1. The Writing Process brought to you by the Kutztown University Writing Center prepared with love by Amanda Funk (M.A. English ’15)

2. What are the steps of the writing process? Call them out! What are the most difficult steps for you? Getting started? Keeping the momentum going? Wrapping things up? Incorporating sources? Let’s make things a little easier…

3. A simpler process… Pre-writing Writing Rewriting

4. Pre-writing Pre-writing can account for about 80% of your total process time. We all have our own tried-and-true writing practices, so you probably know what works for you. OK, maybe not, but experimenting with writing is never a bad thing! Thinking (yes, it counts as pre-writing!) Talking about your ideas with others (yes, this counts too!) Research/Highlighting Notes/Lists Concept Maps/Webs Outlines (ordering any notes you may have, setting the guidelines for your writing) Freewriting (Don’t know where to start? Just start writing! You’ll eventually get a sense of where you are going. If it ends up being garbage, fine, throw it out. But you’ll be surprised by some of the gems you find.)

5. Writing First things first– a thesis statement! It’s hard to know where your writing is headed if you don’t know what you’re trying to prove. Don’t worry about an introduction yet if you’re not quite sure how everything ties together. Next—your topic sentences! Again, your topic sentence acts like a mini thesis statement for your paragraph. It lets both you and your reader know how you’re proving the validity of your argument. Draft your paragraphs Draft your introduction and conclusion. Many writers find that this part is easier once the bulk of the paper has been written.

6. Rewriting Yeah, I guess you could still consider this part writing. But that’s the beauty of the writing process– not every step in the process happens in the order presented here. You’ll go back and forth between steps. And that’s OK! Revising is way more important than editing. This is where the big changes happen! Editing or proofreading for correctness of grammar, spelling, and punctuation is best left for the end. Why edit your writing first if you’re going to do some rewriting anyway?

7. When you get stuck… Take a break and step away from your work. Do something else for a little while. Your writing will still be there when you get back (don’t forget to save your work as you go!). Meet with a tutor in the KU Writing Center. Talking through your writing can help you get back on track and make progress with your work. Expect to have a conversation about your writing with a tutor. We can help you at any stage in the writing process! Remember, we are all developing writers. Don’t get hung up on the myth that you are a bad writer. You are not! Skill with writing takes time and practice…and some help along the way!

8. Writing Center Contact Info You can make an appointment by calling us, emailing us, or stopping in and signing up for a time in our appointment book on the front desk. We are located in Old Main 132. Phone: 610-683-4733 Email: wrcenter@kutztown.eduwrcenter@kutztown.edu Hours are Monday-Thursday 9-5, Friday 10-4, and Monday/Wednesday nights 6-9 We look forward to seeing your works in progress! Questions? Ask us!