Communication Arts

Five Stages of the Writing Process Prewriting Drafting Revising Edit Publishing

Communication Arts Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved. Prewriting - Definition Explore topic options thinking and planning BEFORE drafting considering the TAP: Topic, Audience, and Purpose; gathering information organizing ideas MOST IMPORTANT PART of the writing process!

Communication Arts Prewriting Think, Think, Think… –Who is my audience? My classmates, teacher, a community member, a younger student… Do they have any knowledge of my topic? Will I need to provide background knowledge? –What is my purpose? Am I writing to provide information, to persuade, to find out information, or to tell a story?

Communication Arts Prewriting Think, Think, Think… –What do I want to say? What are the requirements that I have to have? Do I need to research information to complete my writing? –How do I want to say it? Am I writing a letter, a story, an essay… –How will I get my ideas on paper? Brainstorm, free write, list, graphic organizers…

Communication Arts Prewriting Prewriting Strategies – Different methods writers use to get their ideas down on paper. What are some examples of prewriting strategies that I can use when I begin the writing process? Brainstorming Listing Collaboration/Discussing 5 W’s and a H Freewriting Webbing/Mapping Outlining

Communication Arts Brainstorming “Brainstorming” means thinking of as many ideas as possible in a short amount of time. Write down your ideas so that you don’t forget them. Write down everything that comes to your mind; don’t worry about sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.

Communication Arts Example of Brainstorming Topic: What would I do with one million dollars? Travel--Europe, Asia, S. America Pay off our house Share--give a scholarship, donate to charities Buy a lot of books! Invest/save and let the interest grow **Let’s Practice (3 min): Pick a celebrity and list everything you know about him or her…

Communication Arts Listing “Listing” is similar to “brainstorming.” The idea is to write down as many things as possible. Use single words or phrases, not sentences. Listing works well for descriptive-type writing. Don’t worry about spelling or sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas. Let’s Practice (3 Min): Describe the bedroom in your house.

Communication Arts Collaboration/Discussing “Discussing” is similar to brainstorming, but you do it with a partner or group. Assign one person to write down the ideas. Write down everything that group members say related to the topic; don’t worry about sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. –Let’s Practice: What do you think are the most important events in a person’s life? (starting school, getting married, etc.) Why are they important? Write words or phrases, not sentences!

Communication Arts 5 W’s & a H / The Journalists' Questions Journalists traditionally ask six questions when they are writing assignments, 5 W's and 1 H: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, How? You can use these questions to explore the topic you are writing about for an assignment. A key to using the journalists' questions is to make them flexible enough to account for the specific details of your topic.

Communication Arts Who?: Who are the participants? Who is affected? Who are the primary actors? Who are the secondary actors? What?: What is the topic? What is the significance of the topic? What is the basic problem? What are the issues? Where?: Where does the activity take place? Where does the problem or issue have its source? At what place is the cause or effect of the problem most visible?

Communication Arts When?: When is the issue most apparent? (past? present? future?) When did the issue or problem develop? What historical forces helped shape the problem or issue and at what point in time will the problem or issue culminate in a crisis? When is action needed to address the issue or problem? Why?: Why did the issue or problem arise? Why is it (your topic) an issue or problem at all? Why did the issue or problem develop in the way that it did? How?: How is the issue or problem significant? How can it be addressed? How does it affect the participants? How can the issue or problem be resolved?

Communication Arts The journalists' questions are a powerful way to develop a great deal of information about a topic very quickly. Learning to ask the appropriate questions about a topic takes practice, however. At times during writing an assignment, you may wish to go back and ask the journalists' questions again to clarify important points that may be getting lost in your planning and drafting. Let’s Practice (5 min): What is the most frightening experience that you have ever had? Write words or phrases, not sentences!

Communication Arts Free Writing “Free Writing” is like pouring all of your thoughts onto paper. Don’t take your pen off the page; keep writing for the entire time. If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write” until you do. Don’t try to sort “good” and “bad” ideas. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar. Let’s Practice (5 min.): Describe the most beautiful place that you’ve ever seen or visited.

Communication Arts Mapping “Mapping,” sometimes called “semantic/ idea mapping” or “webbing,” is another way to organize your ideas. Start with your topic in the center, and branch out from there with related ideas. Use words and phrases, not complete sentences.

Communication Arts Let’s Practice (5 min): What are some after school activities in which YMS students can become involved?

Communication Arts Outlining “Outlining” is a more organized form of pre-writing than the others we discussed. It can be used after you have generated ideas through brainstorming, free writing, or other pre-writing techniques. It works well for structured types of writing such as essays. You can use complete sentences, but you don’t have to.

Communication Arts Let’s Practice (5 min): Do you agree with YMS dress code? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the policy?

Communication Arts Drafting Write it down… –Are my thoughts organized? Do I stick with the same idea throughout my writing? Do I know what order I want to say things in? –Which ideas do I want to develop? On your prewriting identify the ideas which you must use, might use, and will not use. Do not cross anything totally out. You may decide at a later time to use it. What ideas should I develop further?

Communication Arts Drafting Write it down… –In what order do I want to say my ideas? On your prewriting, number your thoughts or ideas. Place them in the order that would make the most logical sense. If you are dealing with time, make sure they are in chronological order. –Did I skip lines? This will allow room for yourself and others to make corrections. –Did I label everything? My name is on the page and all pages have a page numbers.

Communication Arts Drafting Now you try… Take your prewriting that you completed previously, and begin drafting it. Remember, this is not a time to worry about spelling or other errors. This a time to get your thoughts on the paper. The other stages will help you with the grammatical and spelling errors. Be creative!

Communication Arts Revising Improve your writing… –Are my details clear? Are my words descriptive? Did I use repetitive words? –Should I add or take out parts? Do I need to explain more? Is there something missing that I should include? –Is my writing in a sensible order? Does my writing need to be in time order? Does the information need to be presented in a way that is easy for others to follow?

Communication Arts Revising Improve your writing… –Have I used the best ideas or words? Am I showing others that I know what I am writing about? Have I used the best examples or words to describe my ideas or thoughts?

Communication Arts Revising Keep it up… You have been working really hard on your writing…now make it look your best! Read over your writing. Make sure the content makes sense to the reader. You may need to read it out loud to yourself. Consider reading it more than once.

Communication Arts Editing Correct your work… –Have I used complete sentences? All of my thoughts are complete. There are no run-ons. –Are my language conventions correct? Spelling Capitalization and punctuation Grammar –Have I used editing marks to make corrections? Remember to look in your writing folder if you forgot what to use.

Communication Arts Editing Correct your work… –Have I had at least two people edit my paper? Choose two people in the classroom, that are on the editing stage. If no one is, you may choose to look over your work again. You may also write in your journal if you cannot find someone to edit your work. Be sure to check after a few minutes to see if someone is ready. –Editing others work… Make sure to check for the same items you did when editing your own work. –Check for complete sentences, check the language conventions, and use editing marks for corrections.

Communication Arts Editing Editing Marks… insert indent check spelling delete capitalize lower case insert period

Communication Arts Editing Here we go… Your writing has come a long way. You need to make sure to fix the errors. On your revised copy, be sure to make any necessary corrections. Refer back to your writing folder if you need help. You must edit your paper along with two of your classmates.

Communication Arts Publishing Get ready to share… –Did I do my best work? –Did I include a title (if needed)? –Is my final copy neat? –Should I illustrate the pages? You may use the computer to create this or draw your own. –Do I need a title page with illustrations? –Should I read it out loud?

Communication Arts Publishing The finish line… Take your writing through the final stage. You may choose to either type your writing or hand write it on paper. Be sure to reread your work before turning it in. Self-assess your work using the rubric given to you. Show your BEST work!

Communication Arts Publishing Typing your work… –Sign up for a time to get on the computer. –Be sure to reread your work. Spell check is not always reliable. –Look in your writing folder for requirements when typing your work.

Communication Arts Publishing Handwriting your work… –If you are given a certain type of paper to write on, make sure you have it. –There should be no errors in your work. Erase all mistakes so that you cannot see them. –Use your best handwriting. –Be sure to reread your work before turning it in. –You may also type your work if you would like.

Communication Arts Publishing Turning it in… –What order does my work go in? Final Copy Any Drafts (Please label these pages with DRAFT at the top). Prewriting Rubric

Communication Arts Congratulations! You have completed the stages of the writing process! We will be writing a lot this year using many different forms. There will be times you are given a topic, or you will be able to choose one. Remember to always be creative and do your best!

Communication Arts Possible Extensions What can I do when I’m done?… Read your work to a classmate. Write a reflection about what you will do differently or the same the next time you write. Decide if you want to publish your work online Start a new writing piece.