Writing process.126

The Writing Process
Stages, Steps, Patterns
and
Techniques

Stage 1: Prewriting
A. Determine the focus: discover and
limit a topic
freewriting, listing (my favorites)

Stage 1: Prewriting
limit a topic
brainstorming/asking journalist’s questions

Stage 1: Prewriting
limit a topic
mind mapping or clustering (my wife’s
favorite)

Stage 1: Prewriting
limit a topic
mind mapping or clustering (my wife’s
favorite)
sketching or doodling

Stage 1: Prewriting
B. Develop the paper: generate
material
focused freewriting

Stage 1: Prewriting
material
further clustering

Stage 1: Prewriting
material
extending the lists

Stage 1: Prewriting
material
extending the lists
researching

Stage 1: Prewriting
C. Determine your target: consider the
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile, or
friendly

Stage 1: Prewriting
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile,
or friendly
determine the appropriate level of technicality
(nontechnical, semi-technical, and highly
technical) and the appropriate level of
formality (colloquial, informal, semiformal,
and formal or contract language)

Stage 1: Prewriting
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile,
or friendly
determine the appropriate level of technicality
technical) and the appropriate level of
formality (colloquial, informal, semiformal,
and formal or contract language)
determine the appropriate level of complexity
or density of thought

Stage 1: Prewriting
audience
 determine if the audience is neutral, hostile, or
friendly
 determine the appropriate level of technicality
technical) and the appropriate level of formality
(colloquial, informal, semiformal, and formal or
contract language)
 determine the appropriate level of complexity or
density of thought
 consider the audience’s expectations; identify
shared values

Stage 1: Prewriting
D. Decide on your main point: generate
a thesis
encompasses topic

Stage 1: Prewriting
a thesis
 makes a point about the topic that can and
should be defended or validated

Stage 1: Prewriting
a thesis
 makes a point about the topic that can and
should be defended or validated
offers writer’s unique perspective and insight
into topic

Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Arrange material: organize
exploit organization inherent in topic or writing
assignment boundaries (narration and process
analysis are usually organized on a time line,
for instance; a paper analyzing a causal chain
will also have an inherent sequencing of
material)

Stage 1: Prewriting
exploit organization inherent in topic or
writing assignment boundaries
 exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B (recognize and use the
connections or relations between components
or ideas in a clustering diagram, for instance)

Stage 1: Prewriting
exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B
impose order using classic strategies or
patterns of organization

Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological: uses time as the organizing
principle

Stage 1: Prewriting
chronological
spatial: establishes a point or frame of
reference and organizes material with respect
to that (to the left of the front door is a bush;
in front of that is a flower bed)

Stage 1: Prewriting
chronological: uses time as the organizing
principle
spatial
emphatic: uses order of importance as its
organizing principle (either save the most
compelling idea or details for last, or put the
most important cause first)

Stage 1: Prewriting
chronological
spatial
emphatic
deductive: general to specific (a general
statement followed by supporting detail or
specific concrete reasons)

Stage 1: Prewriting
chronological
spatial
emphatic
deductive
inductive: specific to general (specific detail
followed by an interpretive or explanatory
general statement or abstraction)

Stage 1: Prewriting
exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B
impose order using classic strategies or
patterns of organization
once the strategy for organizing the material
is set, capture the organization using a device
like an outline or a flow chart.

Stage II: Drafting
A. Introductory paragraph(s)
attract and hold the favorable attention of
the target audience

Stage II: Drafting
 attract and hold the favorable attention
of the target audience
 address topic

Stage II: Drafting
 address topic
 state or imply thesis

Stage II: Drafting
 address topic
 state or imply thesis
 establish tone

Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 identify subtopics within thesis (reflected in
divisions in outline, for example)

Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 identify subtopics within thesis (reflected in
divisions in outline, for example)
 develop each facet/subtopic in one or two
paragraphs using mix of general observation
or assertion and specific detail that supports,
clarifies, or illustrated

Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I, step
E.4
 each paragraph self-contained
 focused (with topic sentence)
 unified (all development relevant to topic
sentence)
 coherent (logically arranged and using adequate
organizational cues)
 paragraphs work together to create envisioned
effect on target audience

Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 each paragraph self-contained
 achieve essay coherence by using
adequate transitional devices within and
between paragraphs

Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
signal that the paper is about to end
successfully

Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
 signal that the paper is about to end
successfully
 restate reworded and expanded
expression of essay’s thesis

Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
successfully
 summarize key areas of development

Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
successfully
 summarize key areas of development
 draw conclusions, make judgments and
evaluations for readers

Stage II: Drafting
D. Transition paragraphs
signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both

Stage II: Drafting
 signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both
 often useful in comparison, classification,
and analysis essays (though not an
essential element of any mode of
expression)

Stage II: Drafting
 signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both
 often useful in comparison, classification,
and analysis essays (though not an
essential element of any mode of
expression)
 usually very short—one or two sentences

Stage II: Drafting
E. Dialogue paragraphs
used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation

Stage II: Drafting
 used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation
 involve using quotation marks in
collocation with other marks of
punctuation

Stage II: Drafting
 used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation
 involve using quotation marks in
collocation with other marks of
punctuation
 each change in speaker requires
beginning of a new paragraph

Stage II: Drafting
F. Title construction
use the title to:
 describe the topic
 catch a busy reader’s attention
 express some aspect of the writer’s
personality

Stage II: Drafting
 use the title to:
personality
 try to keep it short and simple (except
for serious academic compositions)

Stage II: Drafting
 use the title to:
personality
 try to keep it short and simple (except
for serious academic compositions
 do not use quotation marks around your
own titles

Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
length
subject
restrictions

Stage III: Revision
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
 does the essay accomplish what it set out to
do?
 thesis appropriate to assignment, writing
situation, and target audience?
 engaging?
 does it teach the audience something
worthwhile or persuade it to a position in its
own benefit?

Stage III: Revision
B. Reconsider essay purpose and
thesis
C. Review essay organization and
structure
 is the material arranged according to some
logical principle?
 does the essay have all three necessary parts?
 are transitions within and between paragraphs
effective?

Stage III: Revision
C. Review essay organization and structure
D. Evaluate sections
 does introduction effectively capture favorable
attention/ control tone?
 are body paragraphs long enough? too long?
coherent? unified?
 does conclusion forecast the end of the paper?
remind reader of essay purpose?
 leave reader thinking?

Stage III: Revision
C. Review essay organization and
structure
E. Review sentences
 length
 variety of structure
 grammar
 propriety of voice (active voice preferred)

Stage III: Revision
E. Review sentences
F. Reconsider individual words
 precision and accuracy of denotation
 connotations appropriate for tone, audience, style?
 appropriate levels of
 formality
 technicality
 spelling

Stage III: Revision
E. Review sentences
F. Reconsider individual words
G. Review individual marks of punctuation
 too many commas? exclamation points? parentheses?
 current wisdom: the leaner, the better
 double check punctuation marks used in collocation with
one another
 commas, periods, question marks with parentheses,
quotation marks
 ellipsis marks and terminal punctuation

Stage III: Revision
E. Review sentences
F. Review individual marks of punctuation
G. Reconsider individual words
H. Proofread

Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
 8 ½ X 11 white paper
 blue or black ink

Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
B. Manuscript conventions
 double space
 1-inch margins
 12-pt. simple font—no cursive or italics
 one side of the paper only
 justify only left margin
 special restrictions

Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
B. Manuscript conventions
C. Submission of final copy
 cover sheet with name, title, assignment
number, and course/section
 final copy on top w/cover sheet, and
prewriting and drafting included underneath
 staple upper left corner
 no report covers please

Writing process.126

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Writing process.126