Introduction 18:00 – 18:15 The Writing Process 18:15 – 18:45

1. Agenda for Class #1 Introduction 18:00 – 18:15 The Writing Process 18:15 – 18:45 Planning and Organizing Strategies 18:45 – 19:00 Drafting Strategies 19:00 – 19:30 Coffee Break 19:30 – 19:45 Revising Strategies 19:45 – 20:30 Informing 20:30 – 21:00 Introduction to the Writing Process

2. Introduction • Steve Whitmore • ASB 9870 • 604.291.4946 (W); 604.939.4562 • whitmore@cs.sfu.ca • http://www.ensc.sfu.ca/~whitmore/courses/ensc820/ • Move Feb 14 (Valentine’s Day) class to 13 or 15? Introduction to the Writing Process

3. Assignments • Best and worst project management practices (10%) • Manager’ strengths and weaknesses (20%) • Analysis and evaluation of project management (70%) • First 2 assignments are diagnostic and descriptive • Final assignment: persuasion, informing, organization, format, style, grammar, punctuation • The writing component for the 3 assignments sum to 20% of 820 grade Introduction to the Writing Process

4. Introduction to the Writing Process Steve Whitmore January 2006 Introduction to the Writing Process

5. Learning Objectives By the end of this module, you will understand some basic concepts about the writing process. • Rule vs. strategy-based writing • The uniqueness of your writing process • The writing process as iterative • The importance of efficiency when writing • A key difference between expert and novice writers • Experiment with caution Introduction to the Writing Process

6. Rules vs. Strategies • Never end a sentence with a preposition. • Never start a sentence with because. • Never use sentence fragments. • Never split an infinitive. • Never use the passive voice. • Etc. Introduction to the Writing Process

7. The Case of Prepositional Endings • Never end a sentence with a preposition? That is the sort of errant effrontery up with which I shall not put. -- Winston Churchill Introduction to the Writing Process

8. The Case of Because • Test Question: Why did Spot chase Fluff in the story? What the student wrote: • Answer: Because Fluff is a cat and Spot is a dog. What the teacher wanted: • Answer: Spot chased Fluff because Fluff is a cat and Spot is a dog. Introduction to the Writing Process

9. Alternatives to Because As the truck was in gear, the load of bricks slid off the tailgate. Could mean: While the truck was in gear, the load of bricks slid off the tailgate. or Because the truck was in gear, the load of bricks slid off the tailgate. Introduction to the Writing Process

10. Choices • Rule-based approach to writing  experience of failure  writer’s block or dislike of writing  • Strategy-based approach to writing  break the “rules” to achieve the goals required by a document  Introduction to the Writing Process

11. Unique Writing Processes Determined by four key factors: • Usual practices • Environs • Attitudes • Audiences Introduction to the Writing Process

12. My Writing Practices i ion Compos t Introduction to the Writing Process

13. For Example Photograph deleted to minimize file size. Introduction to the Writing Process

14. Writing as an Iterative Process Introduction to the Writing Process

15. Writing as a Linear Process Introduction to the Writing Process

16. Increasing Efficiency When Writing The Case of Creo Electronics Corporation • Estimates of time required to produce engineering documentation for prototype optical tape recorder: 11 percent of total time devoted to documentation equals 3.3 person years equals $120,000 (1988 dollars) • A 10% increase in efficiency equals $12,000 saving • A 25% increase in efficiency equals $30,000 saving Introduction to the Writing Process

17. Strategies to Increase Efficiency • Improvements to writing environment:  Provide a quiet interruption-free environment  Organize the writing environment  Improve the lighting and physical comfort • Improvements to computer skills:  Master using the word processor  Learn to touch-type or dictate Introduction to the Writing Process

18. Writing Like an Expert Introduction to the Writing Process

19. A Rule that Matters? • Experiment with your writing process – try new approaches but . . . If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Introduction to the Writing Process

20. Conclusion • Reflections: How much time do you actually spend revising your work? Introduction to the Writing Process