Writing PROCESS By Dina Szklarek

Pre-writing/Invention This is the stage in the writing process that involves the steps that lead up to drafting the essay. During pre-writing, writers “invent” ideas to use in their essays. There are several steps to take during the pre-writing stage.

Step 1: Critical Reading Critical reading is active and engaged reading. When you are reading critically, you are looking for what is important. When you are reading critically, you are looking for how the author organizes (structure)his or her work. When you are reading critically, you are reading in between the lines (looking for the implicit and explicit meanings). When you are reading critically, you are aware of the genre of the text. When you are reading critically. you are aware of the rhetorical situation (ethos, pathos, logos). When you are reading critically, you are using several critical reading strategies.

Critical Reading Strategies: Annotating Summarizing and outlining Reading more than once Highlighting/ underlining Looking up unfamiliar terms Pre-viewing the text Asking questions Thinking about your reading environment Reading out loud

Step 2: Brainstorming Lists Free- write Cluster/ Web/ Map

Step 3: Outlining Creates a skeleton of your essay Does not need to be formal Keeps your ideas organized

Step 4: Research Find sources to support your ideas and argument Make sure that sources are credible, relevant, accurate. Learn how to properly integrate research and cite according to MLA format.

Step 5: Dialogue Bring your questions to class and discuss with me and your peers

Drafting

Revision A new “vision” of your work Successful writers recommend taking some away from their work before they revise. Most neglected stage of the writing process

Two Levels of Revision 1. Global Revision Fixing larger scale issues: Content, organization, style 2. Local Revision Fixing smaller scale issues: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, format

The Writing Process is Recursive