The Writing Process

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The Writing Process

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Stages of Good Writing

• The Thinking Stage
• The Writing Stage
• The Revision Stage
• Source Professor Russell Kirkland, University of
  Georgia

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Thinking Stage

• Decipher the assignment
• Review what you know
• Explore the different approaches that are
  possible
• Select the approach that seems the most viable to
  you
• FOCUS your approach
• What are you trying to say?
• Why are you trying to say it?
• Outline your objectives
• Formulate your thesis

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Thesis Statements...

• Make a definite and limited assertion that needs
  to be explained and supported by further
  discussion
• Shows the emphasis and indicates the methodology
  of your argument
• Shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements
• Source www.utoronto.ca/writing/topics.html

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Myths About Thesis Statements

• A thesis statement must come at the end of the
  first paragraph
• A thesis statement must be one sentence in
  length, no matter how many clauses it contains
• A thesis statement must give 3 points of support
• You cant start writing an essay until you have
  the perfect thesis statement
• Source www.utoronto.ca/writing/topics.html

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Formulating A Thesis Statement

• Formulate a coherent point or assertion
• Select the pertinent data concerning your topic
• Analyze the data until a thesis occurs to you
• Demonstrate (as best you can) the plausibility of
  that thesis
• THINK - a writer who does not bother to think is
  unlikely ever to write anything worth reading!
• Source Professor Russell Kirkland, University of
  Georgia

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Two Elements in Presenting Effective Thesis
Statements

• The quality of ones evidence
• The quality of ones reasoning
• The writers evidence and reasoning constitutes
  his or her argument
• Source Professor Russell Kirkland, University of
  Georgia

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In Constructing an Argument...

• Do not begin writing until you know what you are
  going to say
• Express your thesis clearly and comprehensibly
• Identify the important data pertinent to your
  argument
• Use the pertinent data to support your thesis
• Thesis should be substantiated by means of
  well-reasoned arguments that are solidly based
  upon pertinent reliable data
• To assert a connection is one thing, to
  demonstrate it is quite another!

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In Constructing an Argument

• Present the most effective possible argument
• Have you really thought clearly carefully about
  what you are saying?
• Give the devil his due - dont pretend that
  there are no other plausible alternatives to your
  thesis
• Present contrary evidence
• Are there other explanations possible?
• Does your evidence support your contention?

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In Constructing an Argument

• Do not over-reach your evidence
• Avoid hasty conclusions
• Avoid broad generalizations based upon very
  limited evidence
• Are your conclusions firmly based upon reliable
  evidence?
• Acknowledge that your conclusion is based on
  incomplete or circumstantial evidence/data
• The writing process is a reflection of the
  thinking process!

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Writing Stage

• Mechanical problems distract the reader and
  interfere with the communication process
• The responsibility for clarity rests with the
  WRITER not the reader!
• Remain constantly aware of
• Aptness of wording
• Lucidity coherence of the sentence
• Lucidity coherence of the paragraph
• Lucidity coherence of the paper
• Documentation

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Revision Stage

• Writing is not a single act, it is a PROCESS
• Revision is always essential
• Revision is not a luxury, it should be considered
  mandatory!
• Distance makes the flaws become clearer
• There really is no such thing as too much revision

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Goals of the Revision Process

• Does the paper have a clear consistent focus?
• Is the thesis well developed?
• Are the arguments clear do they withstand
  careful analysis?
• Is there sufficient evidence to substantiate the
  points raised?
• Is the evidence properly documented?
• Are the logical connections clear?
• Is the paper well organized?
• Does the paper demonstrate careful thought?

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Plagiarism

• The unacknowleded use of the the ideas or words
  of others without appropriate attribution.
• Failure to site the source is a kind of academic
  theft!
• Source Larry Crockett, Department of Computer
  Science,
• Augsburg College.

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Writing Rule of Thumb...

• Say what you will do
• Do it
• At the end, tell your reader that you did what
  you said you would do
• Source Larry Crockett, Department of Computer
  Science,
• Augsburg College.