Planning and Shaping Your Writing

BRAINSTORMING

• Can be started as soon as the paper is assigned

• Helps organize your thoughts

• Start by thinking of possible topics that interest you.

• Then think of a thesis statement surrounding that topic (be as specific as possible)

BRAINSTORMING

• Can come in the form of a cluster web or even writing simple notes for yourself…

OUTLINING

• Allows you to gather information and ideas and organize it all

• Can prevent frustration and procrastination

PREWRITING

• Involves answering the basic questions: who, what, when, where, why and how ??

• Also, any other questions the reader might ask including counter arguments.

Prewriting

• What is prewriting?• Prewriting is the first stage in writing your paper. This is

when you figure out what you will write about, outline your ideas, and begin to write.

Strategies for prewriting:-writing down any ideas that come to your head and then going over them and finding possible similarities-clustering: coming up with a single, main idea and then branching out from that idea into smaller ideas that will help support your main idea-questions: ask yourself the main questions to help get more detailed with your ideas-who, what, where, when, why, how?

Brainstorming

What is brainstorming?Brainstorming can either be done alone or with a group and is a technique used to try and come up with an idea or topic by going over multiple random ideas.

Why brainstorm?Brainstorming is a great way of getting all your ideas out there and then figuring out which one you want to write about. In a group setting you are generally able to come up with more than you would alone, and there will be more of a variety in topics.

OutliningWhat is outlining?Outlining is used as a way of setting up or formatting your paper. It helps to give you a visual of what each paragraph of your paper will include.

Example of how to make an outline:I. IntroductionA. ThesisB. Statement of main pointsII. BodyA. First point made

1. Information given to support first pointB. Second point made

1. Information given to support second pointC. Third point made

1. Information given to support third pointIII. ConclusionA. Restate main ideaB. Summary of points made

Structure: introTell what you're going to tell them

• Introduction and Thesis – Hook– Introduces your reader to your topic, but never

say “in this essay I will”. Don’t announce it.– Clearly state your position in your thesis! • An example of a good thesis:

– Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang violence.

• An example of a poor thesis: – Drug use is detrimental to society.

Structure: body paragraphs

• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence to keep focus in each paragraph – do not use a quote as a topic sentence; just your claim

• Provide supporting evidence for credibility• Depending on the goal of your essay choose

to limit opinion* Have a paragraph addressing the opposing point of view and refuting, if a position paper

Structure: conclusionTell them what you told them

• Don’t introduce a new topic• Don’t say “in conclusion” or “in sum”• Summarize the main points• Revisit your thesis without restating it

The Editing and Revising Process

• Editing, revising and proofreading are critical steps to producing a polished product

• After completing a draft, a writer must revisit his or her writing to make sure it conveys the message he or she intends to convey

The Revising and Proofreading Process

• Revision vs. Proofreading: What is the difference?– Revision occurs right after completing a draft. When you

first edit, you reread your draft, checking for things like content and clarity. You then revise your writing.

– Proofreading comes after editing for content and clarity. In this process, you check for mechanical errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation

Source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Editing and Proofreading.” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012.

The Editing and Revising Process• Proofreading:

– Spellcheck and other computer programs cannot replace human editing. The writer’s job is to keep the audience in mind. Computer programs cannot “anticipate [the] responses” of human readers.

– Suggestions:• Take a step back from your draft so you can edit it with a fresh eye• Read your writing aloud. Your ear may pick up on new things• Make sure each word is necessary for clarity or flow

– Avoid flourishes that obscure your meaning• Ask another person to read your draft out loud and give you feedback• Check with the assignment guidelines to make sure you have completed the

work to meet expectations

Sources: Cooper, Kim. “Editing the Essay, Part One.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit1.html>

Cooper, Kim. “Editing the Essay, Part Two.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit2.html>

The Editing and Revising Process

• Proofreading– This should be the final step of the editing process. Again,

spellcheck will not replace human editing. Spellcheck often will not catch errors such as “you’re” versus “your”

– Suggestions:• Read your paper backwards, word-by-word. That way you will not

be distracted by content and can focus on the mechanics• Pay careful attention to less obvious things like parallel

construction and the use of who/whom/that

Source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Editing and Proofreading.” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012.

Cooper, Kim. “Tips on Grammar, Punctuation and Style.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/GP.html>

MLA basics

• 12pt size font • Double spaced throughout • One inch margins • First line of paragraphs indented • Create a header with your last name and page

numbers on each page on the upper right hand

MLA first page

• In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date.

• Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or put your title in quotation marks; write the first letter of each the first letter of each important (not and, or, of) word as upper case.

• Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

MLA citing sources

• Embed quotes smoothly in your paper • Put in parenthesis at the end of the sentence

the source and page number – Ex: the small girl “ate many apples daily” (New

York Times 1).

Works Cited

Abrams, Elizabeth. "Essay Structure." The Writing Center at Harvard University. 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Structure.html.

Cooper, Kim. “Editing the Essay, Part One.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit1.html>

Cooper, Kim. “Editing the Essay, Part Two.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit2.html>

Cooper, Kim. “Tips on Grammar, Punctuation and Style.” Writing Resources. Harvard College Writing Program, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/GP.html>

The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. 14 March 2012. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/>.

The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Editing and Proofreading.” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n.d. Web. 18 March 2012.http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/editing-and-proofreading