The WRITING PROCESS

1. The WRITING PROCESS

2. 1. Choose a Topic • A topic can be given to you by your teacher. In the case that the topic is not; you should use topic generating devices to help you. • i.e. brainstorming, webs, charts, etc.

3. 2. Gather your information • There are two types of sources to gather information from. • Primary source: this is where you will get first hand accounts. Autobiographies are primary sources. • Secondary sources: this is where you will get second hand accounts. The information is not from the source who experienced it, but from someone who studied it after it happened.

4. 3. Organize your information • If you organize your information it will keep you on track and on topic. • The best way to organize information is to create an outline. • There are many ways that you can do an outline. You can do a keyword outline, a general idea outline, or a complete sentence outline.

5. I. Introduction • Hook: a sentence that is related to your topic but that grabs the readers attention. • Thesis: a sentence or two that tell what the entire paper will be about (minus details) • Transitions: a sentence that leads you into the next idea Key elements within an Outline II. Body Paragraph • Main idea: a sentence that tells what the paragraph will be about. • Supporting details – all information that supports your main idea • Transition – a sentence that moves you into the next paragraph. III. Conclusion • Concluding statement – sentence that concludes what you were talking about. • Restated thesis – a sentence or two that restates what the whole paper was about • Bow- a sentence, anecdote, quote, etc that wraps up paper nice an neat.

6. Outline Worksheet Part 1: Write what each body paragraph is suppose to be about 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Part 2: Write each body paragraph into complete sentences 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 Part 3. Reword each of the above sentences 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Part 4: Take the five sentences in Part 2 and put them into 1 to 2 sentences. Part 5: Take the above sentences and reword them.

7. I. Introduction A) Hook– B) Thesis – C) Transition –II. Body Paragraph 1 – Hero great leader… A) Main Idea – B) Supporting Details: (below) 1. Proof from text 2. Explanation of proof 3. 2nd proof from text 4. Explanation of proof C. Transition – III. Body Paragraph 1 – The setting is broad… A) Main Idea – B) Supporting Details: (below) 1. Proof from text 2. Explanation of proof 3. 2nd proof from text 4. Explanation of proof C. Transition – IV. Body Paragraph 1 – Hero does great deed… A) Main Idea – B) Supporting Details: (below) 1. Proof from text 2. Explanation of proof 3. 2nd proof from text 4. Explanation of proof C. Transition – V. Body Paragraph 1 – The Gods intervene… A) Main Idea – B) Supporting Details: (below) 1. Proof from text 2. Explanation of proof 3. 2nd proof from text 4. Explanation of proof C. Transition – VI. Body Paragraph 1 – Story told in elevated … A) Main Idea – B) Supporting Details: (below) 1. Proof from text 2. Explanation of proof 3. 2nd proof from text 4. Explanation of proof C. Transition – VII. Conclusion A) Concluding Statement B) Restated Thesis C) Bow

8. 4. Draft your paper Once you have all the information gathered and organized it is time to put it into paragraph form. Be sure to remember the following key things when writing your draft. • Each paragraph must have at least 5 sentences. • Tense should be constant throughout the paper. • Subjects-verbs should agree. • Use transition words to make a smooth flow in your paper (also, then, another, first, etc.) • Indent the first word of each new paragraph five spaces

9. 5. Revise your paper Revising a paper is different from proofreading a paper. When you revise a paper you are checking for format. Checking to see if you have all of the correct elements in your paper (i.e. thesis, transitions, main ideas, etc.) It is important that your paper contain all the key elements for each of its’ parts. (go back to the outline example for these elements and parts)

10. Revising Checklist Person’s paper ______________________________________ Introduction • Identify the Hook. Does it catch your attention? What improvements could be made to it? • Identify the Thesis. Does it tell what the entire paper will be about? What improvements could be made to it? • Identify the Transition. Does it lead into the next paragraph? What improvements could be made to it? Body • Identify the Main Idea of each paragraph. Do they tell what the paragraphs will be about? What improvements could be made to them? • Do the proofs and explanations for each paragraph (Supporting Details) support the main idea of each paragraph? What improvements could be made to them? • Identify the transition within each paragraph. Do they tell what the next paragraph will be about. What improvements could be made to them. Conclusion • Identify the restated thesis within the conclusion. Does it tell what the entire paper was about? What improvements could be made to it? • Identify the closing statement (BOW). Does it wrap up the whole paper? What improves could be made to it? Checked by ____________________________________________

11. 6. Proofread your paper • Proofreading a paper is when you check for grammatical problems. • These problems are not limited to spelling and capitalization. • It also includes: tense, subject verb agreement, fragments, run on, punctuation, pronoun usage, etc. When proofreading your paper you need to: • Read it out loud (your ears will catch what your eyes can’t see) • Read it from bottom sentence to top (your mind will not have it memorized this way) • Put it down for a while and then come back and read it (your mind will memorize your paper and you will read it like it is suppose to be not like it is)

12. Proofreading Marks and Abbreviations

13. 7. Publish • Publishing your work is the time when you have completed all the other steps and are ready to turn in your final work. • You can publish your work in a variety of ways. Newspapers, internet sites, magazines, journals, etc.

14. Grading a Paper When grading a paper a teacher will most like use a Rubric. The most common rubric is the HSAP writing rubric. However, some teachers will require a more detailed rubric.