The Writing Process

1. The Writing Process The “How” of Writing Includes Define Yourself Essay

2. The Writing Process

3. PRE-WRITING TECHNIQUES • Brainstorming/Free writing-Listing ideas as quickly as they occur • Clustering-Drawing lines and circles to show connections between ideas. A web graphic organizer helps students with their clustering. • Reading with a focus-Reading efficiently to locate and collect specific information • Imagining- Probing your imagination for ideas, often using a “What if” approach • Writer’s Journal-Record personal experiences, perceptions, and ideas

4. Brainstorming/Free Writing • A brainstorm is similar to a rainstorm: a rainstorm produces thunder, lightning, and rain, while a brainstorm produces ideas. • For the NC Writing Assessment, you need your own ideas. You need to allow your own ideas, form your own experiences and observations, to “rain” down on your notes. • Show clip from NCIS (Season 4/Disc 5/ “Cover Story”

5. Before you brainstorm, think about the CRAFT elements. • C-Context tells you what to do with the topic (define it, identify causes or effects) • R-Role tells you from what perspective to write(student, editor, citizen) • A- Audience tells you who you are writing to, may change the formality of the essay • F-Format tells you the type of writing (essay, speech, letter, editorial) • T-Topic is most important: this is what you are writing about !

6. Your task today is to write a 5 paragraph essay defining yourself. Your task is to INFORM your audience. On the NC Writing Assessment, your task is to Inform as well. • C-Context-In this case, define it • R-Role-Student, Your perspective of who you are • A-Audience-me, your teacher • F-Format-5 paragraph essay • T-Topic-You are the topic

7. My Example/Brainstorm of Myself • Ms. Washburn • Fidgety/Hyperactive • Painter • Coffee drinker • Writer • Talkative • Spontaneous • Extravert • Painter • Reader (newspaper, novels, poetry, internet) • Aerobics participant(kickboxing) • Traveler • Designer(enjoys designing bridges and houses with math)

8. We must Create a Thesis from our Brainstorm. • The thesis is an essential part of an essay because it is the main idea of the entire essay. • Formula for a thesis • Thesis = Subject + stance

9. Try to find a common thread in your brainstorm • Ms. Washburn • Fidgety/Hyperactive • Painter • Coffee drinker • Writer • Talkative • Spontaneous • Extravert • Reader (newspaper, novels, poetry, internet) • Aerobics participant(kickboxing) • Traveler • Designer(enjoys designing bridges and houses with math • ● All the green words involve creativity. Thus, the thesis statement or definition of Ms. Washburn could be • Ms. Washburn is a creative person.

10. Another option (A different common thread) • Ms. Washburn • Fidgety/ Hyperactive • Painter • Coffee drinker • Writer • Talkative • Spontaneous • Extravert • Painter • Reader (newspaper, novels, poetry, internet) • Aerobics participant(kickboxing) • Traveler • Designer(enjoys designing bridges and houses with math • ● All the words in blue involve curiosity. • Thesis= Ms. Washburn is a curious individual.

11. Another option • Ms. Washburn • Fidgety/ Hyperactive • Painter • Coffee drinker • Writer • Talkative • Spontaneous • Extravert • Painter • Reader (newspaper, novels, poetry, internet) • Aerobics participant(kickboxing) • Traveler • Designer(enjoys designing bridges and houses with math • ● All the pink words involve energy. • Thesis= Ms. Washburn is an energetic person.

12. Another option Painting and Writing are two forms of art to which I am addicted • Ms. Washburn • Fidgety/ Hyperactive • Painter • Coffee drinker • Writer • Talkative • Spontaneous • Extravert • Painter • Reader (newspaper, novels, poetry, internet) • Aerobics participant(kickboxing) • Traveler • Designer(enjoys designing bridges and houses with math • ● All of the orange words represent my addictions. • Thesis= Ms. Washburn is an addictive person.

13. Connect Your Ideas-Organize the ideas from your brainstorm in a web reader writer writer traveler painter curious creative Washburn designer energetic An addictive person Addict-ed to people fidgety Coffee drinker kick boxer Addict-ed to art Addicted to caffeine

14. Some people formulate a web as their pre-writing activity. • The web allows a student to organize his or her thesis statement and 3 topic sentences.

15. Create an Outline (The next prewriting task) • Think about which thesis will impress your audience the most. • Also, consider which thesis and topic sentences you will be able to elaborate on the best. • Pick your thesis. • Write your outline.

16. The Outline Format • Paragraph 1:Opening that states the thesis (your definition of the topic) • Paragraph 2: Idea that helps explain and support the definition • Example that supports the paragraph’s main idea • Details that expand on the example • Paragraph 3: Second idea that helps explain and support the definition • Example that supports the paragraph’s main idea • Details that expand on the example • Paragraph 4: Third idea that helps explain the definition • Example • Details that expand the example • Paragraph 5: Closing

17. Outline Example • Paragraph 1:Ms. Washburn is a creative person. • Paragraph 2: Ms. Washburn is a writer. • Ms. Washburn writes novels, poetry, and journal articles. • Details that expand on the example- Ms. Washburn employs a hybrid blend of magical realism and surrealism in her writings that display imaginative musings. • Paragraph 3: Ms. Washburn is a painter. • Ms. Washburn paints canvases in art class, walls in her home, and buildings in the community. • Ms. Washburn helped paint the side of Torero’s downtown with the Art’s Council in an attempt to beautify the community. • Paragraph 4: Ms. Washburn is a teacher. • She creates unusual lesson plans involving acting, music, and art. • In one lesson, she had the students act out a murder scene by beating each other with foam noodles. • Paragraph 5: Restate thesis, Sum up major points, and Challenge the reader to utilize his or her creative energy to revolutionize the world.

18. While writing, I thought of something I had not thought of previously. • Thus, I used my new thought in my outline and abandoned the topic sentence about designing bridges. • When you write, you will find answers from within yourself. Sometimes you will discover new things about novels and yourself. You will evolve as a thinker and a person when you write. • “We do not write in order to be understood, we write in order to understand.”

19. The Next Step is to Write the Paper (Example of the Intro) • How does one measure a person? Is a person the sum of his weekly habits. If so, Ms. Washburn would merely be a person who drinks three cups of coffee a day and exercises two times a week. Defining a person by the lives that he or she touches makes much more sense. Ms. Washburn speaks to people with her writing, painting, and teaching. Ms. Washburn is a creative person.

20. I Used A Question as my Introductory Strategy. • Many other strategies exist for creating opening paragraphs. • Use An Example • State a Fact • Challenge Your Reader • Present a current event related to your issue • Use a vivid, concrete description of a person, place, or object • Introduce a significant past event • Use one of the five senses for descriptive detail

21. Remember to follow the formal rules of writing. • Always capitalize the pronoun I. • Always capitalize the first word of a sentence. • Avoid contractions. • Do NOT write as if you were texting. Avoid “lol,” “idk,” and truncated spellings (write out “are” rather than write R). • Always indent when you begin new paragraphs. • Include 5 paragraphs

22. After You Write Your First Draft, You Should Revise. • Evaluate focus • Does the introduction have a clear thesis. • Does the entire paper prove the thesis. • Evaluate content • Are there sufficient examples and details to prove the point • Is there enough discussion on each point • Are the examples used powerful and relevant • Will the content impress my reader • Evaluate organization • Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end • Are there topic sentences for my body paragraphs • Do my sentences show a logical progression of thought

23. While Revising, also check for • Spelling • Grammatical errors • Style • To improve style, you should • Vary sentence structures by using thought transitions • Use complex vocabulary • However, do not use vocabulary if you do not understand its meaning.