Writing Process and Planning:

You organize for yourself (outlines, etc.), and you organize the document for the reader.

Organize for the READER

Learn to frame what’s important

Once you have a first draft, focus on Once you have a first draft, focus on organizing for your reader.organizing for your reader.

Organization is more important than grammar!

• Grammatical errors are not good, but for the reader they’re not as bad as these problems:– illogical sequence of ideas – why am I reading about

all these details when I don’t yet know the big picture?

– no pattern of organization – is this section moving from most important to least important ideas, or not?

– no flow of ideas – I feel as though I’m starting over again with each new sentence.

Learn to frame what’s important

• Use graphics• Cluster information in manageable chunks

– Keep the trail markers coming: where are we in the document?

– Use headings wisely

– Use transitions and other rhetorical devices

– Use beginnings and endings to keep purpose clear.

• Use lists– check parallelism

Manageable Chunks: Integrating headings and text

3. Experimental ProcedureThe following procedure was used to count the neutrons in this experiment.

• 3.1 Apparatus. The main apparatus used for neutron counting is a chopper wheel, shown in Figure 3, that chops the neutron beam into clusters of particles. The wheel is a cadmium disk, approximately 1.2 cm in diameter, with 6 slits, each approximately I mm in width. The wheel is rotated by a low-power AC motor.

• 3.2 Chronology of Experiments. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Keep purpose clear – where are we?• Create introductory and concluding sections for your

chapters.– This chapter summarizes research to date on RDX fate and

transport, Pantex hydrogeologic characteristics, and models simulating solute transport through the unsaturated zone.

– In conclusion, the contour map-based model could be a useful tool to distribute spatially the chemicals correlating to source features. However, this model was unable to determine the magnitude and fate and transport of the COCs in the ground water. The following chapter focuses on [another] model, which . . .

Cluster information in manageable chunks.

• Maintain flow: provide trail markers

• Maintain focus

• Maintain parallelism

Maintaining Flow: Provide Trail Markers

• Transitions establish connections between parts of a sentence, whole sentences, and paragraphs.

• The right transitions guide the reader down the right path:

comparison contrast

sequence cause and effect

addition example

Repeating key words also guides the reader

Provide Trail Markers

Repetition is important highlighting strategy• Repeat major ideas in several places in the

document. • Repeat same keywords:

• contour map-based model

What makes this paragraph easy to read?

A number of devices are available to work with in

meeting your specified requirements. One such device

is the aneroid control, which is used to limit the fuel

while the turbocharger is building up manifold pressure

during acceleration. Another device is the pressure-

reducing valve, which reduces the pressure of the fuel

entering the carburator. We have also developed other

devices that we think will be useful in the future.

What’s missing in this paragraph?

• Numerical results show that fluid loss can be divided into two parts: spurt loss and dynamic loss. Spurt loss is controlled by the formation permeability, fracturing fluids, injection conditions, and filter cakes properties. The slope of the spurt loss curve is mainly determined by the formation permeability. High permeability formation has a large slope. Dynamic fluid loss is controlled by the properties of the fracturing fluid and the filter cakes and by the minimum invaded-zone porosity and permeability.

Transitions between Sentences

• The project manager will leave for the conference on Friday. ________ , the project engineers will remain in the office.

Transitions between sentences

• The number of important reservoir discoveries is decreasing continuously both onshore and offshore in shallow water. The number of well completions in deep and ultra-deep waters is expected to increase significantly in the near future.

Transitions create organization

As an air mass passes over an urban area, its ozone concentration is first reduced and then increased as the city’s hydrocarbon emissions react to form more ozone. Initially, the concentration of ozone upwind of the city may be quite high on hot summer days. Then, as the air mass moves over an urban area, it reacts with locally emitted chemicals, reducing the ozone concentration. This reaction produces various toxic substances. Finally, the air mass moves out of the city, downwind, and the hydrocarbons released from various urban sources react with the oxides of nitrogen to form more ozone.

Maintaining Focus

Weak, Unfocused Paragraph

The main operating cost is hydraulic oil replacement. GR-30 oil costs $18.60K per total plant charge, compared to XR-1023, which is $7.80K. Oil life has a major impact on the overall economics. Preliminary economics were based on a 1-year nickel life, . . . (Paradis and Zimmerman, 1998)

Medium-sized idea

Details

Major idea

Detail

Focused Paragraph

Hydraulic oil costs and life largely determine the economics of the hydro plant, because its main operating cost is oil replacement. GR-30 and XR-1023, the two oils we are considering, cost $18.60K and $7.80K, respectively, per total plant charge. . . . We are still projecting, then, that XR-1023 will cost less and last longer per plant charge.

Maintaining Focus

The 5-year plan does not indicate a clearly defined commitment to long-range environmental research. For instance, the development of techniques rather than the identification and definition of important long-range issues is the subject of the plan where it does address long-range research.(Olsen and Huckin 1983)

Maintaining Focus

• Tie new information to old• Place repeated info. in subject position

The 5-year plan does not indicate a clearly defined commitment to long-range environmental research. For instance, where the plan does address long range research, it discusses the development of techniques rather than the identification of important long-range issues.

Cluster information in manageable chunks: Exercise

The State of Texas does not appropriate funds to maintain and/or build surface parking lots, parking facilities, or parking garages. All parking on campus, including surface parking and the parking garage, is operated and maintained from the parking system revenues. Revenues include the annual parking permit fee, incomes from citations issued by The University Police, and fees charged to use The University parking garage. The construction of a second parking garage is necessary. To meet the required funding to construct this parking garage, it will be necessary to increase the campus parking revenue by raising the annual parking permit fee. The parking permit fee will increase over a two year period to accomplish this.

What sequence of ideas would be best for this paragraph?

The State of Texas does not appropriate funds to maintain and/or build surface parking lots, parking facilities, or parking garages. All parking on campus, including surface parking and the parking garage, is operated and maintained from the parking system revenues. Revenues include the annual parking permit fee, incomes from citations issued by The University Police, and fees charged to use The University parking garage. The construction of a second parking garage is necessary. To meet the required funding to construct this parking garage, it will be necessary to increase the campus parking revenue by raising the annual parking permit fee. The parking permit fee will increase over a two year period to accomplish this.

Maintain Parallelism

• Present parallel ideas in parallel form.– in lists– in sentences (series or pairs)

• Pay special attention to the first few words of each clause or phrase.

• Remember that parallel constructions channel the reader’s attention and aid memory.

Parallelism in Lists

Recommended Repairs on Acid Tank:– Replace tank bottom with 5/8” thick steel

plate.– Porosity holes in ring weldments should be

cleaned and rewelded.– According to company specifications, tank

repainting.

Faulty Parallelism in Lists

Recommended Repairs on Acid Tank

– Replace tank bottom with 5/8” thick steel plate.– Porosity holes in ring weldments should be

cleaned and rewelded.– According to company specifications, tank

repainting.

verb noun phrase prepositional phrase

Lists cannot float on their own

• Lists need context: introductions and, often, conclusions.

• This list needs to be introduced and grounded:– formation permeability– fracturing fluids– filter cakes properties