Getting the Most from Writing Nichelle Puder English 1301 Freshman Composition I Houston Community College System

The Writing Process Getting Started

(1) Analyze Your Assignment Time Restraints (In or Out of Class) Sources Library Interviewing Purpose What Is My Reason For Writing? Audience Who Am I Writing To? Tone What Kind of Impression Should My Writing Give?

Diagnostic Writing Assignment Time Restraints Outside Source Use Purpose Audience Tone

Analyze Your Assignment Continued Purpose (WHY AM I COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT?) Persuade Inform Entertain Express Feelings and Attitudes Analyze Debate Criticize Define Compare/Contrast Narrate/Describe Amuse Academic Audience (WHO AM I WRITING FOR?) Expects: Correct Information Standard Grammar and Spelling Logical Presentation of Ideas Stylistic Fluency (Word Choice and Sentence Structure) Define Terms and Support Generalizations with Specifics Express Thoughts Clearly and Accurately

Analyze Your Assignment Cont. Point-of-View What side of the story should I tell? First Person: I, me, my. Second Person: You, Yours, We, Us, Our Third Person (Academic): He, She, It, They, Names, Nouns

What Kind of Essay (Rhetorical Mode) Am I Writing the Essay In Illustration Proves a point using specific examples. Narration Tells a story about a sequence of events that happened. Process Informs the reader about how to do something, how something works, or how something happened.

What Kind of Essay (Rhetorical Mode) Am I Writing the Essay In Description To describe using vivid details and images that appeal to the reader’s senses. Definition Explain what a term or concept means by providing relevant examples. Classification Sort the topic’s qualities to help readers better understand the topic.

What Kind of Essay (Rhetorical Mode) Am I Writing the Essay In Comparison and Contrast Presents information about similarities (compare) and differences (contrast). Cause and Effect Explains why an event happened (the cause) or what the consequences of the evert were (the effects). Argument Takes a position on an issue and offers reasons for the position. Analogy Compare topics that at first glance seem quite different.

(2) Choose a Topic and Prewrite Focused Free writing 5-15 Minutes of Concentrated, Nonstop Writing about Your Topic. Then, Review What You Have Written.

(2) Choose a Topic and Prewrite Listing or Brainstorming A Way of Listing Information About Your Topic.

(2) Choose a Topic and Prewrite Clustering Use the Main Circle For the Writing Topic. Other Categories Other Individual Circles. Smaller Circles Per Idea

Choosing Topic/Prewriting Cont. Asking Journalistic 5W’s and H Why? What? When? Where? Who? How?

Choosing Topic/Prewriting Cont. Journal Writing Researching with Internet Search Discuss With Peer, Outside Source Interview Someone

Narrow Your Topic Through Previous Prewriting Clustering and Listing Work Well

(3) Plan (Map Out an Approach) Use Prewriting to Create an Outline. Formal Informal Create a Thesis Statement Which Is The Central Point the Essay Supports More Than a Title, a Statement of Fact, or an Announcement. Carefully Worded and Accurately Predicts Your Essay’s Direction, Emphasis, and Scope

(4) Write – Draft the Paragraph Remember to Include Topic Sentence First sentence in paragraph. Narrows topic. Gives central idea. Body of Paragraph Support Through Examples and Details Order Organization/Transitional Words and Phrases Strong concluding sentence.

(4) Write – Draft the Essay Introduction and Thesis Start Where You Think Your Writing Is Going to Be Productive If Need Be Skip the Introduction and Return To It Later Use the Thesis As Your Guide Body Paragraphs and Conclusion Remember to Include Topic Sentence Support Through Examples and Details Order Organization/Transitional Words and Phases Strong Conclusion

Additional Comments On Order Chronological 1st, 2nd, 3rd, finally. Emphatic Most Important to Least Least Important to Most Spacial Up/Down Side to Side Right /Left

Additional Comments On Order Logical In Addition/Moreover/Furthermore Comparison Similarly/Likewise In the Same Way As Well/In a Like Manner Thus Contrast However/On the Other Hand Though/Yet In Sprite Of

(5) Revise Re-See What You Have Written Look For Major Improvements In Content Enlarging or narrowing the thesis. Adding more examples or cutting irrelevant ones. Organization Reorganizing Points Changing Paragraph Order

(6) Edit Check Grammar Fragments Run-ons Subject-Verb-Agreement, etc. Word Choice Spelling Punctuation Mechanics Capitalization Abbreviation Apostrophes, etc.

(7) Publish (Prepare Writing Before Submitting or Sharing) Prepare Final Copy Incorporate All Editing Changes. Follow Design Requirements Format your final copy following instructor’s requirements. Proofread the Text Check your writing one last time for errors.