Modern Communication Arts 2LSAngeles, MDC

By PresenterMedia.com

The Writing Process

PRE WRITING

PLANNING

DR

AFTIN

G

REVISINGFINISHING

The Writing Process

• Decide on the subject

• Consider the needs of the reader

• Gather information

PRE WRITING

• What is the assignment?

• What should I write about?

• How can I limit my topic?

• What is my purpose in writing about this topic?

• Who are the readers of my paper?

• What is my role as a writer?

•GUIDE QUESTIONS

• Listening

• Freewriting

• Looping

• Reporter’s questions

• Paragraph development patterns

• Observation

• Interviews

• Reading

• Internet browsing

• Brainstroming and peer review

•INVENTION TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPING IDEAS

The Writing Process

Choosing a preliminary thesis and organization

PLANNING

•WHAT IS A THESIS?

• Commonly called the THESIS STATEMENT

• It is a sentence in an essay, report, research paper or speech that identifies the main idea and/or central purpose of the text.

• “The thesis statement is the PROMISE of the writer to the reader. (C. Moore & S. Cassel)

• Widely ridiculed as escape reading, romance novels are important as a proving ground for many never-before-published writers and, more significantly, as a showcase for strong heroines.

• India has a lot of interesting festivals.

• Diwali is an important festival for Indians because they celebrate, remember traditional legends, and enjoy time with their families.

•Characteristics of an Effective TS

An effective thesis statement suggests your essay's direction, emphasis, and scope. Your thesis should not make promises that your essay will not fulfill. It should suggest where you will place your emphasis and indicate in what order your major points will be discussed

Widely ridiculed as escape reading, romance novels are important as a proving ground for many never-before-published writers and, more significantly, as a showcase for strong heroines.

“An effective thesis is generally composed of two parts: a topic and the writer's attitude or opinion about or reaction to that topic.”

(W. Kelly)

• "My thesis is simple: in the next century mankind must harness the nuclear genie if our energy needs are to be met and our security preserved."(John B. Ritch, "Nuclear Green," Prospect Magazine, March 1999)

• "We watch baseball: it's what we have always imagined life should be like. We play softball. It's sloppy--the way life really is.“

• "It is possible to stop most drug addiction in the United States within a very short time. Simply make all drugs available and sell them at cost."

• Can you state your thesis more precisely or more clearly?

• Should the wording be more specific?• In what ways will your thesis interest youraudience?

• What can you do to increase that interest?• Will your thesis be manageable, given your limits of time and knowledge?

• What can you do to make it more manageable?• What evidence from your research supports each aspect of your thesis?

• What additional evidence do you need?

•Revising a TS

•Chronological

•Spatial (scene) relationship

•Emphasis or order of importance

•General to specific

•Specific to general

CHOOSING AN ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN

•Clusters

•Topic outlines

•Formal outlines

CREATING A PLAN FOR THE PAPER

The Writing Process

DRAFTINGWrite first draft to develop main ideas and discover new ones

The Lead-in to the Thesis Statement

•a 'hook' statement that begins the essay

•the hook may present an example, description, or even an anecdote that connects to the thesis statement.

The Writing Process

Making changes in the thesis, structure, content, paragraphing and sentences.

REVISING

The Writing Process

Proofreading for grammar, mechanics and spelling errors and preparing the final copy.

FINISHING