The Writing Process

BY: RICHARD M. BAEZ

The Writing Process

disorganized, jumbled and downright messy, but the writing process can help you funnel them and shape them into real Your ideas maymay seem scattered, Your ideas seem

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THE WRITING PROCESS

One writer, Antonio describes the process this way:

Well, first, I need time to think. I have a while before the paper is due, I never start right away. Some people might call it procrastination, but it works for me. After the ideas have had time to percolate, I sit at the computer and just start writing. I just let my ideas flow, good or bad. If that doesnt work, sometimes I try a more organized approach, jotting down an outline. Its all a part of finding out my focus. Then, once I know what I want to say, I just write. I am a slow writer because I try to get it right the first time. But I never do. If I look at it next day, I see where the wholes are where Ive left out details. Im bad about that. So my second draft is always better than my first. When Im finished, I check to make sure my commas are in right place and my grammar is okay. Then Im ready to turn it in.

THE WRITING PROCESS

first, I need time to think. Its all a part of finding out my focus. I just write.

Prewriting
Planning

Drafting
Revising

I see where the wholes are.

I check to make sure my commas are in right place and my grammar is okay.

Proofreading

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

I need time to think.

It is the first step in the writing process. It is the act of sorting out your thoughts on a topic and finding out what you have to say about it. It covers a range of activity from casually thinking about your topic to going through a prewriting exercise to get your thoughts on paper.

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

I need time to think. 1. Brainstorming 2. Freewriting 3. Clustering 4. Topic-Subtopic Method 5. Outlining

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Brainstorming

It is a listing technique the easiest prewriting method. To brainstorm, take a few minutes to list whatever comes to mind on your topic. Your purpose is not to censor or come up with the right items for your list, but to generate ideas.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Brainstorming
Describe a favorite holiday memory
Last 4th of July Lake Sinclair Plenty of food Aunt Mills fried chicken Baked beans Over 100 relatives Mos girlfriend Saw Granddaddy Benet for the last time Paper checkered tablecloths Ants Kids running and screaming Fireworks over lake color noise Jim stretched out in the back seat asleep on way home

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Freewriting

It is a nonstop writing on a topic for a set time. The point of free writing is that your flow of words never ceases; your pen never stops moving.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Freewriting
Discuss one of your pet peeves and why it annoys you.
Lets see. Right now Im peeved about having to write about a pet peeve. Ha, Ha! Seriously, I am easy going person and do not get too upset over anything. I dont like telephone salespeople. I dont like loud commercials. I dont like my ex-boyfriend. I dont like people who are late. I dont like it when a class or meeting is held up because some people are late. Yesterday, in Freshman Orientation, we had a quiz and when it was the time for the class to start

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Clustering

It is a technique designed to boost your creativity by stimulating both hemispheres of the brain. To cluster, begin with a circled word your topic. From there, map out associations.

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Clustering
Desire to help others

my own experience with drugs Substance Abuse Counselor belief in the importance of staying drug-free

14-yr.-old cousins death in car crush drugs were a factor

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Topic-Subtopic Method

It is the process of narrowing a general topic into a manageable one.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Topic-Subtopic Method
Animals Wild animals Endangered species Pets Farm animals Dogs Training Breeds Working dogs Feeding

Pets Dogs Cats How to bathe pets Pampered pets

Basic Training for Dogs Based on kindness and reward No yelling or hitting Use food rewards One trick or skill at a time

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Outlining

It is often the last step in the prewriting process. Once you have used one of the other prewriting methods, making an outline will take you one step further in the writing process.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Outlining
Topic Sentence: Im an easygoing person, but it annoys me when a meeting, class, or other events does not begin on time because some people are late. Freshman orientation class quiz delayed because of people who were late. Meeting friends in restaurant waited fifteen minutes to order until Kyle came. Cousins wedding delayed a half hour because of late arrivals. Summary Sentence: Classes, meetings, and other gatherings should not be arranged for the convenience of late comers, but for those who care enough to arrive on time.

THE WRITING PROCESS Prewriting

Prewriting Guide

1. Find a worthwhile idea to write about. 2. Learn as much as you can about the subject. 3. Form a thesis and plan your writing.

THE WRITING PROCESS Planning

Its all a part of finding out my focus.

Careful and thoughtful planning makes a paragraph easier for you to write and easier for the readers to read. Your plan may include a topic sentence, your statement of the main idea. Your planning will probably include an informal outline.

THE WRITING PROCESS Drafting

I just write.
Sometimes drafting is a quick process, with ideas flowing faster than you can get them down to your paper. At other times, the process is slow and difficult. Write through the problem, or, if necessary, return to the planning and prewriting stage. You should not worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

THE WRITING PROCESS Drafting

Drafting Guide

1. Write the first draft while your prewriting is fresh in your mind. 2. Write as freely as you can, using planning as a guide. 3. Keep writing until you come to a natural stopping point.

THE WRITING PROCESS Revising

I see where the wholes are.

In its Latin roots, the word revising means seeing again.

THE WRITING PROCESS Revising

Revising Guide

1. Review your first draft keeping in mind the purpose of the assignment, your thesis, and your audience. 2. Also have your instructor or a writing peer review your work. 3. Add, cut, rework, or rearrange ideas as necessary.

THE WRITING PROCESS Proofreading

I check to make sure my commas are in right place and my grammar is okay.
It is the final polish that you put on your paragraph. When you proofread, consider such things as grammar, spelling, and word choice. Before the final proofreading, set your paragraph aside for a while.

THE WRITING PROCESS Proofreading

Proofreading Guide

1. Read your first draft aloud to test it for sense and sound. 2. Check errors in usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. 3. Prepare a neat final copy of your writing. 4. Then proofread the final draft for errors before submitting it.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Answer the following questions below to review your knowledge of the writing process.
1. The five steps in writing process are __________, __________, __________, __________, and __________. The thinking step in the writing process is called __________. The part of writing process that involves correcting grammar and punctuation is called __________. Major changes would most likely be made during the __________ step in the writing process. True or False? The steps in writing process often overlap. __________

2.
3. 4. 5.

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