Transcript Overview of the Writing Process

OVERVIEW OF THE
WRITING PROCESS
Language Network – Chapter 12
THE WRITING PROCESS
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Writing is a form of art – a creative process of
expression.
As with most works of art, it is easier to complete
your project if you have the end goal in mind
before you begin.
Toni Morrison, a famous author, once said, “I
always know the ending; that’s where I start.”
THE WRITING PROCESS
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There are five steps to the writing process. In
order to increase your chances of successfully
completing a writing project, you should follow
them closely:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Prewriting
Drafting
Revising
Editing and Proofreading
Publishing and Reflecting
PREWRITING
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As you prepare to write, you should always ask
yourself questions about the following four items:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Purpose
Topic
Audience
Form
Once you are able to answer questions on all of
these topics, you should be prepared to write.
PURPOSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why am I writing this piece?
Am I writing to entertain, inform, or persuade?
What personal need does it fulfill?
What effect do I want to have on my readers?
TOPIC
1.
2.
3.
Is my topic assigned, or can I choose it?
What would I be interested in writing about?
What do I already know about my topic?
AUDIENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who is my audience?
What might they already know about my topic?
What do they need to know?
What about the topic might interest them?
What approach and language might they
respond to best?
FORM
1.
2.
What form will work best?
Which of the following formats would be most
suited to my purpose, topic, and audience?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Essay
Letter
News article
Poem
Research paper
Review
Script
Short story
Speech
EXPLORE YOUR TOPIC
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Freewriting
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Listing
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Focus on the topic, set a time limit, and write quickly
and continuously. Read what you wrote, and circle
the best ideas.
List all the ideas that come to mind.
Clustering
Use graphic organizers such as flow charts, webs, or
Venn diagrams to group ideas together.
 Include subtopics or related ideas that can be
included in your writing.
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REFINING A TOPIC
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Once you have explored your topic, try the
following to see if it will be effective:
Create a rough outline about your topic to see how
much information you will need to cover.
 Ask yourself what aspect of your topic readers would
be most interested in.
 Check books about your topic to see how information
is organized in a table of contents. Is there a
subheading that fits your topic?
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING IDEAS
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Develop Research Questions
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Make a list of questions you intend to answer in your
writing.
Find and Organize Ideas
Use personal experience.
 Research a topic in a library or on the internet.
 Use books and magazines as references.
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DRAFTING
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1.
There are three primary ways to draft:
Drafting to Discover
1.
2.
Drafting from a Plan
1.
3.
Use your rough draft to explore ideas and develop
the topic, but with no plan or structure in mind.
Use an outline or other similar organizational
method to draft your piece of writing. Outlines can
be formal or informal (such as lists).
Using Peer Response
1.
Test your writing on your audience, such as a peer
group, and then use the ideas you gather to draft.
REVISING
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Consider the six traits of effective writing:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ideas and Content – ideas are clear, focused, and
supported with relevant details.
Organization – arrange your ideas in a logical order
to help the reader move easily through the text.
Voice – express your ideas in a way that shows an
individual style and personality.
Word Choice – use language that is precise,
powerful, and engaging.
Sentence Fluency – create an interesting rhythm
and flow by using varied sentence lengths and
structures.
Conventions – use correct grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
REVISING
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Evaluate your ideas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
If your main idea is not clear, make sure it appears
in the introduction and is mentioned elsewhere.
If you don’t have enough details, add more facts and
examples that support your ideas.
If your ideas are hard to understand, use simpler
vocabulary and more examples.
If your introduction is weak, begin with an
anecdote, a surprising statement, or a quotation.
If your conclusion is weak, restate your main idea
in powerful language, or recommend a course of
action.
EDITING AND PROOFREADING
Don’t begin proofreading after you’ve just
finished writing. Put the work away for a while.
You’ll find more errors if you take a break.
 Read your work slowly – one sentence at a time.
 Read your work aloud – you’ll hear errors you
don’t see.
 Look for the kinds of mistakes that you have
often made before, as well as other kinds of
mistakes.
 Use a dictionary to check spelling.
 Ask a family member or friend to read your work.
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KNOW YOUR
PROOFREADING MARKS!!
They are found on page 313 of the Language
Network.
PUBLISHING AND REFLECTING
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There are a variety of media to share your
writing with others, including:
Print media such as books, magazines, and
newspapers.
 Electronic media such as web sites and online
journals.
 If you have written a script or speech, performances
are a great way to “publish” your work.
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THERE WILL BE A QUIZ OVER
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE
WRITING PROCESS ON FRIDAY.
The quiz will be simple multiple choice or short
response, so be sure you understand this chapter.