1. + The Writing Process

2. + Why We Write To become better thinkers and learners To share ideas or personal experiences To improve performance and writing in all classes To prepare for the future To learn about ourselves or specific issues or topics

3. + Prewriting To generate ideas:  Freewrite on the topic  Fill a page with random possibilities to write about  Reread stories, articles, poems, or essays for inspiration  Create a web, list, outline, or cluster  Generate questions  Conduct research

4. + Prewriting Once you have decided upon your topic, focus your writing on it:  Write a thesis statement  Gather supporting details  Decide upon a structure that suits your topic  Remind yourself of your purpose for writing  Plan the possible organization of your essay

5. + Writing a first draft Try to capture the reader’s attention Determine your thesis or main point Set the tone with word choice, details, sentence length, and literary devices Ask yourself whether your audience would keep reading Ignore the desire to be perfect—just write! Follow or refine your prewriting plan

6. + Revising Reread the first draft Add necessary details Cut repeated thought. Eliminate details that stray too far from the message Reorganize paragraphs for effective presentation Ask someone reliable to read the draft and help with revisions Assess the effectiveness of the introduction and conclusion

7. + Revising Cont. Reword paragraphs to make them as interesting as possible by: Imitating writers you like to read Copying dialogue exactly as you heard it Using strong, active verbs Using exact, concrete nouns (taste, touch, sight, sound, smell) Using adjectives sparingly Choosing the exact word to describe the experience

8. + Editing and Proofreading Edit the revised draft for style and word choice Check for errors in usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and spell-check Ask a reliable person to read the draft Read the draft aloud

9. + Publishing Read the final draft one last time to check for errors Format the final draft correctly Use a clear and simple font (Helvetica, Courier, or Times) Make sure any graphics are clear and simple Use MLA style for bibliographic citations Save and print the final draft Share the final draft with your teacher, friends, and family After the final draft is evaluated, place it in your class notebook