Steps in Writing • Prewriting • Writing • Revising • Editing and Proofreading

5. Prewriting • Collecting information • Know the purpose of your paper! • Brainstorming • Narrowing down topic • Jotting down ideas

6. Linking ideas • Look for patterns of meaning • Connect similar ideas • Build transitions

7. Planning • Begin with a thesis statement • Topic sentences for paragraphs • Informal or formal outline • Informal papers do not always have to have a formal outline, but you should always jot down the order in which you want to present your ideas.

8. Writing • Drafting the paper • A first draft is usually written fairly quickly just to get your ideas down and to discover what ‘fits’ in your paper and what doesn’t.

9. Revising Developing the Draft Clarifying Meaning Will your readers be able to understand what you’re talking about? Can you answer the questions your readers might ask? • Are all your points thoroughly made? • Add definitions, descriptions, stories, support for your paper where needed. • Do your ideas transition from one paragraph to the next?

10. Editing and Proofreading • Do your sentences flow from one to another? • Do you have accurate spelling, punctuation, and mechanics? • Have you had someone else read your paper? • Have you read your paper aloud? It’s amazing how much we ‘write’ in our head that doesn’t actually get written down on our paper.