Process writing.1.planning.asu

PROCESS WRITING

Part I: Planning

Expository Writing

WRITING IS A PROCESS…

Note: Much of the material for this lecture can be found in your textbook.

When we write, it becomes clear that the best practice is to approach the work in smaller stages, especially if the assignment is particularly long. Even for short assignments, breaking the work up into manageable pieces allows the writer greater flexibility; time to plan, write, and revise; and an opportunity to edit the work before it is due. What we know for certain is that the most effective methodology of writing is Process Writing.

WHAT IS PROCESS WRITING? When we write, we engage in a process

that helps us move from a simple idea to a finished, coherent, well-researched, and well-written essay. We use this same process every day, but we don’t often relate our actions to an academic setting.

FOR INSTANCE… Suppose you were planning the

week’s menu so that you could do the grocery shopping. You would first think about what meals you

would like to prepare. Then you would consider which ingredients

you have on hand and which ones you need to purchase.

Next, you would compile the grocery list so that nothing is forgotten once you are in the hectic atmosphere that is a grocery store.

After purchasing everything, you would check the recipes, if need be, and prepare the meals.

WRITING A PAPER IS SIMILAR…

We start with an idea (the meal we want to prepare),

we make lists, outline our ideas, and jot down our thoughts (the grocery list),

we organize those thoughts and add supporting detail to our ideas (the shopping trip),

and then we write, revise, and edit to create a beautiful, perfect, scrumptious meal…. er….paper.

THE POINT IS… …that process writing is much like the

processes that we encounter on a daily basis.

As I’ve said before, we already possess the skills we need to be successful;

we just need to learn to apply those skills to our academic writing.

FOUR-STEP PROCESS Your text tells us “Instead of just plunging

into a first draft, experiment with one or more techniques for exploring your subject” (3).

There are strategies that help writers effectively navigate through the drafting process.

There are 4 steps in Process Writing:PlanningDraftingRevisingEditing

STEP 1: PLANNING

Planning

Drafting

Revising

Editing

PLANNING The first step, planning, is essential to a

well-written final draft. It is the step where the foundation for

your writing is laid. According to the text, the first step in the

planning process is understanding the assignment (4).

This is, of course, a crucial step. Please ask questions if you are

unclear about a writing assignment or are not sure how to proceed.

“ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT, CONSIDER THE PROJECT YOURS” (REINKING).

I like this. I like that from the very beginning of an

assignment the writer can claim authorship of the project and make that paper his or hers.

Think of your papers as your own creations, not merely an assignment for class, but a work of art that you imagined, nurtured, and formed with your own hands.

PREWRITING Following your comprehension of what the

assignment calls for, you are free to develop your own pre-writing techniques in the order that makes the most sense to you.

However, there are a few commonalities of all papers that most students recognize as essential to a draft.

Those are: choosing a limited topic, gathering and organizing information, and developing a thesis statement.

Each of these tasks can be moved backward and forward as you research, consider, and settle on a topic that interests you.

FOR INSTANCE… …you may decide that you want

to write about ecosystems, but you might not be sure which ecosystem you want to discuss in detail.

With that in mind, you’re off to the library or to the internet to search for information about ecosystems.

What you find determines which limited topic you will select.

From there, you might do more research just in that topic so that you have comprehensive information on hand.

Use the chart on the next slide to help you plan.

Planning Prewriting

Choosing a Topic

Tapping Personal

Experiences

Freewriting

Brainstorming for Ideas

Gathering Information

Listing

Asking the Journalist Questions

Researching

Organizing Information

Clustering or Mapping

Note Taking

Outlining

Developing a Thesis

Statement

Focusing on a Limited Topic

CHOOSING A TOPIC Tapping Personal Experiences

It is sometimes advantageous to lean on personal experiences or on those of others. Personal experience means that you have significant insight into the topic. It also means that you can rely on your story or anecdote to draw the reader’s interest.

Freewriting Freewriting is a concept that allows you to simply put the

words on the paper. You should write freely about your topic for 10-15 minutes without stopping. There is no need to worry about spelling, grammar, or even punctuation – just write without stopping to get the ideas on paper. This type of writing closely resembles stream-of-consciousness writing.

Brainstorming for Ideas Like freewriting, brainstorming gets the ideas on paper, but in

the form of lists or phrases. This is useful when you really just don’t know what to write about. Write down everything you think might be a good idea and then start to edit the list until you have selected a topic.

GATHERING INFORMATION

Listing Listing helps you develop your

topic by generating a basic list of what might go into your essay. Start with a longer list and then edit to suit your topic.

Asking the Journalist Questions To better define your topic, ask

yourself the journalist questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Being able to answer these questions will ensure that your essay is well-developed.

Researching You may need to research your

topic to learn about the issues, to find more information, or to add expert sources to your essay.

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

ORGANIZING INFORMATION Clustering or Mapping

Clustering or Mapping is a visual way of both brainstorming and organizing information at the same time. See the chart in your textbook (40) for an excellent example.

Note-Taking Your book discusses the Flexible Notes System (42-43)

which is an easy way to keep up with information and stay organized as you are developing an essay.

Outlining There are different forms of outlines, including working

outlines, informal outlines, and formal outlines. Each of these will help you organize information into paragraphs and help you determine where more information is needed to fill any gaps you might have in your details.

DEVELOPING A THESIS STATEMENT

Focusing on a Limited TopicA thesis statement clearly and succinctly

states the major topic of a paper, usually in one or two sentences.

The thesis statement points you in a specific direction, helping you to stay on track; in addition, it tells your reader what to expect.

A good thesis statement has the following characteristics: it is focused on one central issue or topic, it is neither too narrow nor too broad for the assignment, it accurately describes what the paper will discuss, and it is precise.

IN ADDITION… Avoid “announcement statements”

in your thesis (such as “In this paper I will discuss…” or “The purpose of this essay is to tell you about…”). Announcement statements weaken your writing.

Keep in mind that a thesis statement is considered tentative until a paper is finished, meaning that you might wind up changing the thesis before the paper is completed. It is okay to change a thesis to ensure that it fits your final paper perfectly.

A FINAL NOTE ON THESIS STATEMENTS… Throughout the planning process, you might

jot down several different thesis statements to help you focus on your research terms and on a topic you really want to explore.

Don’t be afraid to change a topic early on in the research process if you aren’t finding the information you thought you would find, or if you stumble across something else that interests you more.

However, I would caution you to choose carefully, because once you are into the drafting process, it is almost too difficult to start over from scratch with a new topic.

CONGRATULATIONS! Once you have completed these steps, you are

ready to move on to the drafting process. Writing a first draft can sometimes feel like a

daunting task. However, with the proper planning, the drafting process is much easier and the writer often feels much more confident in his or her ability to construct a well-developed essay.

Process writing is valuable because it (a) encourages the writer to make time to plan,

draft, revise, and edit a paper, and (b) provides the writer with the necessary

strategic tools to accomplish that task. Sitting down to write a pre-planned paper means

having done the groundwork for a successful writing experience.

WORKS CITED Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference,

Seventh Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.

Reinking, James A. and Robert von der Osten. Strategies for Successful Writing: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, Ninth Ed. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011.