The document outlines the steps of the writing process, which include prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Prewriting involves choosing a topic, identifying the audience and purpose, and gathering supporting details. Drafting turns prewriting ideas into sentences and paragraphs organized around a thesis. Revising ensures all details relate to the topic and paragraphs support the thesis. Editing fixes grammar, mechanics, and spelling errors. Publishing means printing a final clean copy to turn in. The writing process cycles through these steps until the paper is complete.

1. Getting from Nothing to Something

2.  The 1st step of the writing process.

3.  Choose your topic
 Identify your audience
 Identify your purpose
 Gather supporting details

4.  Write for a limited amount of time on
whatever comes to mind
 Formalized list-making
 Bubble map (also called mapping or webbing)
 Formulate questions you have about the topic
then look for answers (research)

5.  Anyone who is going to “receive” your work

6.  Amount of information
 Word choice
 Kinds of details
 Formal/Informal

7.  Why you’re writing
 What you want to accomplish

8.  Inform – research paper
 Entertain – descriptive essay
 Persuade – persuasive essay
 Explain

9.  Word choice
 Organization
 Kinds of details

10.  The 2nd step of the writing process

11.  Turn prewriting ideas into sentences
 Group sentences into paragraphs
 Organize the paragraphs based on purpose
 Get something that looks like a formal piece
of writing

12.  The point the writing supports

13.  One sentence that tells what the entire essay
is going to be about
 All paragraphs in the essay support the thesis
statement
 Determines how many and what kinds of
details go in the essay

14.  One sentence that tells what the paragraph is
going to be about
 All sentences in the paragraph support the
topic sentence

15.  Whether the paper is written formally or
informally
 Determined by audience and purpose

16.  Important decisions to be made during
drafting
 Supporting details have to go in an order that
makes sense
 Determined by purpose

17.  Chronological – time order
 Spatial order – how details are related to
other details; as you become aware of them;
always has a starting point
 Compare & contrast – based on similarities
and differences
 Emphatic order – based on order of
importance

18.  The 3rd step in the writing process

19.  All details relate to the topic
All paragraphs in the essay relate to the
thesis
All sentences in the paragraph relate to
the topic sentence

20.  Details are arranged in a way that makes
sense

21.  Your writing needs to make sense
 You need to include all necessary details
 You need to get rid of any unnecessary
details

22.  The 4th step in the writing process

23.  Grammar (fragments, run-ons, usage errors)
 Mechanics (punctuation, capitalization)
 Spelling

24.  Good papers look bad if they have a lot of
errors
 Errors get in the way of content
 Editing errors put your reader in a bad mood


25.  The 5th step in the writing process

26.  Turning it in

27.  Print a clean copy – no marks, stains, etc.
 Flat and neat – not wrinkled or torn
 Stapled in the upper left-hand corner

28.  You want to make a good first impression

29.  Cycle through the first four steps until the
paper is finished and ready to turn in
 Can do more prewriting during drafting
 Can do more drafting after revising
 Can edit during drafting

30. The writing process IS NOT linear!!!
(It is cyclical.)