Writing Process

LUO YuqingBUPT-SH

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.

Writing process

• Invention

• Collection

• Organization

• Drafting

• Revising

• Proofreading

Invention: coming up with your topic

• Brainstorming

• Free writing

• Listing

• Clustering

Brainstorming

Generate ideas and details by asking as many questions as possible: what, when, why, how, who, where.

Free Writing

• A non-stop record of what’s going on in your mind

• Write as you think; think as you write

• Focused free writing: free writing for a specific subject

Listing

• List all items about your subject that occurs to you

• Do not worry about order and level

• To generate details and to accumulate raw material

Clustering: mapping out ideas

MEInternet censorship

telemar-ketingscams

NFL instantreplay

NBA

politicalapathy

three-partysystem

salarycaps

sportsmanship

animalabuse

First Amendment

Flag Burning Amend-

ment

Collection

• Gathering ideas• Locating and

evaluating research• Conducting

interviews

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

Drafting

• Give yourself ample time to work on your project.

• Find a comfortable place to do your writing.

• Avoid distractions.• Take breaks.

Revising: reviewing ideas

• Review higher-order concerns:– Clear communication of

ideas – Organization of paper– Paragraph structure– Strong introduction and

conclusion

Proofreading

• Review later-order concerns:– Spelling– Punctuation– Sentence

structure– Manuscript form

Proofreading tips

• Do not revise or proofread immediately after drafting.

• Slowly read your paper aloud or backwards.

• Exchange papers with a friend.

• NOTE: Spell check will not catch everything, and grammar checks are often wrong!

Writing Process: Review

• Invention• Collection• Organization• Drafting• Revising• Proofreading