The Writing Process

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The Writing Process

• A writing process is any system you use in order
  to produce a better piece of writing.
• Our process has four key players
• Madman
• Architect
• Carpenter
• Inspector
• Think in terms of preparing and building a house.

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Stage 1 MADMAN

• This is the idea man.
• He has all of these different ideas zooming
  around in his head, and he just has to get them
  all out on paper.
• This is also called PREWRITING.

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MADMAN ACTIVITIES

• Simple brainstorming
• Put your topic at the top of a blank sheet of
  paper and write everything that comes to your
  mind when thinking about your topic.
• Listing
• Write your ideas and thoughts in a list or
  column on the blank page.
• Webbing or clustering
• Write your topic in the center and circle it.
  Then as you think of things about your topic,
  consider how they are related to each other and
  place them on your paper with lines attaching
  them to other related thoughts.
• Freewriting
• Using sentences but not paragraphs, write down
  any thoughts or ideas you have about your subject.

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Stage 2 ARCHITECT

• This is the designer or planner.
• He has to try to look at all of the Madmans
  ideas and organize them . His job is to come up
  with a blueprint, design, or plan for the paper.
• This is also called OUTLINING.

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ARCHITECT ACTIVITIES

• Formal Outline
• Make a formal outline with headings and
  subheadings. Make sure the outline sections are
  parallel and indented properly.
• General Divisions
• This is similar to a formal outline however, it
  does not have the strict form of the formal
  outline. For this type of plan, you simply
  write down your major areas in your topic and a
  few minor subsections or details.
• Graphic Organizer
• Use one of the charts or diagrams we studied to
  outline your topic.
• Ordered Questions
• List in order any questions you have about your
  topic that you would like to answer in your paper.

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Stage 3 CARPENTER

• This is the actual builder. He uses the plans
  that the architect designed, and he begins to
  build by putting sentences and paragraphs
  together.
• This is also called DRAFTING.

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CARPENTER ACTIVITIES

• Drafting
• This is the first attempt at writing your paper.
  The carpenter gathers all of his tools
  (prewriting, outlines, notes, dictionary,
  resources, etc.) and begins to assemble the
  paper.
• He makes sure that he constantly checks the
  architects plans, so he can keep the paper
  organized and on track.
• The carpenter needs to build the foundation
  first, and he needs to ensure that each paragraph
  has enough material to support the statements he
  is making, just like a real carpenter must use
  materials and structures that will support each
  floor of the building he is constructing.

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Stage 4 INSPECTOR

• This is the time when you go back through your
  draft and look for anything that needs to be
  changed, deleted, added, rearranged, or
  corrected.
• This is also called PROOFREADING.

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INSPECTOR ACTIVITIES

• Proofreading
• Check for any misspelled words, incorrect
  grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
• Have someone reliable read your work and evaluate
  it.
• Check for organization and make sure every
  sentence is relevant to the topic.
• Make sure you have supported your ideas with
  clear details or arguments.

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FINAL WORDS

• Remember that the writing process is a cycle.
  After the Inspector stage, you may have to go
  back to the Carpenter stage again to fix problems
  or rewrite sections. You may also have to go all
  the way back to the Architect stage to redesign
  part or all of your plan or reorganize it to make
  more sense.
• However, if you practice and use this process,
  you will see improvement in your writing.