6 STEP WRITING PROCESS

BRAINSTORM

PREWRITE

DRAFT

REVISE

EDIT

PUBLISH

Sample Writing Prompt Your principal is asking interested

students to write a letter to him, explaining 3 reasons why you would be a good candidate to judge the upcoming talent show at your school.

Be sure to:• Write a letter to the principal• Give 3 reasons why you would be a

good judge for the talent show

IDEAS EXPLOSION !

STEP 1

“BRAINSTORMING”

BRAINSTORMINGYou’ve read the writing prompt and your mind

begins to wanderFocus on the topicYou have ideas, or maybe notRandomly jot down what you’re thinkingSuppose you have no thoughtsIn that case, write “I don’t know anything

about this…” or “I don’t understand this…” When you’ve done that maybe 3 times,

something begins to click—YOU HAVE A THOUGHT

GET ORGANIZED

STEP 2

“PRE-WRITING”

PRE-WRITINGThis is similar to sorting laundryTake those random thoughts and start

organizing them into chunks of similar thoughts

Use Thinking Maps, graphic organizers, or just pile similar thoughts together in sections of your scratch paper

You’ll soon notice a pattern

LET YOUR SKILLS SHINE

STEP 3

“DRAFTING”

DRAFTINGNow, let’s get down to businessLook at those chunks of similar ideas and begin

to think of them as paragraphsAfter you organize them, begin writing your

essay, letter, or whatever the prompt calls for

Remember, the writing format will differ one type to another

If you’re writing an essay…

You know you must have an introduction and a conclusion

That’s the beginning and the endWhat about the middle?That’s the bodyThe number of body paragraphs are

determined by the number of supporting statements you offer in your paper, typically it’s 3

An essay looks like this…

The introduction is the 1st paragraph. It explains the focus/purpose of the paper. You also want to list the supporting details you plan to cover in your paper. 2nd paragraph is the 1st body paragraph. Explain the 1st detail to support your topic.

3rd paragraph is the 2nd body paragraph. Explain the 2nd detail to support your topic.

4th paragraph is the 3rd/final body paragraph. Explain the 3rd detail to support your topic.

The conclusion is the final paragraph. It wraps up all your thoughts and leaves the reader with something to consider or a question to ponder about the topic.

A block style letter looks like this…

October 12, 2009

Dear Principal, I have been informed that you wish to have a panel of students to judge the

talent contest next week. I feel that I am a worthy candidate for the panel.

You will find that I have no disciplinary issues here at school, so I have the integrity to be a judge on the panel. I am a member of the school chorus, so I know the proper procedure for stage performance. Further, I will view each contestant fairly and without bias.

Should you select me as a judge for the talent contest, I can assure you that I will do my best to represent our school with honor and integrity.

Willing to serve, Anthony Tompkins

A letter…

ALWAYS begins with the dateALWAYS has a salutation to follow the

date (Dear____, or To Whom It May Concern)

ALWAYS has an introduction, body and conclusion, just like an essay

ALWAYS has a complimentary close (Sincerely, or Respectfully submitted, or A concerned student, etc.)

CHANGE IT UPVIEW IT DIFFERENTLY

STEP 4

“REVISING”

Take a second look…

• Look at your sentence sequence.• Do your thoughts follow each other

logically?• Does your writing confuse the reader?

Don’t stray from the topic.• Do you have complete sentences?• Did you include the bulleted info from

the writing prompt guide?

How do you revise?

You might not want to, but do it anyway…Re-read your writingHave someone else read itBoth of you will look for errorsRemove unnecessary detailsStick to the topic throughoutMake sentences follow in sequence of thought

—must be logicalFollow the writing prompt guidelines and

include all bulleted items

YOU’RE ALMOST DONE,PUT ON YOUREDITOR’S CAP

STEP 5

“EDITING”

EDITING—Similar to Revising, But Different

• By now, you’ve reorganized your thoughts in your paper

• Now, focus on spelling errors• Focus on proper use of verbs• Focus on capitalization and

punctuation• Clean up the mechanics of your writing

PREPARE TO BE A STAR !

STEP 6

“PUBLISH”

THAT’S RIGHT, WRITE IT AGAIN…

You can’t submit your first draft!Publish simply means to take the time to

rewrite, or type, the paper to be submitted for the best grade

It must be neat and error free !If typed, you must follow the prescribed

guidelines set by your teacherWhen typing, use size 12 font, Times New

Roman, black ink only, single spaced

REMEMBER…

Your work represents you, even when you are not around.

Several people will read your writing.Make yourself proud, first, by doing a

thorough job and then everyone will be proud of you !

Now, Take Out a Sheet Of Paper

Your quiz is in 2 parts. Write Part 1 on your paper and number 1 – 5. Then,

write Part 2 and number 1 – 5.

LET’S SEE HOW MUCH YOU REMEMBER…

QUIZ part 1

1. __T__F There are 6 steps in the writing process.2. __T__F During the Brainstorming phase, it is

important to write any thoughts that come to mind.

3. __T__F Prewriting is like sorting laundry. You begin to organize your thoughts.

4. __T__F It is important to read the prompt clearly and note any bulleted items to be included.

5. __T__F Drafting simply means to write your paper for the first time.

QUIZ part 2

1. ___________is step 4 in the writing process wherein you will re-organize your paper.

2. During ____________, you correct any spelling, capitalization or punctuation errors.

3. When you prepare your paper for step 6, ____________, you write it for the second time, or type it for the first time. Submit it for a grade. Many people will read it.

4. __T__F A letter must have a date, salutation, and complimentary close.

5. __T__F An essay usually has 5 paragraphs.

The end…