1. Getting the Most from Reading and Writing
Nichelle Puder
INRW 0420
Integrated Reading and Writing II
Houston Community College System

2. The Writing Process
Getting Started

3. Analyze Your Assignment
Time Restraints
(In or Out of Class)
Sources
Library
Interviewing
Purpose
What Is My Reason For Writing?
Audience
Who Am I Writing To?
Tone
What Kind of Impression Should My Writing Give?

4. Analyze Your Assignment Cont.
Point-of-View
What side of the story should I tell?
First Person: I, me, my.
Second Person: You, Yours, We, Us, Our
Third Person (Academic): He, She, It, They, Names, Nouns

5. A Second Look At Purpose Persuade Inform Entertain
Express Feelings and Attitudes
Analyze
Debate
Criticize
Define
Compare/Contrast
Narrate/Describe
Amuse
Academic Audience
Expects:
Correct Information
Standard Grammar and Spelling
Logical Presentation of Ideas
Stylistic Fluency (Word Choice and Sentence Structure)
Define Terms and Support Generalizations with Specifics
Express Thoughts Clearly and Accurately

6. Choose a Topic and Prewrite
Focused Free writing
5-15 Minutes of Concentrated, Nonstop Writing about Your Topic.
Then, Review What You Have Written.
Listing or Brainstorming
A Way of Listing Information About Your Topic.

7. Choosing Topic/Prewriting Cont.
Clustering
Asking Journalistic Questions
(5Ws and H) (Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How
Discuss With a Partner

8. Narrow Your Topic Through Previous Prewriting
Clustering and Listing Work Well

9. Plan – Focus On a Main Idea Map Out an Approach
Thesis Statement
The Central Point the Essay Supports
More Than a Title, a Statement of Fact, or an Announcement
Carefully Worded and Accurately Predicts Your Essay’s Direction, Emphasis, and Scope
Clustering
Outlying
Formal
Informal

10. Write – Draft the Essay Introduction and Thesis
Start Where You Think Your Writing Is Going to Be Productive
If Need Be Skip the Introduction and Return To It Later
Use the Thesis As Your Guide
Body Paragraphs and Conclusion
Remember to Include
Topic Sentence
Support Through Examples and Details
Order Organization/Transitional Words and Phases
Strong Conclusion

11. Revise Re-See What You Have Written Look For Major Improvements In
Content
Enlarging or narrowing the thesis.
Adding more examples or cutting irrelevant ones.
Organization
Reorganizing Points
Changing Paragraph Order

12. Edit
Check Grammar
Word Choice
Spelling
Punctuation
Mechanics