1. Getting from Nothing to Something
THE WRITING PROCESS
Getting from Nothing to Something

2. PREWRITING
The 1st step of the writing process.

3. Things you do during prewriting
Choose your topic
Identify your audience
Identify your purpose
Gather supporting details

4. Prewriting Strategies
Write for a limited amount of time on whatever comes to mind
Formalized list-making
Bubble map (also called mapping or webbing)
Formulate questions you have about the topic then look for answers (research)

5. Audience
Anyone who is going to “receive” your work

6. Why you need to know your audience
Amount of information
Word choice
Kinds of details
Formal/Informal

7. Purpose
Why you’re writing
What you want to accomplish

8. Examples of Purposes Inform – research paper
Entertain – descriptive essay
Persuade – persuasive essay
Explain

9. Why you need to know your purpose
Word choice
Organization
Kinds of details

10. DRAFTING
The 2nd step of the writing process

11. Things you do during drafting
Turn prewriting ideas into sentences
Group sentences into paragraphs
Organize the paragraphs based on purpose
Get something that looks like a formal piece of writing

12. Main Idea
The point the writing supports

13. Thesis statement
One sentence that tells what the entire essay is going to be about
All paragraphs in the essay support the thesis statement
Determines how many and what kinds of details go in the essay

14. Topic Sentence
One sentence that tells what the paragraph is going to be about
All sentences in the paragraph support the topic sentence

15. Style Whether the paper is written formally or informally
Determined by audience and purpose

16. Organization Important decisions to be made during drafting
Supporting details have to go in an order that makes sense
Determined by purpose

17. Methods of Organization
Chronological – time order
Spatial order – how details are related to other details; as you become aware of them; always has a starting point
Compare & contrast – based on similarities and differences
Emphatic order – based on order of importance

18. REVISING (content level changes)
The 3rd step in the writing process

19. Unity All details relate to the topic
All paragraphs in the essay relate to the thesis
All sentences in the paragraph relate to the topic sentence

20. Coherence
Details are arranged in a way that makes sense

21. Why Revising Is Important
Your writing needs to make sense
You need to include all necessary details
You need to get rid of any unnecessary details

22. EDITING (sentence level changes)
The 4th step in the writing process

23. Things You Look for During Editing
Grammar (fragments, run-ons, usage errors)
Mechanics (punctuation, capitalization)
Spelling

24. Why Editing is Important
Good papers look bad if they have a lot of errors
Errors get in the way of content
Editing errors put your teacher in a bad mood 

25. PRESENTING
The 5th step in the writing process

26. What it is
Turning it in

27. What you Should Do Print a clean copy – no smudges, stains, etc.
Flat and neat – not wrinkled or torn
Stapled in the upper left-hand corner

28. Why It’s Important
You want to make a good first impression

29. THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE
Cycle through the first four steps until the paper is finished and ready to turn in
Can do more prewriting during drafting
Can do more drafting after revising
Can edit during drafting