The Writing Process

1. The Writing Process How to Write an Effective Essay

2. The Writing Process • Considering the Prompt = question or topic • Ex. Explain how KhaledHosseini uses symbolism in The Kite Runner. • Critical Reading =Read with the prompt in mind • Thinking = Outline and/or graphic organizer; ordering • Purging = Get your thoughts on paper • Re-thinking = Adding/deleting material • Editing = Never edit your own work! • Rewriting = Go back and make the changes that editor suggests • Publishing = Type your final version

3. Essays • Essay = literally means “to try” or “attempt” • Narrative Essay • Definition Essay • Comparison and Contrast Essay • Persuasive Essay • Descriptive Essay • Cause and Effect Essay • Literary Analysis Essay • Five Paragraph Essay

4. Outline • Outline = ______________?______________ • Why do we need an outline? • ________?_________ • ________?_________ • ________?_________

5. Guidelines for Great Outlines 1.) Parallelism • Ex. • Colleges of Interest Prepare Application Scholarships • Ex. • Choose College Prepare Application Search Scholarships • Each heading must be parallel = verb + noun, noun

6. Guidelines for Great Outlines 2.) Coordination • Ex. • Choose College • Take the SAT • Prepare Application • Search Scholarships • All the headings must be of equal significance

7. Guidelines for Great Outlines 3.) Subordination • Headings should be general, whereas, subheadings should be more specific • Ex. • Choose College • _________________ • _________________ • _________________ • Prepare Application • _________________ • _________________ • _________________ • Search Scholarships • _________________ • _________________ • _________________

8. Guidelines for Great Outlines 4.) Division • All headings must be divided into two or more parts = if you have an “A”, then you have to have a “B” II. Prepare Application • Resume 1. List relevant Coursework 2. List work experience 3. List volunteer experience • Write Essay

9. Practice • You and a partner will develop an outline for one of the following topics: • Single Gender Classes • Living in a big city is better than living in a small town • Convince your parents to buy you a new computer • Characteristics of fun date • Characteristics of a good leader • Should Eastside revoke students’ privilege to carry cell phones

10. Introduction • 1st sentence • Title, topic, author • 2 – 4th sentences • Background info. • 5th sentence (thesis) • Argument

11. Thesis Sentence • The thesis must… • Be the last sentence of the first paragraph • Be arguable • Be one sentence • Be specific • Detail three subtopics • The thesis cannot… • Make a 1st person reference • Be a question

12. Body Paragraphs • Introduction • Least Important Subtopic • More Important Subtopic • Most Important Subtopic • Conclusion

13. Elements of the Body Paragraph • Body Paragraph • Topic Sentence • Example • Quote • Explanation of quote • Example • Quote • Explanation of quote • Transition

14. How to Choose a Quote “Many German citizens participated in the execution of Jews.” • Quotable quotes should: • Support a key point that you are making • Be unique and written in such a way that you could not replicate/rewrite the quote • Succinct, memorable, and powerful

15. Dropped Quotations Many ordinary Germans participated in the execution of Jews. To what extent German citizens should be held responsible is often debated. “An enormous number of ordinary, representative Germans became—and most of their fellow Germans were fit to be—Hitler's willing executioners" (Goldhagen 454). Many ordinary Germans participated in the execution of Jews. To what extent German citizens should be held responsible is often debated. For Daniel Goldhagen, a Harvard-educated History professor, the answer is quite clear. In his groundbreaking book, Worse than War, he asserts that ordinary Germans became “Hitler’s willing executioners” (454).

16. Integrated Quotations • Never use the word proves • Instead uses words such as: • Suggests • Implies • Testifies • Indicates • Argues • Shows • Reveals • Demonstrates • Supports • Underscores

17. Integrated Quotations • Use an introductory clause • In Samuel Beckett’s existential play, Waiting for Godot, Estragon repeatedly notes, “Nothing to be done” (7). • Colon • Smith implies that the answer will not come quickly: “The solution is elusive; years of research are still required” (32). • Use part of the quote • In his latest article in Time, Sean Gregory explains that bracketology is the “science of forecasting which teams will make the cut” (16).

18. Tips for using Quotations • Do NOT put ellipses IN FRONT of a quotation, even if the front is missing. • Do NOT put ellipses AT THE END of a quotation, even if the back is missing. • ALWAYS make the mixture of the author’s words and your words grammatically correct. • If you need to insert a word of your own, or if you need to change a letter in order to make the sentence grammatically correct, use brackets [ ]

19. MLA In-Text Citation • “Make sure the period comes after the parentheses when including an in-text citation” (Dorn 1).

20. How to Write an Effective Conclusion • Some No-no’s • Do not write “In conclusion…” • Do not restate the thesis • Do not introduce a new idea • Some Suggestions • Synthesize • Echo the introduction • Answer the question, “So what?”

21. Works Cited • Heading is centered • List of texts alphabetized by author’s last name (or title) • 1st line is at left margin; each successive line is indented ½ in. • Double spaced