Pre-Writing What a writer does before writing Assesses PAT Generates ideas Plans organization
Writing Generating a draft of a document Focuses on placing ideas on paper Isn’t overly concerned with correctness or “perfection”
Re-Writing What a writer does to improve a document Includes three phases—Revision, Editing, Proofreading
Revision Focuses on content and organization Emphasizes the “big” issues Tips: Lay the document aside first, seek input from others
Editing Making improvements in style and correcting errors in sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Proof-reading Checking the final copy for correctness, appearance, and format A final check Tips: See Style BookStyle Book
Spelling Some writers are good spellers; some aren’t. Doesn’t matter. Correct spelling is a must. Spelling also one of the most common types of errors.
Why is it important? Clarity of content Image of the writer
Ways to Improve Spelling Don’t depend on spell check. Be aware of spell check shortcomings. Look for homonym errors. Work on personal “problem” words. Look up specialized or technical terms. Be familiar with basic spelling rules.