Writing Process
- Prewriting Paragraphs
What is the prewriting stage?
The
prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your
paragraph before you begin writing.
Six
Prewriting Steps:
1.
Think carefully about what you are going to write.
Ask yourself: What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay?
How can I best answer this question? What is the most important part of my
answer? How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement) from the
most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to support my
introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting? Do I
need more facts on this topic? Where can I find more facts on this topic?
2.
Open your notebook. Write out your answers to the
above questions. You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this; just write
enough to help you remember why and how you are going to write your paragraph
or essay.
3.
Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic.
Look for and write down facts that will help you to answer your question.
Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are writing are related to the exact
question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.
4.
Write down your own ideas. Ask yourself: What else do I
want to say about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic?
Why is this topic important?
5.
Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay.
Choose the most important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide
which point is the most important, just choose one point and stick to it
throughout your paragraph or essay.
6.
Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea.
Once you have chosen the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you
must find the best way to tell your reader about it. Look at the facts you have
written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide which facts and ideas will
best support the main idea of your paragraph. Once you have chosen the facts
and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the
paragraph. Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as
you write your paragraph or essay.
- Writing Paragraphs
What is the writing stage?
The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.
Five
Writing Steps:
1.
Open your notebook and word processor.
2. Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence.
3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.
4. Focus on the main idea of your paragraph.
5 .Use the dictionary to
help you find additional words to express your ideas.
3. Editing Paragraphs
What is the editing stage?
The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct
them.
Grammar
and Spelling
1.
Check your spelling.
2. Check your grammar.
3. Read your essay again.
4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.
5. See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other.
6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.
7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.
Style
and Organization
1.
Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.
2. Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea.
3. Make sure you have a closing sentence.
4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.
5. See if your paragraph is interesting.
.
Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your ideas.
- Publishing Paragraphs
What is the publishing stage?
The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your paragraph to hand
in.
Three
Publishing Steps:
1.
Make a paper copy of your paragraph.
2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor, or parents.
3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.
