hss english department finding your focus: the writing process
TRANSCRIPT
HSS English Department
Finding Your Focus:The Writing Process
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Everyone has a writing process.What is yours?
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Why do you need a writing process?
It can help writers to organize their thoughts.
It can help writers to avoid frustration and procrastination.
It can help writers to use their time productively and efficiently.
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Writing process
Invention Collection Organization Drafting Revising Proofreading
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Invention: coming up with your topic
Brainstorming:Getting your ideas on
paper so you can give yourself the widest range of topics possible
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Brainstorming: coming up with ideas that interest you
Listing:Political apathyAnimal abuseTeacher job actionAir pollutionTelemarketing scamsInternet censorshipNHL salary caps
Paper Topics
Brainstorming
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Clustering: mapping out ideas
MEInternet censorship
telemar-ketingscams
Teacher job action
NHL
politicalapathy
New voting system
salarycaps
sportsmanship
animalabuse
Charter of Rights
Protec-tion of vulner-
able
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Collection
Gathering ideas Locating and
evaluating research
Conducting interviews
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Organizing: putting information in an outline
OUTLINE
I. IntroductionA. Grab attentionB. State thesis
II. BodyA. Build pointsB. Develop ideasC. Support main claim
III. ConclusionA. Reemphasize main idea
Oraganization (cont’d)
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Theme: What is the purpose of the piece? What are
Conflict?Plot structure Events?
Resolution
Characters: Characterization? Types? Point of View?
Stylistic devices Foreshadowing? Symbolism?
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Drafting
Give yourself ample time to work on your project.
Find a comfortable place to do your writing.
Avoid distractions. Take breaks.
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Revising: reviewing ideas
Review higher-order concerns:Clear communication of
ideas Organization of writingParagraph structureStrong
introduction/hook/lead and conclusion/resolution
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Proofreading
Review later-order concerns:SpellingPunctuationSentence
structureDocumentation
style
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Proofreading tips
Slowly read your paper aloud.
Read your paper backwards.
Exchange papers with a friend.
NOTE: Spell check will not catch everything, and grammar checks are often wrong!
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The Writing Process: Find Your Focus
• Invention• Collection• Organization• Drafting• Revising• Proofreading