Writing processes & strategies
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This document discusses strategies for college writing processes. It outlines five myths about college writing, including that perfect drafts are created on the first try and that some people will never be good writers. It also discusses understanding assignments, finding topics, drafting and revising, and editing and proofreading. Key advice includes using invention techniques to find topics, not editing early drafts, getting feedback, and reading widely to improve editing skills. The overall strategies emphasized are drafting, revising with feedback, and careful editing and proofreading.
Writing processes & strategies
- 1. Writing Processes & Strategies Adapted from Exploring College Writing by Dan Melzer
- 2. Overview Five myths about college writing Understanding writing assignments Finding topics Drafting and revising Editing and proofreading
- 3. Five Myths about College Writing Processes Myth #1: Good college writers create a perfect draft on the first try.
- 4. Five Myths about College Writing Processes Myth #2: Successful college writers don’t need any help during the writing process.
- 5. Five Myths about College Writing Processes Myth #3: Some people will never be good college writers.
- 6. Five Myths about College Writing Processes Myth #4: You can use the same writing process for every college writing assignment.
- 7. Five Myths about College Writing Processes Myth #5: Revising simply means changing a few words or sentences. A novice writer’s reflection on the revision process: “I read what I have written and I cross out a word and put another word in; a more decent word or a better word.” An advanced writer’s reflection on the revision process: “In one draft, I might cross out three pages, write two, cross out a fourth, rewrite it, and call it a draft. I am constantly writing and rewriting.”
- 8. Understanding Writing Assignments Look for key verbs such as define, argue, compare, summarize, and others.
- 9. Understanding Writing Assignments Think about the genre of the writing assignment and try to find examples of this kind of genre to use as models.
- 10. Understanding Writing Assignments Think about the intended audience.
- 11. Understanding Writing Assignments Ask your peers and your instructor questions about the writing assignment.
- 12. Understanding Writing Assignments Collaborate with a tutor at the Write Place!
- 13. Finding Topics Inventing a topic can be no easy task. Invention techniques can help you select a topic before you start writing or even after you’ve started drafting.
- 14. Finding Topics Create an authority and interest list. What are you an expert in/on? What are your major interests? Can you connect your expertise with the assignment or task?
- 15. Finding Topics Use freewriting to generate topics. Try blind writing with the computer screen turned off. Try talking about your subject and recording while you talk. Surf the Internet and brainstorm topics. Read and research to generate ideas for a topic.
- 16. Finding Topics Meet with your instructor during office hours to discuss topic ideas. Visit the Write Place! Narrow broad topics. Use clustering to generate or narrow a topic.
- 17. Drafting and Revising Write down what you already know about a topic and what questions you have about a topic before you begin drafting. Write a “discovery draft,” a focused freewrite of an entire draft in one sitting. Try the talk-and-transcribe technique. Don’t edit in early drafts. Start with what you’re most interested in or confident about writing.
- 18. Drafting and Revising Remember the differences between revising and editing/proofreading. Give yourself time to look at what you’ve written with a fresh eye. Get feedback from your instructor. Get feedback from your peers. Get feedback from a tutor at the Write Place!
- 19. Editing and Proofreading While revising means making big changes to your essay (topic, organization, adding/removing paragraphs, further research), editing means focusing on sentence-level issues. Read what you’ve written out loud or have someone else read it to you out loud. Find an outside reader (peer, family member, friend). Keep an editing journal (record your trouble areas).
- 20. Editing and Proofreading Work on patterns of error with your professor or a tutor. Read, read, read. The more you read, you will gain a greater understanding of sentence structures, vocabulary, and styles of writing used for different purposes and situations. Don’t be frustrated if you struggle with errors in your college writing career.
- 21. References Revised and adapted from: Melzer, Dan. Exploring College Writing: Reading, Writing, an Researching across the Curriculum. Oakville, CT: Equinox, 2011. Print.