Writing Strategies

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Writing Strategies

• Mike Walker
• UNIV1011 University Success
• November 1, 2007

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Todays Writing Concepts

• Research (in brief)
• Importance of writing
• Understanding your purpose
• The writing process
• a couple of processes
• common writing errors
• The essay
• Writing resources

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Research (in brief)

• Know the library the librarians
• Know the library resources
• General Reference Works
• encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries
• Books from Library Holdings (stacks)
• Periodical Indexes
• Canadian Periodical Index, Readers Guide, ERIC,
  Psychological Abstracts, etc.
• Use the Internet critically
• evaluate every source (authors credibility)
• evaluate Internet source (site, material, bias)

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Know your research resources

• Road map to physical resources (p.196)
• Circulation desk
• Reference area
• Book area (stacks)
• Periodicals area
• Audio/visual materials area
• Computer areas (access to online resources)
• Microform area
• Online resources
• library homepage is a portal to these resources

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Have a research strategy

• General reference works
• encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, yearbooks,
  biographical references, Stats Canada
• Library catalogue for books
• scan books - index, table of contents, etc.
• Periodical Indexes
• physical (reference section) online
• Ask the librarians for help
• with search, with sources, with equipment
• Use Internet resources with care
• question the source
• evaluate the material

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A word (or two) about writing

• Writing is the primary mode for the communication
  of ideas in a academic institution
• You will adopt different forms for different
  purposes
• Expressive writing to convey personal belief,
  feeling or opinion such as a diary, reflective
  journal or personal essay

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More about purpose

• Poetic writing to enlighten or entertain such as
  creative pieces, stories, plays, song lyrics or
  poems
• but most will be
• Transactional writing to inform and convey ideas
  and thoughts such as exams (essay short
  answer), research or critical essays, reports,
  case studies, and literature reviews
• Textbook (p. 205) refers to two common purposes
• Informative writing
• Persuasive writing

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About audience

• You are writing so that others can read it
• you should be creating a dialogue with your
  audience
• Key questions
• Do I have typical or informed readers?
• What is their knowledge expert or beginner
• What are their roles instructors, students,
  employers, employees, customers, funding agencies
• Are they interested?
• Are they open minded?

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A word about thinking

• They students have to learn that ideas do not
  exist until they have been incorporated into
  words. Until that time you dont know whether
  you are pregnant or just have gas on the stomach.
  
• The operation of thinking is the practice of
  articulating ideas until they are in the right
  words.
• Northrop Frye

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A word about the writing process

• All writing is a process
• There are many processes find one (or more) that
  works for you (situational)
• Handout - generic Writing Process
• Stage 1 Prewriting
• Stage 2 Drafting
• Stage 3 Revising
• Stage 4 Editing
• Stage 5 Publishing (submitting, presenting)

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Writing Process from our text (beginning p. 206)

• Planning
• Brainstorming to explore the topic
• Prewriting strategies to narrow the focus
• Brainstorming
• Freewriting
• Ask journalists questions
• Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
• Conduct research
• Keep source notes and content notes to avoid
  chance of plagiarism

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Writing Process from our text

• Planning cont.
• Write a thesis statement
• your central message to the reader
• Write a working outline
• point form outline or think link (mind map)
• Create a checklist (project board)
• list of writing tasks
• writing schedule create due dates

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Writing Process from our text

• Drafting
• Freewrite your draft first, then
• Write an introduction
• Create a body
• organize/structure your ideas evidence
• Write a conclusion
• Credit authors and sources
• avoid plagiarism
• Follow your checklist

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Writing Process from our text

• Revising
• revising is evaluating your word choice,
  paragraph structure, and style
• Be analytical and critical
• use mind actions and questions (p.216)
• Evaluate structure
• topic sentence, supporting details, transitions,
  etc.
• Check clarity and conciseness
• be clear and direct
• get rid of wordy phrases
• due to the fact that

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Writing Process from our text

• Editing (see checklist, page 221)
• Editing involves correcting technical mistakes
• Check spelling, grammar punctuation
• Watch for sexist language
• Proofread
• UNIV1011 most common errors
• S/V pronoun agreement
• fragments run-on sentences (comma splices)
• modifier errors
• parallism

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Subject/Verb Agreement

• Tai Chi and Yoga (teach/teaches) you to relax.
• A discussion about books (is/are) something that
  he always enjoys.
• Each of the instructors (was/were) eccentric in
  both methods and appearance.
• Neither of the boys (works/work) very hard.
• There (was/were) fifteen trees in the yard.
• The average height of Canadian women, excluding
  those in Quebec, (is/are) 165 cm.

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Pronoun Errors

• A student who does all of their homework seldom
  fails this class.
• The cars whizzed past, but they didnt even look
  my way.
• John is the person who I admire most.
• I have been there more often than him.
• Jays father let him take his new tennis racket
  to school.
• We couldnt find the pie plate and concluded that
  Dad must have eaten it.

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Sentence Fragments Run-ons

• Painting in a studio with bad lighting.
• Although he had the strength of Samson.
• For many years I lived the peaceful life, then I
  married.
• I keep playing bingo, I never win anything.
• I keep playing bingo I never win anything.
• I keep playing bingo, but I never win anything.
• I keep playing bingo although I never win
  anything.
• Although I never win anything, I keep playing
  bingo.

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Modifier Errors

• He bought a car from a used-car dealer with a
  leaky radiator.
• Boy George tried to convince the members of his
  fan club to wear makeup eagerly.
• Driving through Yellowstone, a buffalo blocked
  the road.
• After previewing the reading assignment and
  making an outline, my understanding was much
  improved.
• A red-breasted robin was spotted by Bob Smith
  sitting in the top branch of an oak and singing.

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Errors in Mixed or Parallel Construction (//ism)

• His job makes him cross and always finding fault.
• I enjoy a book that has a great deal of adventure
  in it and not too long.
• Most important to me are my family, my work, and
  having friends.

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//ism continued

• The lecturer was dull, unintelligible, and talked
  too long.
• Reading about Williamsburg, planning our trip,
  and then to get our route worked out kept us
  busy.

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Rules for all writing (nag, nag, nag)

• Take time to always
• brainstorm (for exams, use a data dump if
  necessary)
• stop and jot down new ideas as you get them (use
  em or lose em)
• outline and/or organize
• leave space for edits and additions
• review your answers - if exam time permits

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To improve your writing

• a) Read a lot of good writing.
• b) Think actively. Challenge your mind with new
  ideas.
• c) Write. Just do it, and do a lot of it.
  Practice the skill you want to develop.
• Study Smarter, Not Harder, p. 167

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More Words about Writing

• The art of writing is the art of applying the
  seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.
• Mary Heaton Vorse
• Journalist Activist

image source http//www.provincetownbanner.com
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The Essay
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What is an Essay?

• An essay us an extensive, independent creative
  project. The final product will show the level to
  which you can devise a focused point of view,
  marshal evidence to defend that argument,
  organize it coherently, and present it in clear
  expository prose.
• Study Smarter, Not Harder, p. 167

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Three secrets to essay success

• Start early
• Divide and conquer
• follow the stages
• subdivide stages if necessary
• Leave time for rewriting

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Stages of essay construction

• 1. Be clear about the assignment
• what am I doing?
• when is it due?
• what are the topic, rules?
• 2. Focus your topic
• start with the general
• become more specific
• the Study Smarter, Not Harder model

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Stages of essay construction

• 3. Brainstorm
• free write, mind map
• read, research
• talk, talk, talk
• 4. Gather information - research
• library
• internet
• ask, ask, ask

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Stages of essay construction

• 5. Organize your material - outline
• use 3x5 cards
• use an outliner
• use a wall
• 6. Write the first draft
• write it fast
• dont worry about polish

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Stages of essay construction

• 7. Do nothing - let it sit
• give yourself some distance
• allows for objective change
• 8. Revise and edit
• do it in stages
• structure and evidence 1st
• rewriting poor passages 2nd
• cut and paste
• be ruthless

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Stages of essay construction

• 9. Write the successive draft(s)
• write slowly, carefully
• consider your use of words, jargon
• vary your sentence structure
• 10. Polish - the little things matter
• gets friends to edit
• check spelling, grammar, punctuation
• check format of citation, bibliography, etc.

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What should it look like?

• Introduction
• tell them what you will tell them
• Body
• tell them
• Conclusion
• tell them what you told them
• Use your own voice
• avoid academic airs

Intro - general to specific focus on thesis
Body - 90 - 95 of the essay - argument and proof
Conclusion - specific to general
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That said, what is do we want to see in
university writing?

• Instructional Writing Videos
• from Academic Skills Online McMaster University
• http//maclife.mcmaster.ca/academicskills/online_r
  esources.cfm
• Introduction to University Writing (0546 min)
• Phases of Writing (0407 min)
• Editing for As I Introduction (0325 min)
• Editing for As II Sentences and Grammar (0254
  min)
• Editing for As III Being Concise (0304 min)
• Editing for As IV So What Analysis (0231 min)
• Referencing Basics I Citations (0624 min)
• Referencing Basics II Scholarly References
  (0504 min)

Go to Mac
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The Assignment Calculator

• University of Minnesota
• - www.lib.umn.edu/help/calculator/
• Outlines stages of construction
• Plans/sets target dates
• Offers suggestions for each step

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Free Electronic Readers

• ReadPlease2003
• www.readplease.com
• or
• Natural Reader
• www.naturalreaders.com
• Listen to your writing
• Great for editing and proofreading

Link to Doc
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Mikes hints

• READ Chapter 7!
• See Multiple Intelligence strategies for Writing
  (p. 217)
• Watch for key words when responding use
  transitions to guide your thoughts (see handouts
  online)
• See Georgia Irwin (Academic Skills Coordinator)
  re WCT results
• Visit the Writing Drop In Centre, A217
• Take a course 1501 and/or 1502
• Work with Georgia personally

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Your hints
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Writing Websites

• OWL Online Writing Lab (Purdue University)
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/ind
  ex.html
• The Writing Centre (University of
  Wisconsin-Madison)
• http//www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/index.html
• Guide to Grammar and Writing
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
• Writing Argumentative Essays
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_
  argpers.html
• Guide to Writing a Basic Essay
• http//members.tripod.com/lklivingston/essay/
• Many more good links on our website

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Cool Learning Tool

• Grammar Girls Quick Dirty Tips for Better
  Writing
• http//grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

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Style Guides

• APA Style Guide
• http//www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_
  apa.html
• MLA Style Guide
• http//www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocMLA.html
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
  
• Citing Online content
• http//www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
• The Writing Center (U of Wisconsin)
• http//www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/
• Scientific Reports
• http//www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/ScienceReport
  .html

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More Writing Websites

• A Research Writing (Internet Public Library)
• http//www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus/
• A Brief Guide to Writing Student Papers
• http//writing.byu.edu/content/wac/guidetowritingp
  apers.htm
• Essay Builder
• http//204.244.141.13/writ_den/tips/essay/index.ht
  m
• How Do I?, from Charles Sturt University
• Write an Essay, Reference My Work, Write a
  Report, Write a Critical Review/Appraisal, Write
  an Annotated Bibliography, Write a Case Study
• http//www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/learning/

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Whats coming up

• Next Thursday
• Myers-Briggs is cancelled
• Review Chapter 4
• Critical, Creative Practical Thinking
• We will do a bit on thinking, concept mapping,
  etc.