The Writing Process

Plan

Draft

a thesis Make an outline Draft Revise Edit Proofread

Plan
Assess

the writing situation Determine the purpose of the piece Brainstorm

Late to class

Listing i.e.: parking 1. Late to class 2. $$$ 3. Traffic Free writing-write what comes to mind Asking questions-ask important questions about your topic i.e.: Why is parking such a problem? Why do I have to pay so much money for parking?

Clustering

No spaces

Parking

Pay $$$

Cars

Thesis
A

thesis is 1-2 sentence(s) stating your central idea/argument i.e.: Although parking on campus seems like a lost cause, there are several ways to improve the situation including selling less spots, making more parking lots, and encouraging other forms of transportation

Make an Outline
Parking Thesis Statement: Although parking on campus seems like a lost cause, there are several ways to improve the situation including selling less spots, making more parking lots, and encouraging other forms of transportation I. Selling less spots A. Spots are oversold B. If paying money, should have spot II. Make more lots

III. Other transportation A. Make campus more bike-friendly B. Make bus schedules more clear C. Carpooling options

A. Own a lot of landmore lots

Draft
Intro The introduction will introduce the reader to the topic and purpose for writing the paper. Starting with a hook is a good way to get a reader interested

Body The body is the longest part of the paper and supports your thesis. This is where you will introduce arguments and cite sources.

Conclusion A conclusion should sum up the paper in one paragraph without presenting any new information. In some instances, a conclusion will be used to offer a recommendation or propose a course of action.

After the Draft

Revise-Look

for HOCs (Higher Order Concerns) like flawed logic, poor structure, organization, and flow Edit-Look for LOCs (Lower Order Concerns) like grammar, spelling, and mechanics Proofread-Go over the draft one more time. Read it out loud and have others read it also.

Writing Paragraphs
Topic

Sentences The main point of a paragrapha onesentence summary that tells readers what to expect as they read on. It is usually the first sentence in the paragraph. How many paragraphs? While the Five Paragraph Essay is a good learning tool, most academic/college-level papers go beyond five paragraphs

Transitions
Sentence-level

transitions Words and phrases that signal connections between sentences (a list on page 43 of the Hacker). Transitions help sentences flow Paragraph-level transitions These usually link the first sentence of a new paragraph with the first or last sentence of the previous paragraph

General Writing Info

Active

vs. Passive Voice Paper titles and headers The Oxford comma