The Writing Process: A Practical Guide Everybody has his or her own unique method for writing. For example, some people find that they need to write an essay in order, meaning that they write their introduction first, followed by the body of the work and then the conclusion. Other people like to write only the thesis statement of their introduction before they write the body of their essay and then go back to write the rest of the introduction at the end of their process. Over the course of your academic studies, you will probably find the most effective way for you to complete a writing assignment. The most important idea to remember is that, regardless of what you are writing (formal essays, poetry, short stories, drama, etc.), you must use a process while working through your writing. This writing process has four stages: Prewriting, Writing, Revising/Editing, and Publishing/Presentation. NOTE: The rest of this package will deal primarily with the writing process in reference to formal persuasive essay writing. However, the basic process should be adapted and used for all types of writing.

The Writing Process: Stage One

Prewriting Before you start writing anything, you should always think about how you are going to approach the subject. There are generally two steps to this stage: Idea Hunting In this step you must examine all of the ways that you could possibly approach your essay. Try any of the following methods in order to search your mind for topics/approaches: brainstorming/listing, freewriting, clustering, marathon writing, research, journaling, visualization and simply making keen observation in your everyday life. The point of any idea hunting activity is to write all of your preliminary thoughts on the topic down on paper so that you do not forget them. Outline The first step in creating an outline for a persuasive essay is formulating your thesis statement. THESIS STATEMENTS What is a thesis statement? 1. It is the intellectual center of the paper. It tells what the point of the paper is and how that point will be developed. 2. It can consist of several sentences or one very well written sentence which identifies your purpose in the essay. 3. It is always positioned at the beginning of the paper but is not usually in the first few sentences. For better impact,

place the thesis towards the end of your introduction. 2 Major Questions Your Thesis Should Answer 1. What is my essay‘s point/topic? 2. How will my point be developed? Your thesis should include your main arguments in the order in which they will be

presented (see rock collecting example below). This listing of arguments is often referred to as the blueprint. (Note: Why the topic is important is often implied while answering the two questions above.)

Let’s look at an example... E.g./ Topic: Elderly in society? What: What about them? How: Possibly compare and/or contrast with elders in other societies

OR Looking at examples over time. (Why: Why is it important to examine?) Final Thesis Statement: The forgotten elderly of North American society should be more valued for their historical perspectives, their accumulated wisdom, and their storytelling talents. Through this thesis, we know the what (the elderly should be more valued) and the how (the first argument paragraph will be about the historical perspectives of the elderly, the second argument paragraph will be about the accumulated wisdom that the elderly can offer, and the third argument paragraph will be about the storytelling talents of the elderly) of the essay. **It is important to avoid vague language (dead words) in your thesis. E.g. Rock collecting can be an interesting hobby. If you choose the one sentence format, your thesis statement should specifically state the main point of your essay AND your three arguments. If you choose the multiple sentence format, you should have one sentence that specifically states the main point of your essay, and one other sentence for each of your arguments (for a total of four sentences). Remember, your thesis should take some sort of stand on the subject; it must be arguable. More Examples of Strong One Sentence Thesis Statements World hunger is difficult to eradicate due to an unequal global distribution of power, inefficient national infrastructures, and corrupt governments. Banana Herb Tea Supplement poses a potential danger to customers as it causes rapid weight loss, the loss of muscle mass, and can be addictive. Finally...Why is a thesis statement important? Well a good thesis satisfies the readers‘ desire to know, early in the paper, what the central idea or point will be and how you will go about presenting it. It is also very useful to you, as the writer, because it helps you to focus your ideas and maintain unity. As you write, you should look back at your thesis statement to see if you have drifted from your main idea. (If you have, what do your do??) Only once you have a focused, well-written and complete thesis statement, may you proceed with the process of writing an outline. Creating an outline is an extremely important step in the writing process. It is also the step that many people mistakenly exclude from their routine. If you are not accustomed to writing an outline, or skeleton, for your work, you might find it time consuming. However, once you have written an outline for your assignment, writing the rest of the essay becomes the relatively simple task of playing with words in order to give your essay a more personal style and voice. The structure and length of an outline varies according to the depth expected in your essay but the following page is a general guide.

A/ Introduction—1) Lead/Motivator– This is an opening or general statement to catch the readers´ attention 2) Link and Background Information 3) Thesis Statement and Blueprint

B/ Argument #1 1) Topic Sentence – This should be one sentence that summarizes the argument and which links it to the thesis. 2) Evidence/Support – This section provides your own ideas and the quotes from primary and secondary sources to support your argument. Each piece of evidence should be presented as such:

Context Quote/Observation Significance (how does this piece of evidence help to prove your point?) 3) Concluding Sentence -- Summarizes the argument and links it back to the thesis. C/ Argument #2 1) Topic Sentence – This should be one sentence that summarizes the argument and which links it to the thesis. This topic sentence should also be a transition from the previous paragraph. 2) Evidence/Support – This section provides your own ideas and the quotes from primary and secondary sources to support your argument. Each piece of evidence should be presented as such:

Context Quote/Observation Significance (how does this piece of evidence help to prove your point?) 3) Concluding Sentence -- Summarizes the argument and links it back to the thesis. D/ Argument #3 1) Topic Sentence – This should be one sentence that summarizes the argument and which links it to the thesis. This topic sentence should also be a transition from the previous paragraph. 2) Evidence/Support – This section provides your own ideas and the quotes from primary and secondary sources to support your argument. Each piece of evidence should be presented as such:

Context Quote/Observation Significance (how does this piece of evidence help to prove your point?) 3) Concluding Sentence -- Summarizes the argument and links it back to the thesis. E/ Conclusion 1) Rewording of Thesis Statement 2) Summary of Arguments

3) Final Words -- At this point, you should step back from the specifics of your subject and relate it to the world as a whole, a universal statement, if you will.

***Note—Do NOT forget to state how your points of evidence prove your argument!! ***Note—Your strongest argument (i.e. the one for which you have the most support) should always be the last in the body of your essay. The reader will then be left with your strongest point in his or her mind. Similarly, your second strongest argument should be the first in the body of your essay so that you start with a strong argument.

Writing Introductions Any introduction has at least three potential goals:

1. to lead into the content of the essay, 2. to create a bond of goodwill between the writer and the reader and, 3. simply to attract the reader‘s initial attention

Possible Introduction Strategies (Lead/Motivators):

a) The Startling Statement e.g. Men are an evolutionary mistake. b) The Question e.g. Why do men always assume they are superior? c) The Quotation (Note: This is not a quote taken from your primary source.) d) The Anecdote (Note: The anecdote must be clearly relevant to the material to be effective and should not

be written in first person.) e) Suspense

NOTE: Which strategy you choose for your lead/motivator often depends on the style of your essay. For example, using suspense for a clincher

is more likely to be done in an informal essay.

What’s Next? After your lead/motivator, you must move into your thesis, by including a transition statement (link) which connects the general opening to the specific text. Moreover, before your launch into your thesis, you may also need to provide some background info. How you do this depends the subject of your writing. For example, perhaps you need to provide some historical background or technical terms in order for your audience to understand your thesis. If you are writing a paper on literature, you may have to give a brief summary of the work or some information about the author. You should use NO specific examples from the text in the introductory paragraph. Perhaps you would like to provide a general explanation of your upcoming arguments. Whatever your choice, the idea is to smoothly narrow your topic into your thesis. **The introduction will not make an essay a guaranteed success but it will assure that the reader will begin to read. Writing Conclusions A composition should finish, not merely stop. Although every conclusion differs, a good conclusion displays the following characteristics:

follows logically from the rest of the piece of writing does not introduce new, unrelated material leaves the reader with something to think about

Format of Conclusion

Restate the thesis—when doing this, be sure to use different words than you did in your introduction Summarize your arguments—this is most effective in combination with the previous

technique i.e. begin with a sentence that summarizes your piece of writing as a whole; then, in the following sentences, restate the ideas of your arguments

Clincher–Options include: Making a prediction—often a writer will end on a note of hope, gloom, or suspense by making a

prediction Asking a question—the question should be one that makes the reader reconsider the ideas you

have presented A call to action—you may make a statement that encourages the reader to act on a specific

issue (e.g. encouraging the reader to become more active in environmental projects) Many writers find it effective to link whatever is in the last half of the conclusion to what was written in the first half of the introduction (i.e. finishing off the essay with the same idea that began the essay). While this is certainly not mandatory, it is a technique that provides a sense of completion to your work.

***Whatever your technique, remember that, your conclusion is the location to make the content of your essay relevant to the reader. What importance does your essay play in their everyday life? For example, if you are writing an essay on a theme from Shakespeare, you could point out that most of Shakespeare’s themes are timeless and universal and, therefore, are just as relevant in today’s world as when he wrote them.

The Writing Process: Stage Two Writing/Drafting

Now that you have a detailed outline and thesis statement, you can simply elaborate on each section of your essay. Setting Up (On Paper or Computer)

double space leave wide margins write on one side of paper only keep writing, you can check for conventions/mechanics later

Writing REMEMBER: Each of your argument paragraphs should follow standard paragraph format: Introductory sentence—This sentence should introduce the reader to what you are going to discuss in this paragraph and it should

make a clear reference to or link with your thesis statement for the essay. Often, the introductory sentence should also be a transitional sentence linking the paragraph with what has been written in the previous paragraph.

Body of paragraph—This section should include a variety of your own thoughts and evidence/examples from your sources. When making reference to a source (e.g. using quotations), you MUST explain why that quote is important to your theme/point. You

cannot simply include it in your writing and hope that the reader can see its significance. Concluding sentence—Summarize what you have written about in this paragraph and link it back to your thesis.

Elements of Writing to Keep in Mind

The following elements to keep in mind while writing are explained in the coming pages:

1. Unity 2. Coherence—transitions and organization 3. Elaboration 4. Voice and Style–be consistent and appropriate 5. Citations

Remember: You should have several drafts; your first draft is not expected to be a final, polished writing. Unity—A paragraph is unified when all its sentences support a single main idea (an argument). This main idea is expressed through a topic sentence. As you check your paragraph for unity, if any information does not relate to your main idea, you need to make some changes. One possibility is that you might need to eliminate the information that does not relate. Sometimes the problem is that the main idea itself needs to be revised in order to express an idea that all of the other sentences will support. Though we are speaking of a single paragraph here, this method applies on the grander scale of an entire essay, too. If one of your arguments doesn‘t relate to your thesis statement (the main idea of your whole essay), you need to rethink your writing. Coherence—A paragraph is coherent when all the sentences relate clearly and logically to one another (there is an smooth flow from one idea to the next). In most coherent paragraphs, transitional devices are used to link sentences. In order to create a coherent paragraph, the author needs to decide on a method of organization such as: chronological, order of importance, comparison and/or contrast, general to specific (or vice versa), etc. Again, just as these guidelines apply to the paragraph, your entire essay must flow smoothly from one argument to the next. USE TRANSITIONS!!

Elaboration—A paragraph is well elaborated when the main idea is effectively supported by details. The types of details you use to develop your topic sentence will depend upon the type of idea you wish to develop. To support an opinion, you may want to use facts and statistics, or you may want to quote an authority. Other types of elaboration include sensory details, description of an incident, examples from a text, etc. Voice--Voice is the personality and distinct way of talking of a writer that allows a reader to ―hear‖ the human personality in a piece of writing. Just as you have a distinct way of speaking, you also have a distinct writing voice. The uniqueness of that voice—your style—is determined by the words you use and way you put them together; more specifically, sentence structure, diction, and tone. The most important detail to remember about voice is to be consistent throughout your writing with whatever voice you choose.

i. Sentence Structure Writers vary widely in the types of sentences they use. Some writers, such as James Joyce, are known for using very long sentences. This technique can be almost hypnotic, making you feel as if you are overhearing the thought processes of a character. Most writers use a variety of sentence types, depending on the effect they want to achieve. In reference to writing a formal essay, sentence structure and length should vary throughout the paper in order to keep the reader‘s attention.

ii. Diction A writer‘s diction, or word choice, can be concrete or abstract, formal or informal. Concrete words name or

describe things you can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste, such as popcorn and sour. Abstract words name things that cannot be perceived through the senses—peace and brave. Formal diction is dignified and often serious. Informal diction is casual and conversational. Again, for a formal essay you should be using formal diction, your voice should always be formal—i.e. no slang, no abbreviations or contractions, no first or second person, etc. In addition, your diction should not be self conscious, which means that you should not refer to the process of writing the paper or talking directly to the reader. For example, do not use any of the following phrases: The last characteristic of romance is clearly evident in the last quote mentioned. The thesis of this paper is..... This quote then refers to the fact that... This essay will examine…

iii. Tone The emotional effect a piece of writing conveys is its tone. For example, the tone of a mystery story may be

frightening or suspenseful. Tone in writing is created by both sentence structure and diction. In a formal essay, tone is often authoritative and/or didactic.

“Developing Your Voice and Style” The Writer’s Craft: Idea To Expression. Illinois: McDougal, Littell & Company. 1992. 420-22.

Transitional Devices

Show Location above around between across against along among above here outside behind below beneath beside inside by down in back of below nearby in front of into near off beyond next to on top of outside over under to the east further on the far side to the right throughout

Show Time about after after a while at before currently gradually now during first at last second third until recently afterward soon today immediately briefly eventually meanwhile next later tomorrow then finally suddenly when yesterday as soon as at present

Add Information also and and then as well besides beyond that again finally next moreover another in addition what is more for instance along with for example yet another first (second, third, last, etc.)

To Compare Two Things also as well as both like neither likewise similarly in the same way

To Contrast Two Things but yet still however although in contrast otherwise whereas even though nevertheless conversely on the other hand on the contrary be that as it may

Emphasize a Point again surely especially thus in fact above all most importantly for this reason in particular indeed

Show a Result so and so therefore thus hence as a result consequently as a consequence because of this for this reason

To Conclude or Summarize finally therefore in brief as a result in summary all in all in conclusion on the whole to sum up in other words

Illustrate as a case in point in particular as an illustration for example for instance one such

To Qualify often generally specifically usually perhaps

To Give a Reason As because for since

To Concede a Point certainly indeed granted that of course no doubt to be sure

General Rules on Citations

Knowing how to cite your sources in a piece of writing can be somewhat daunting but it is an important skill to master. The following information can be used as a general guide for MLA style papers (i.e. for all of your English papers): Paraphrasing Format paraphrasing is always your own words and, therefore, is written like any other sentence in your paper. Citations

can state the source in your sentence (e.g. According to Northop Frye…) and then in brackets that follow the sentence and punctuation, state the page #

can state the source (author) and the page # in brackets following the sentence and its punctuation e.g. Sentence. (Author, 83) Direct Quotes Format

if your quote is over 4 lines, it should be single spaced and indented from both margins; there should not be quotation marks; the source should be on a line of its own following the quote

if your quote is 4 lines or less, it can be include within your writing simply by putting quotation marks around it keep in mind that your quotes should be incorporated into your sentence

Citations

How you do the citations for your direct quotes and what you include in the citations depends on your bibliography. General Rule

assumes that your bibliography has only one work by each other after your end quotation marks but before your final punctuation: (Author, p)

e.g. ―Quote‖ (Author, 83). Two Works by Same Author

assumes that you have more than one work by the same author in your bibliography after your end quotation marks but before your final punctuation: (Author, Title, p)

e.g. ―Quote‖ (Author, Title, 83).

Omissions you cannot omit parts of a quote that are relevant to your argument and assume that the reader will know what goes

in between you can omit parts of a quote if those parts are irrelevant to your argument and are not needed in order to

understand your meaning e.g. ―On the fourth evening he gave me the hand lotion…It may have been something they made up for use in hospitals…But I thanked him anyway‖ (Atwood, 204).

For more information on formatting and style expectations, a great resource is Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL).

The Writing Process: Stage Three Revising/Editing

Revision is an ongoing activity and it occurs in several stages. In fact, you have probably already been ‗unofficially‘ revising as you have been writing. Now that you have written a first draft (rough draft), however, it is important that you re-read your work to see if there are any changes that need to be made. 3 Basic Types of Changes Content: You should always make changes in content before looking at any of your

other problem areas. Why? If your content changes, so too will its structure and mechanics. Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Do I have a main idea or focus to my writing, and is that idea expressed clearly? 2. Do each of my topic sentences link back to my thesis? 3. Have I provided all the information my readers need? 4. Is there enough elaboration, or would more details help? 5. Do I have any unnecessary ideas? 6. Is my writing unified; are all the ideas related directly to my thesis? 7. Did I begin my writing with a lead/motivator (interesting and attention-getting)? 8. Do I have a strong, appropriate and thought-provoking ending (clincher)?

Structure: You may realize that the way that you have organized or structured your essay

does not present your ideas/arguments in the most effective manner.

Questions to Ask Yourself: 1. Does the organization of my writing make the relationships among ideas clear? 2. Is my writing coherent; is the flow of sentences and paragraphs smooth and logical? 3. Are my paragraphs ordered so as to emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of my arguments?

Clarity: It is important to remember the power of individual words and of the organization

of those words. Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Do the words that I‘ve chosen say exactly what I want the reader to understand? 2. Are there words or sentences that will cause the reader to ask for more information? 3. Do I have unnecessary words or phrases that confuse or complicate my meaning? 4. Am I using words that are beyond my understanding? (That is for all you thesaurus people.)

Tips to Help You

Read your writing aloud; you can often hear your mistakes and it gives you a sense of rhythm and flow in your writing.

Read your writing from the audience‘s point of view; imagine what questions the reader might have, what they might find interesting, etc.

Proof-Reading Now that you have made any of the big revisions that need to be made, you can begin what is officially the last step before presenting your work. Proofreading is an extremely important stage of revision that is often overlooked. You MUST re-read your work in order to correct mechanical errors (e.g. spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.). If you are using a computer, remember that ‗spell and grammar checks‘ do not always identify all of the errors, such as when you use ‗from‘ instead of ‗form‘.

Questions to Ask Yourself: 1. Have I used the same words too often? 2. Do I have an appropriate title? 3. Did I double-check the spelling of all the words that I was unsure about? 4. Did I indent at the beginning of each paragraph? 5. Have I eliminated any contractions? 6. Did the punctuation I used make my meaning clear? 7. Did I underline where appropriate (e.g. book titles)? 8. Did I use a variety of sentence types? 9. Did I use complete sentences? 10. Did I make sure that my verb tense is consistent throughout the paper? 11. Did I include all of the citations for outside sources?

Getting Some Outside Help Once you have finished making all the changes that you think are necessary and you have taken what you think is your final draft as far as you are able, it is important to have someone other than yourself read your essay. At this point, you are so familiar with the content of your writing that you can no longer see any problem areas. A new reader may have ideas or suggestions that never occurred to you.

Ask them to answer the following questions: 1. What is the main point or thesis of the essay? Is it clear or unclear? Why? 2. Does the essay begin well? Are the title and first paragraph engaging? Why or why not? 3. In the body of the essay, does the author support the essay‘s main point (the thesis) with several smaller

points? How? What are the supporting points of the essay? 4. Are there examples and details to support each point in the essay? Where does the author need more

details and examples? Is there any place where there are unnecessary details? Explain. 5. When you get to the end of the essay, does it conclude well? Do you feel that it is complete or

incomplete? Explain. 6. Could you find any mechanical or grammatical problems? Mark them in the text of the essay. What

seems to be the author‘s weakness with mechanics or grammar? 7. What do you think is the strongest element in the essay? Why? 8. What do you think needs the most work in the essay? Why?

Remember: Insights during the revision stage may send you back to the pre-writing stage of the writing process and, at the very least, will cause you to revisit the drafting stage.

The Writing Process: Step IV Presenting/Publishing

At this point you have written your essay and you have revised, edited and proofread until you think it is perfect. I‘m sure you are probably thinking, ‗Now, I can just put my name on it and hand it in.‘ However, there might be aspects of your paper that you are forgetting to add before you can hand it in with pride. Bibliography/Works Cited Either a bibliography or a works cited section for your essay will always be required if you have used any ideas, facts, or quotes that are not your own. The bibliography is always the last page of your essay and should follow a very specific format depending upon the discipline for which your essay was written. In an English class, you will always use MLA style (as opposed to APA style, which may be required in a History class). PLEASE BE SURE TO CONSULT UPDATED MLA GUIDELINES ONLINE. Cover Page The cover page for your paper may seem like an unnecessary addition to you. However, having that cover sheet with all of the assignment information really makes a difference in the overall image of your work. It shows that you have pride in your writing and that you are presenting a complete work. In general, the example to the right should see you through the rest of your high school years, as well as through any post-secondary education you plan to pursue. Publishing In most cases, you will be handing your paper into a teacher but try not to forget that you may present your work to other audiences, such as friends, family members, school peers and other teachers, a student publication, your local community, a publishing house, etc. You may have to make some changes to your work that coincides with your change in audience.

Interesting and Creative

Title

Submitted by: Your Name Submitted to: Your Teacher

Course/Section School

Date