Writing and Speaking

1
Writing and Speaking

• COL 103
• Chapter 7
• Professor Jackie Kroening
• 864-646-1430
• 864-646-1425 (PSY office)
• www.lifetour.com

2

Writing and Speaking
3
The Writing ProcessConfronting the Blank Page

• Intimidating?
• Liberating and Challenging?
• Writing is a Process!

4
Deciding What your Goal is!

• Research paper, based on information you must
  gather?
• Essay arguing a particular point of view?
• Fictional short paper
• Critique of someone elses work or argument?
• Book or movie review?

5
Choosing Your Topic
Freewriting A technique involving continuous,
nonstop writing, without self-criticism, for a
fixed period of time. Brainstorming A
technique for generating ideas by saying out loud
as many ideas as can be thought of in a fixed
period of time.
6
Freewriting

• Freewrite for a fixed amount of time 5 or 10
  minutes
• Only rule is to write continuously, without
  stopping.
• Doesnt matter if its bad or good.
• Go back and write single sentence that captures
  the main point of what you wrote.

7
Brainstorming

• Oral equivalent of freewriting
• Say out loud as many ideas as you can think of in
  a fixed time period.
• Work best with a group of friends or collages.

8
Brainstorming (try it 2 page 175)

• Rules
• No criticisms or judgments made while ideas are
  being generated.
• Collect as many ideas as possible from all
  participants
• All ideas are welcome no matter how silly or far
  out they seem. Be creative. The more ideas the
  better because at this point you don't know what
  might work.
• Absolutely no discussion takes place during the
  brainstorming activity. Talking about the ideas
  will take place after brainstorming is complete.
• Do not criticize or judge. Don't even groan,
  frown, or laugh. All ideas are equally valid at
  this point.
• Do write all ideas on a flipchart or board so the
  whole group can easily see them.
• Set a time limit (i.e., 30 minutes) for the
  brainstorming.

9
Deciding Who is the Audience!

• The instructor maybe not!
• Audience may be a layperson
• People of science
• People of Art
• Maybe a person in your family
• Maybe yourself

10
Researching the Topic

• Library
• Books
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Trade reports
• World Wide Web
• Personal Interviews

11
Researching the TopicAssembling the information

• Assemble information folders
• Major topics
• Sub-topics
• Create Note cards
• Place no more then one major idea on each card
  (example on page 176)

12
Organize Constructing a ScaffoldOutline

• Be ready to Change it!
• Should be a road map
• Keep an open mind
• Logical order (flow of information)

13
Organize Constructing a ScaffoldOutline (Try it
page 179)

• Argument
• Background
• Body
• Counterarguments
• Conclusion

14
Work Writing the PaperWriting the First Draft

• Break down long paper into chunks (maybe two or
  three pages a day)
• Start where you like
• Turn off your inner critic
• Go with the flow
• Dont be afraid to modify your outline
• Use your own voice (writing voice)

15
Work Writing the PaperWriting the First Draft

• Read the first draft out loud
• Take the long view
• What is the purpose of my paper
• Have I addressed every aspect of the assignment
• Be ruthless
• Dont be afraid to ditch the whole thing
• Check sequence and logic
• Check punctuation and spellling
• Check that all quotes are cited and referenced
  correctly
• Make it pleasing to the eye

16
Evaluate Acting as Your Own Best Critic

• Does my paper accomplish what I set out for it to
  do?
• Put yourself in your instructors shoes
• Check the mechanical aspects of the paper

17
Rethink Reflecting on Your Accomplishment

• Rethink the message
• Rethink the mechanics
• Rethink the method
• Always acknowledge other peoples ideas in your
  paper

18
Speaking Your Mind

• Audiences are generally sympathetic
• Once you start speaking, it will become easier
• Practice helps

19
Speaking Your Mind

• POWER for speaking is the same as writing
• Prepare
• Organize
• Work
• Evaluate
• Rethink

20
Meeting the Challenge of Public Speaking

• The opening
• The first minute counts a lot
• Begin with an anecdote
• Start with a question
• Arouse their curiosity
• Talk about the significance of the topic
• Ask a question
• Use humor

21
Meeting the Challenge of Public Provide oral
transition points

• Moving on to a different subject.
• To understand the problem, we need to consider
  
• To sum up, the situation offers some unexpected
  advantages.

22
Meeting the Challenge of Public Helpful hints

• A picture can save you a thousand words.
• Use the right amount and kind of practice.
• Practice in front of a friend or classmate.

23
Meeting the Challenge of Public Extemporaneous
Talks

• Process used to speak
• Point of view
• Reason
• Evidence or examples
• Point of view restated