Class 1 What we’re going to do today Logistics: Rollcall, overview of requirements Expected skills coming in What you find hard about writing Your goals for course My goals for course Assignment for next Tuesday Short writing assignment to do in class MCWhitton Class 1

Logistics, 1 Roll What class is about: writing requirement Demonstrate that have writing skills to communicate at level of publishable prose What class is about: writing something you need to write anyway IP, Dissertation proposal or chapter, thesis, technical paper Assumed skills Basic grammar and composition skills Course web site—likely to use Blackboard Temporarily linked my home page ….~whitton/Comp291F04 (Before look at it, talk about what you want to get out of this) MCWhitton Class 1

What do you want from this course? What is hard about writing for you? Use tool Inspiration to generate ideas and cluster If they aren’t covered, add these points: My observations- Wait too long to start  assignments due all along that count Don’t spend enough time Reflecting on content Organizing structure of paper Start writing prose too soon Wordsmith before you know what you want to say Flow problems from cut and paste Don’t critique yourself carefully enough does it say what you intend? Don’t put yourself in the other guys’ shoes? Who is the audience? Careless about formatting references MCWhitton Class 1

My objectives, how do they match up? 1. Structured setting in which to fulfill your writing requirement a. Getting started b. Deadlines and assignments will be related to IP, MORE c. Feedback early and often 2. Make writing easier by giving you tools a. procedures--tricks, methods, top-down approach b. tools--SW helps c. resources 3. Make you your own best critic and editor a. Writing as user interface b.Put yourself in the other guys shoes 4. Awareness of and Appreciation of good writing a. well chosen words, good "turns of phrase", well crafted sentences and paragraphs b. well structured and argued pieces MCWhitton Class 1

Look at web page, assignments http://www.cs.unc.edu/~whitton/Comp291F04 Refer to what goal or writing problem the assignments address MORE steps for course than for IP—a chance for help, an opportunity to get feedback and revise How we’ll work: Review each other’s work to help you hone your ability to critique, hopefully make you more aware of your own writing. Probably one of few times you’ll do an individual writing job. How we stay out of trouble for giving too much help on a “single person” writing product Comment on structure of arguments and style, but not on the ideas themselves Honor Code MCWhitton Class 1

(Getting to) Today’s writing assignment Topic: something everyone knows something about Suggestions? What I did this summer? Going to brainstorm and organize for 5 min DID is a wimpy verb: how make it more specific and lively? How many things could you write about in 10 min? Then you brainstorm and organize for 5 min Then write for 10 min Exchange papers and mark up 5 min Clarity of purpose Clarity of prose Exceptionally good (or bad) prose (NO ATTRIBUTION!) Talk about it 5+ minutes Stop about 5 min left to make assignments MCWhitton Class 1

Next assignments Reading assignment: Executive summary of the 911 Commission report. Read it critically for style, not content Audience? How to find a topic for your 291 paper We’ll brainstorm on this next time 200 words on this topic for next Tuesday MCWhitton Class 1

Review/Preview Reviewed goals yours and mine High level look at assignments Done a writing assignment Brainstormed Limited topics (?) Wrote Critiqued Preview Good writing in the 911 report exec summary Brainstorm about finding a topic MCWhitton Class 1