1. Part I: Planning
Expository Writing

2. When we write, it becomes clear that the best
practice is to approach the work in smaller stages,
especially if the assignment is particularly long.
Even for short assignments, breaking the work up
into manageable pieces allows the writer greater
flexibility; time to plan, write, and revise; and an
opportunity to edit the work before it is due.
What we know for certain is that the most
effective methodology of writing is Process
Writing.  Note: Much of the
material for this
lecture can be found
in your textbook.

3.  When we write, we engage in a process that
helps us move from a simple idea to a
finished, coherent, well-researched, and
well-written essay. We use this same process
every day, but we don’t often relate our
actions to an academic setting.

4.  Suppose you were planning the
week’s menu so that you could
do the grocery shopping.
 You would first think about what meals you
would like to prepare.
 Then you would consider which ingredients you
have on hand and which ones you need to
purchase.
 Next, you would compile the grocery list so that
nothing is forgotten once you are in the hectic
atmosphere that is a grocery store.
 After purchasing everything, you would check the
recipes, if need be, and prepare the meals.

5.  We start with an idea (the meal we want to
prepare),
 we make lists, outline our ideas, and jot
down our thoughts (the grocery list),
 we organize those thoughts and add
supporting detail to our ideas
(the shopping trip),
 and then we write, revise, and
edit to create a beautiful,
perfect, scrumptious meal….
er….paper.

6.  …that process writing is much like the
processes that we encounter on a daily basis.
 As I’ve said before, we already possess the
skills we need to be successful;
 we just need to learn to apply those skills
to our academic writing.

7.  Your text tells us “Instead of just plunging
into a first draft, experiment with one or
more techniques for exploring your subject”
(3).
 There are strategies that help writers
effectively navigate through the drafting
process.
 There are 4 steps in Process Writing:
 Planning
 Drafting
 Revising
 Editing

8. Editing Planning
Revising Drafting

9.  The first step, planning, is essential to a
well-written final draft.
 It is the step where the foundation for your
writing is laid.
 According to the text, the first step in the
planning process is understanding the
assignment (4).
 This is, of course, a crucial step.
 Please ask questions if you are
unclear about a writing assign-
ment or are not sure how to
proceed.

10. I like this.
 I like that from the very beginning of an
assignment the writer can claim authorship
of the project and make that paper his or
hers.
 Think of your papers as your own creations,
not merely an assignment for
class, but a work of art that
you imagined, nurtured, and
formed with your own hands.

11.  Following your comprehension of what the
assignment calls for, you are free to develop
your own pre-writing techniques in the order
that makes the most sense to you.
 However, there are a few commonalities of all
papers that most students recognize as essential
to a draft.
 Those are: choosing a limited topic, gathering
and organizing information, and developing a
thesis statement.
 Each of these tasks can be moved backward and
forward as you research, consider, and settle on
a topic that interests you.

12.  …you may decide that you
want to write about
ecosystems, but you might not
be sure which ecosystem you
want to discuss in detail.
 With that in mind, you’re off
to the library or to the internet
to search for information about
ecosystems.
 What you find determines
which limited topic you will
select.
 From there, you might do more
research just in that topic so
that you have comprehensive
information on hand.
 Use the chart on the next slide
to help you plan.

13. Tapping
Personal
Experiences
Choosing a Freewriting
Topic
Brainstorming
for Ideas
Listing
Asking the
Gathering Journalist
Information Questions
Researching
Planning Prewriting
Clustering or
Mapping
Organizing Note Taking
Information
Outlining
Developing a
Focusing on a
Thesis
Limited Topic
Statement

14.  Tapping Personal Experiences
 It is sometimes advantageous to lean on personal experiences
or on those of others. Personal experience means that you
have significant insight into the topic. It also means that you
can rely on your story or anecdote to draw the reader’s
interest.
 Freewriting
 Freewriting is a concept that allows you to simply put the
words on the paper. You should write freely about your topic
for 10-15 minutes without stopping. There is no need to
worry about spelling, grammar, or even punctuation – just
write without stopping to get the ideas on paper. This type
of writing closely resembles stream-of-consciousness writing.
 Brainstorming for Ideas
 Like freewriting, brainstorming gets the ideas on paper, but
in the form of lists or phrases. This is useful when you really
just don’t know what to write about. Write down everything
you think might be a good idea and then start to edit the list
until you have selected a topic.

15.  Listing
 Listing helps you develop your
topic by generating a basic list
of what might go into your Who
essay. Start with a longer list
and then edit to suit your topic.
 Asking the Journalist How What
Questions
 To better define your topic, ask
yourself the journalist
questions: who, what, where,
when, why, and how. Being able
to answer these questions will Why Where
ensure that your essay is well-
developed.
When
 Researching
 You may need to research your
topic to learn about the issues,
to find more information, or to
add expert sources to your
essay.

16.  Clustering or Mapping
 Clustering or Mapping is a visual way of both
brainstorming and organizing information at the same
time. See the chart in your textbook (40) for an
excellent example.
 Note-Taking
 Your book discusses the Flexible Notes System (42-43)
which is an easy way to keep up with information and
stay organized as you are developing an essay.
 Outlining
 There are different forms of outlines, including
working outlines, informal outlines, and formal
outlines. Each of these will help you organize
information into paragraphs and help you determine
where more information is needed to fill any gaps you
might have in your details.

17.  Focusing on a Limited Topic
 A thesis statement clearly and succinctly states the
major topic of a paper, usually in one or two
sentences.
 The thesis statement points you in a specific
direction, helping you to stay on track; in addition,
it tells your reader what to expect.
 A good thesis statement has the following
characteristics: it is focused on one central issue or
topic, it is neither too narrow nor too broad for the
assignment, it accurately describes what the paper
will discuss, and it is precise.

18.  Avoid “announcement statements”
in your thesis (such as “In this paper I will
discuss…” or “The purpose of this essay is to
tell you about…”). Announcement
statements weaken your writing.
 Keep in mind that a thesis statement is
considered tentative until a paper is
finished, meaning that you might wind up
changing the thesis before the paper is
completed. It is okay to change a thesis to
ensure that it fits your final paper perfectly.

19.  Throughout the planning process, you might jot
down several different thesis statements to help
you focus on your research terms and on a topic
you really want to explore.
 Don’t be afraid to change a topic early on in the
research process if you aren’t finding the
information you thought you would find, or if
you stumble across something else that interests
you more.
 However, I would caution
you to choose carefully,
because once you are into
the drafting process, it is
almost too difficult to start
over from scratch with a
new topic.

20.  Once you have completed these steps, you are
ready to move on to the drafting process.
 Writing a first draft can sometimes feel like a
daunting task. However, with the proper planning,
the drafting process is much easier and the writer
often feels much more confident in his or her
ability to construct a well-developed essay.
 Process writing is valuable because it
 (a) encourages the writer to make time to plan, draft,
revise, and edit a paper, and
 (b) provides the writer with the necessary strategic
tools to accomplish that task.
 Sitting down to write a pre-planned paper means
having done the groundwork for a successful
writing experience.

21.  Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference,
Seventh Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2011.
 Reinking, James A. and Robert von der Osten.
Strategies for Successful Writing: A
Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and
Handbook, Ninth Ed. Boston: Prentice Hall,
2011.