The Writing process

In Africa, a little boy asked his father if the lion is the king of the jungle. His father replied, “Yes, son, the lion is the king of the jungle.” The little boy said to his father, “Then why, when I read a story about a lion and a warrior, does the warrior always win?” The father answered, “When the lion learns to write, the ending will then, and only then, be different.” In Africa, a little boy asked his father if the lion is the king of the jungle. His father replied, “Yes, son, the lion is the king of the jungle.” The little boy said to his father, “Then why, when I read a story about a lion and a warrior, does the warrior always win?” The father answered, “When the lion learns to write, the ending will then, and only then, be different.” Write Ahead page 1

Why do we write? To explain To describe To analyze To persuade To tell a story

Interesting Facts The best incoming college freshmen writers are those who do the most writing in high school (McQueen, Murray, and Evans 1963) The best incoming college freshmen writers are those who do the most writing in high school (McQueen, Murray, and Evans 1963) The best college freshmen writers are those students who do more expository writing in high school (Bamberg 1978) The best college freshmen writers are those students who do more expository writing in high school (Bamberg 1978) Students who write two essays a week do better in college than those who write one (Lokke and Wykoff 1948) Students who write two essays a week do better in college than those who write one (Lokke and Wykoff 1948) Good writers are much more likely to do more writing outside of school (Stallard 1974 and Donaldson 1967, in separate studies) Good writers are much more likely to do more writing outside of school (Stallard 1974 and Donaldson 1967, in separate studies) A higher percentage of college freshmen who entered as poor writers are those students who did no writing in high school (Woodward and Phillips 1967) A higher percentage of college freshmen who entered as poor writers are those students who did no writing in high school (Woodward and Phillips 1967)

Why do we have a process? The writing process is your plan of action The writing process is your plan of action It keeps you organized It keeps you organized It is sequential It is sequential Each step is necessary to write a good paper Each step is necessary to write a good paper It makes to task easier It makes to task easier It makes you a better writer It makes you a better writer

Steps in the writing process Prewriting Writing Revising Editing Publishing

Prewriting Spend 5 or so minutes before beginning the essay to gather your thoughts Spend 5 or so minutes before beginning the essay to gather your thoughts – Brainstorming – Free Write – Discussion Consider your audience and the point you are trying to make

Revising/Editing revising-editing.pptm revising-editing.pptm revising-editing.pptm

Things to remember… You may move back and forth between steps You may move back and forth between steps Everyone works differently Everyone works differently No two assignments develop in the same way No two assignments develop in the same way

Building good writing habits Read Write Choose topics of interest or relate the topic to your life Set high standards Try different forms