WRITING PROCESS NOTES CHOOSE A TOPIC Strategies to find a topic Brainstorming: Start with a key word or phrase, set a time limit, write rapidly, don’t stop. From a list of topics, chose a subject that interests you, that you know something about, and that you’d like to learn more about. Then brainstorm for 10 minutes Freewriting: Write a series of sentences without stopping for 15-20 minutes. Generally freewriting is most productive if it has an aim (finding a topic, purpose, or ? to answer) Write a sentence or two at the top of your page, for at least 10 minutes write without stopping, don’t censor yourself, feel free to explore, prepare yourself, repeat the process Doodling or sketching: Give your ideas room to grow, concentrate on your topic but allow new ideas, add icons symbols colors figures labels notes, and follow up on your discoveries. Start with a doodle or sketch that illustrates your topic. Add related events, ideas, or details to develop your topic virtually.

Interview Yourself: Keeping a journal: reflective journal writing (reflect on what you do or see or learn or believe), responsive journal writing (respond to something in particular), or warm-up journal writing (prepare for an assignment) Go for a walk Sit in your favorite spot outside or inside

Guidelines for Choosing a Topic

Often you're assigned a topic to write about or asked to choose among several. When you must create your own, keep in mind these points. * Choose a topic appropriate to the length of your paper. Generally, students pick topics that are too broad to be adequately covered. Narrow topics lead to close observation, while broad topics lead to generalizations and sketchy development. If you're writing a five-page paper, don't write on the history of women's rights; instead, write about one incident in the history of women's rights. Even a personal or descriptive essay will be better if you choose a narrow topic—my childhood in a small town, for example, rather than my childhood, or my uncle's barn, rather than the Midwest. * Avoid a topic that will tempt you to summarize rather than to discuss or analyze. Don't choose the plot of Macbeth but how the final scene of Macbeth illustrates the play's theme. The second topic is narrower and less likely to lead to summary. When considering a topic, ask yourself if it can lead to a reasonable thesis. *Choose a topic that interests you. If you don't care about limiting cigarette advertising, don't select it as a topic for a persuasive essay. You'll have more to say and write better on something you care about *If your assignment requires research, choose a topic on which you can find material. Even when you aren't writing a research paper, make sure that you've picked a subject that you can develop with sufficient details. *After you've picked a topic, don't be afraid to change it if it isn't working out. Instructors would rather you write a good essay than that you grind out pages on something you realize was a bad choice.

PRE-WRITING Why we pre-write: 1. Organize ideas: papers are easy to read, and ideas easier to understand if they are in a logical order. We don’t always think and, therefore, write in a logical order.

2. Ready to write well: Writing is hard, so remove some of the thinking out of it and just write your already pre-planned ideas. Instead of focusing on what to write, you are focusing on HOW to write it. Types of Pre-Writing: Graphic Organizers: A visual representation of your organizational sequence. Include topic sentence, supporting ideas, and thesis statement. *See Sample Graphic Organizers

Outline: Logically organized. Full sentences. A. 1. a. Use Graphic Organizer if you are more visual and outline if you are more logical. Always Include for Every Body Paragraph: Main Idea Supporting Details Can Include: Thesis Statement & Background Info for introduction Concluding Sentence

WRITE A DRAFT Strategies for Starting your Draft Time Yourself: Set a timer to have a page done by. If you are writing drivel, you can fix it later, just keep writing.

Slow to a crawl: If speed quotas don’t work, time yourself to write with exaggerated laziness, maybe a sentence every 15 minutes. Begin writing the part you find most appetizing: Start in the middle or at the end, wherever the thoughts come easily to mind. Nutshell it: Tersely summarize the paper you want to write. Condense into one tight paragraph. Later you can expand each sentence until the meaning is clear. Shrink our Immediate Job: Break the writing task into smaller parts, and do the first one. Seek a Provocative Title: Write down a dozen possible titles for your paper. If one sounds strikingly good, don’t let it go to waste. Tape-Record Yourself: Talk a first draft into a tape recorder. Then play it back. Then write. Even if you find it hard to transcribe your spoken words, this technique may set your mind in motion. Speak up: On your feet, before an imaginary cheery crowd spontaneously utter an opening paragraph then write it down. Take short breaks: Even if you don’t feel tired, take a regular break every half hour or so. Leave hints for how to continue if you break off, so you can pick it right back up again. WRITING AN INTRODUCTION You know your introduction needs a clear thesis statement. But what else do you put in the paragraph? To answer that question, think about the purpose of an introduction: * Introduce your topic * Create interest * Provide necessary background information * Identify your main idea * Preview the rest of your essay

Always Include in Standard Writing *Hook *Thesis Statement *Background Information In narratives include background information and maybe a hook.

Kinds of Hooks Begin with a story: Often a simple anecdote can capture your readers’ interest and thus serve as a good beginning. Introduce a topic or position and comment on it: Sometimes a writer expands on a topic, bringing in vital details. Ask a question: An essay can begin with a question and answer. Quotation: A strong attention-grabbing quote. An intriguing example: Begin with a startling example for you idea. Dialogue: Conversation between two real or imagined people. Facts or Statistics WRITING THE BODY PARAGRAPHS Keep in mind: organization, audience, purpose, and grammar. Yes, you are going to revise and edit, but that is no excuse to practice doing it incorrectly. What do you generally include in a body paragraph: *Transition *Topic Sentence–what you are going to say about the subtopic in that paragraph *2-3 supporting details

Follow your pre-write mentioning all the details and information you planned for in each paragraph. Considering Audience

Who are your readers? What is their relationship to you? What do your readers already know about this topic? What do you want them to learn How much detail will they want to read about this topic? What objections are they likely to raise as they read? How can you anticipate and overcome their objections? What’s likely to convince them? What’s likely to offend them?

WRITING A CONCLUSION An effective ending often opens with a sentence that points back to the previous paragraph as it also looks ahead. Don’t leave your readers half expecting you to go on. Don’t restate everything you’ve already said. Don’t introduce a brand-new topic that leads away form your point. And don’t signal that the end is near with obvious phrase like, “As I have said...” Or “finally”

Include in Conclusion v Restate thesis (not same words)  Sum up high points of evidence v Finish off with a concluding line (*see additional conclusion notes handout)

 End with a quote  Emphatic statement (come full circle, emphasize the importance of your topic, or connect with the reader)  Call to action

REVISING & EDITING Revising deals with higher-order concerns: audience and purpose, thesis, ideas, support, and organization. Editing deals with grammar, sentences, and word choice.

Tips for Revising & Editing (you can print this out online) See tips for revising & editing document

Use Editor’s marks, so you don’t clutter your draft