The Writing Process A writing process is any system you use in order to produce a better piece of writing. Our process has four key players: Madman Architect Carpenter Inspector Think in terms of preparing and building a house.

Stage 1 MADMAN This is the idea man. He has all of these different ideas zooming around in his head, and he just has to get them all out on paper.

MADMAN ACTIVITIES Simple brainstorming: Listing: Put your topic at the top of a blank sheet of paper and write everything that comes to your mind when thinking about your topic. Listing: Write your ideas and thoughts in a list or column on the blank page. Webbing or clustering: Write your topic in the center and circle it. Then as you think of things about your topic, consider how they are related to each other and place them on your paper with lines attaching them to other related thoughts.

Stage 2 ARCHITECT This is the designer or planner. He has to try to look at all of the Madman’s ideas and organize them . His job is to come up with a blueprint, design, or plan for the paper.

ARCHITECT ACTIVITIES Formal Outline: Graphic Organizer: Make a formal outline with headings and subheadings. Make sure the outline sections are parallel and indented properly. General Divisions: This is similar to a formal outline; however, it does not have the strict form of the formal outline. For this type of plan, you simply write down your major areas in your topic and a few minor subsections or details. Graphic Organizer: Use one of the charts or diagrams we studied to outline your topic.

Stage 3 CARPENTER This is the actual builder. He uses the plans that the architect designed, and he begins to build by putting sentences and paragraphs together.

CARPENTER ACTIVITIES Drafting: This is the first attempt at writing your paper. The carpenter gathers all of his tools (prewriting, outlines, notes, dictionary, resources, etc.) and begins to assemble the paper. He makes sure that he constantly checks the architect’s plans, so he can keep the paper organized and on track. The carpenter needs to build the foundation first, and he needs to ensure that each paragraph has enough material to support the statements he is making, just like a real carpenter must use materials and structures that will support each floor of the building he is constructing.

Stage 4 INSPECTOR This is the time when you go back through your draft and look for anything that needs to be changed, deleted, added, rearranged, or corrected.

INSPECTOR ACTIVITIES Proofreading: Check for any misspelled words, incorrect grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Have someone reliable read your work and evaluate it. Check for organization and make sure every sentence is relevant to the topic. Make sure you have supported your ideas with clear details or arguments.

FINAL WORDS Remember that the writing process is a cycle. After the Inspector stage, you may have to go back to the Carpenter stage again to fix problems or rewrite sections. You may also have to go all the way back to the Architect stage to redesign part or all of your plan or reorganize it to make more sense. However, if you practice and use this process, you will see improvement in your writing.