Dr. Downing College Composition The Writing Process

Understanding The Writing Process Understanding the various aspects of The Writing Process can help you to plan your writing projects effectively in the future. Be aware that each of the steps can take several days and that some of the steps (like revision) can take a week or more!

There are Five Basic Parts to The Writing Process Rehearsing Prewriting Writing Revising Editing

1. Rehearsing Consists of… Basic thoughts you may have Conversations with other students Discussion with the professor Questions you may ask Preliminary reading or research

2. Prewriting Consists of… Brainstorming: Making a list; allowing ideas to flow freely Clustering: Take one of the words from brainstorming, circle it in the center of a page, then connect ideas to it Outlining: Number the items in the cluster; then place them into outline form

Brainstorming Fishing Hiking Friends Family Holidays Music Sports School Cars Computers iPods Video games Hobbies Classes

Clustering Video Games Reading Hobbies Hiking Working out Music

Outlining I. Hobbies II. Video Games III. Hiking IV. Music V. Working out VI. Reading

3. Writing Consists of… Outline in hand, begin writing body paragraphs. Reach a conclusion. Write your title and thesis after you have reached some conclusions. Introductions typically summarize an idea, a book, an opinion, or another essay Thesis statements are complete sentences that should be specific and understandable when read apart from the paper: “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to kidney damage, liver damage, brain damage, and heart disease.” It is useful to set up thesis statements that have three or more specific parts. This enables you to develop each part separately in the body of the paper.

Writing (continued) The first sentence of each body paragraph is called the “topic sentence.” Topic sentences should identify an issue and a particular point about that issue. Connect them to the thesis statement: “The American Heart Association reports that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to heart disease...”

Writing (continued) The content of each body paragraph should relate directly to the topic sentence. Here, you will provide quotations and paraphrase which will support your point. Transitions between paragraphs assist in maintaining the flow. Words like “however,” “therefore,” “in addition,” and “in conclusion” can help promote smooth reading. Be sure to include documentation for your sources (in parentheses) and add works cited page to the end.

4. Revising Revising is not the same as editing Revision means “re-seeing” Literally, to “see” your ideas “again” Therefore, when you revise, check for clarity of thought, organization, unity, and logic.

5. Editing Editing involves proofreading. This means you should be sure that: words are spelled correctly, italics are used properly, commas are used after introductory phrases, proper word choice is maintained, and capitalization is used correctly any other issues

Conclusion The Writing Process consists of five steps: Rehearsing Prewriting Writing Revising Editing

Finding Help While working on a paper, be sure to visit your professor during his/her office hours to make sure you are on the right track. 15-20 minutes with a professor can save you hours of trouble, time, and frustration. Be sure to make use of peer tutors in the Writing Center Go for a walk and read your paper aloud to yourself. This will help you to catch mistakes.

Planning Remember, each step of this process takes time. The mistake that most students make is to wait too long to begin writing. Most students need at least TWO FULL WEEKS to complete most college-level writing projects.

Revision Remember that revision is a critical part of this process. As a professional writer, I spend more time revising than actually writing. Why? It is relatively easy to pour words on paper; however, it is more difficult to make sure that those words are written well.

Questions?