Mr. Matzka

 One of the most important parts of writing is being able to plan.  Set a calendar.  Stick to it!  Procrastination is the devil.  No really. It is!  “I like the pressure” is crap  Late work does not fly!  I am harder on you than any state standard  High standards.

 To be successful at writing you must follow a process. Some steps require more of an effort than others, but each is very important.  Don’t veer away from the process or you’re likely to get lost.  My six step process is as follows:  Pre-writing  Writing  Revising  Rewriting  Proofing  Publishing

 There are a few things that you MUST think about before you actually start writing.  Start by asking yourself these questions:  Who is the audience for your writing?  Do you think your audience is interested in the topic? Why or Why not?  Why should your audience be interested in this topic?  What does your audience already know about this topic?  What does your audience need to know about this topic?  What experiences has your audience had that you influence them on this topic?  To sum up…describe the audience.

 After, and only after, you have the answers to these questions then you can begin the other part of the pre-writing step in the process – Brainstorming!  There are many ways to brainstorm  Web/Cluster  List  Free-write  Read/research  Discuss  What’s important is that you do what works for you!  And don’t forget, more is better!

 No explanation needed…just sit and write  Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or even how well something is written (until later)…just write!  NEVER throw away your draft simply because you “don’t like it”, and don’t restart your draft until you have finished it!  Maybe it’s not so bad after all.  And if you do I’m likely to check for it later!  It’s also important to know that you don’t always have to write your draft in chronological order, though it is best to start writing with at least a rough thesis in mind.

 Revision is NOT about correcting grammar, spelling and sentence structure.  Revision IS about making your ideas more clear.  This often involves quite a bit of work, but almost always makes your paper better.  Revision can include any combination of the following:  Elimination or addition of sentences, paragraphs or even pages to make an idea more clear  The rearranging of words, sentences, or entire paragraphs.  The draft is just an attempt, but revision is the effort to make sense of the writing.

 Seems redundant… It is…but you must rewrite your draft!  If the reasons I have given you are not suitable, just accept the fact that at any point I can say, “…because I said so” as a reason why you have to do something.

 Hopefully, if your attempts at drafting, revision, and rewriting were successful for you, this part of the process should be easy!  We’ve already tackled the higher order concerns of our writing, now it’s time to find and correct the annoying little mistakes that will inevitably bring your grade down.  Check the spelling  Make sure grammar is correct  Fine tune all other mechanics (i.e. punctuation, capitalization, etc.)

 This is the final step. It’s where you can print off your work and turn it in for good!  A few reminders though:  All papers must be typed and turned in having been written in MLA format.  All papers must also be ON TIME! By “on time” I mean I either have the paper in my hands or in my inbox by 3 pm the day it is due! Late papers are annoyingly troublesome for you and me! All late papers are subject to the penalty of being marked down up to 1/3 of your EARNED grade for each day that it is late. It all depends how I ma feeling. Please do not push this. No one wins in the end.

 These are the basics of MLA formatting that you MUST commit to memory.  12 point font (ALWAYS)  Times New Roman (ONLY)  An original title is required, but a title page will not be accepted.  One inch margins are the default and are what should be used.  There is a specific header that must be used for every paper you turn in.

 The top left on the first page should include:  Your name  Teacher’s name  Class Title, Hour  Date (in international time) date, month, year  The header includes your last name and page number in the upper right hand corner of the paper (it is actually inserted into the header portion of your paper)