The Writing Process                             

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"The Writing Process"

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HATCHING NEW IDEAS!
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION - How do I get ideas in the first place?
  • magazines/newspapers/periodicals/CD-ROM
  • conduct an interview based on your topic
  • media - radio, tv, internet
  • experiences
  • film - movies and documentaries
  • music
  • visual art - observing or creating
  • dreams
  • memories
  • discussion and brainstorming
  • responding to literature
  • role playing
  • research
  • imagination
  • personal interest inventories
  • class interest inventory
  • other
TIPS - What ways can I prewrite?
  • free writing
  • journaling
  • image streaming (transplant yourself to another place or time and describe from a first person point of view)
  • lists
  • visualization
  • brainstorming - individually or as a group
  • webbing/mapping/clustering
  • graphic organizers
  • topic or word chart
 

 TIME TO WRITE!

NOW THAT IT'S TIME TO WRITE . . . What do I do?
WRITING. . . ROUGH DRAFT . . . ROUGH COPY
Whatever you call it, it is still the same thing. Get a working copy of your paragraph or paper so that you have something to work with.
 

OUR ROUGH COPY SUGGESTIONS
* Name, class and date on top right hand corner of all pages
* Number all your pages
* One staple in the top left hand corner
* Double space
* Margin to margin
* Single sided
* Pencil or pen (depending on teacher preference)
* Line space at end of page

TIPS WHEN GOING FROM PREWRITING TO WRITING
  1. Be selective in the ideas that you include. You don't have to include everything that was in your prewriting!  Pick your best ideas. Make sure they relate to each other and your topic.
     
  2. WRITE!  WRITE!  WRITE! 
    Don't stop once you start writing.  Revising and editing come later.  Just let the ideas flow.  
     
  3. Don't count words, ask your teacher how long it should be or when it is done. When YOU feel that you have completed your ideas, you are then ready to go to the next stage.
     
  4. HOLD IT!  Before going to the next stage, make sure you have enough content to work with. If you feel that you are lacking content, go back to your prewriting for more ideas and details.

 

SEARCHING FOR THINGS TO FIX!
WHAT IS REVISING?

Revising is . . .
  • making decisions about how you want to improve your writing
     
  • looking at your writing from a different point of view
     
  • picking places where your writing could be clearer, more interesting, more informative and more convincing.
METHODS
A.R.R.R. -  This method allows you to make four types of changes.
Adding What else does the reader need to know?
Rearranging Is the information in the most logical and most effective order?
Removing What extra details or unnecessary bits of information are in this piece of writing?
Replacing What words or details could be replaced by clearer or stronger expressions?
R.A.G. - Read Around Group
~ General Rules for Read Around Groups ~
  1. 3-5 writers per group in varying ability
  2. Make sure there are no names on the pieces of writing. Student work is to remain anonymous. Photocopies work well.  
  3. In each group, everyone reads each paper once. Nothing is written on the papers. This is the first read.  It is written to get a general idea about what has been written.
  4. During the first read, on a separate piece of paper, each person puts them on a scale of 1-4.                (4 - outstanding, 3 - above average, 2 - acceptable, 1 - insufficient) Students also write comments about each piece for later discussion with the group.
  5. Students discuss why they assigned the score that they did.  
  6. Staying in the same group, students then revise the anonymous work during a second reading. Students can a) read each paper and mark suggestions on it or  b) read the piece as a group and mark the
    group's suggestions on each paper.
A.R.M.S. - Add, Remove, Move Around, Substitute
REVISING TIPS - Ask yourself these questions . . .
  • Can you read it out loud without stumbling?
  • Does every word and action count?  There should be a reason why a character acts or speaks in a certain way.  
  • Is the series of events logical?  Do they relate?
  • Is it clear what your goal or your main character's goal is throughout the piece of writing?
  • Are vivid/descriptive words used to describe characters and/or events?
  • Is your train of thought clear?  Are there any tangents?
  • Do you use a variety of verbs throughout the piece?  (Something instead of "SAID")
  • Is it wordy and redundant?  Are you using the same words and phrases over and over again?
  • Is there a catchy introduction?  Does the conclusion leave the reader thinking?
  • Do supporting details support only the topic sentence of that paragraph?
  • Are transitional devices used throughout?
  • Is there a strong hook, thesis and lead-in?
  • Is proper format followed throughout?
  • Are all sentences complete or are there sentence fragments?
  • Is a vivid mental picture created in the reader's mind?  
  • Have you completed sentence expansion where necessary?  (NO "HE RAN!")
  • Did you use a thesaurus?
 

GET OUT YOUR FINE TOOTHED COMB!

WHAT IS EDITING?
Editing is . . .
  • spelling
  • capitalization
  • punctuation
  • grammar
  • sentence structure
  • subject/verb agreement
  • consistent verb tense
  • word usage
METHODS

Self Edit
Read your own work backwards.
Read the last sentence, then the second last sentence, etc.
Does each sentence make sense when you read it on it's own?  
Do you see or hear any errors in the sentence?

Peer Edit
A very useful checklist for students to use for a peer and self edit is available at  http://206.218.128.2/laintech/peer.htm
 
TIPS
  • Be sure that every sentence has two parts : subject (who or what) predicate (what's happening)
  • Use sentence combining words: and, but, or, yet, so who, whom, which, that, whose, because, although, when, if, where and others
  • Use periods and commas where necessary but do not overuse.
  • Do not overuse the exclamation mark!
  • Use a dictionary to check spelling.
  • Beware of the word processing spellchecker!
 

DO THE DONE DANCE!
SUGGESTIONS FOR PUBLISHING/GOOD COPY
  1. Blue or black ink pen or word processed
  2. Centre title on top line with a line space that follows
  3. Name, class and date in top right hand corner
  4. Margin to margin
  5. Indent and/or leave a line space for paragraphs (depending on teacher preference)
  6. Leave a line space at the bottom of the page
  7. Single sided
  8. Single spaced
  9. Neat - no scribbles or overuse of liquid paper!
  10. Number the pages
  11. Staple in top left hand corner
  12. If asked for all stages of the writing process, hand in in this order:
    * good copy
    * rough copy with evidence of revision and editing
    * prewriting
  13. Include marks sheet or rubric if one was given

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