Writing WorkshopWriting Workshop

Priscilla L. Griffith, Ph.D.

University of Oklahoma

pgriffith@ou.edu

Slide 1

Workshop GoalsWorkshop Goals

Organizing informationWriting a reportGrammar

Slide 2

The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

Organizing

Drafting Revising

Editing

Slide 3

OrganizingOrganizing

Developing a plan

for producing the report

Collecting InformationDetermining GoalIdentifying AudienceIdentifying an Organizational Pattern Organizing the Content

Organizing: Organizing: Collecting InformationCollecting InformationField Notes

– Accurate– Thorough – Specific– Focus in with a magnifying glass rather than out with a telescope

Organizing: Organizing: Field Note TechniquesField Note Techniques Back-up tape recording Frequent clarifying with the client

– Repeat back what the client said– Ask probing questions – questions that elicit information,

but do not “put words in the client’s mouth” What do you mean exactly? Could you please explain that? Could you be more specific about that? Tell me about that: What, who, why, how? Would you tell me how you mean that? What else? Can you think of an example?

Field Notes, cont.Field Notes, cont. Summarize at apparent transitions Member checking at the end

– Summarize what will go in the report – you are beginning to see categories of information

– Is there anything else I should add? Ask client to hold thoughts as you write, or cue on tape

recorder and in your notes at content to include in the report

Separate section of notes with date, who was present (verify spelling of names), location, additional relevant contextual information

Organizing: Organizing: Determining the GoalDetermining the Goal

– Provide information– Outline instructions or procedures– Explain or justify decisions and actions– Motivate– Persuade– Document– Evaluate

Organizing: AudienceOrganizing: Audience

Who are the potential readers?

Collecting and Evaluating field notes What will the reader already know? What content might be confusing? What might you need to do to help the reader’s

comprehension? Are there technical terms, concepts, abbreviations,

and acronyms that need to be explained?

Organizing:Organizing:Organizational PatternOrganizational Pattern

A Basic Roadmap1. Begin with a topic sentence or paragraph informing

the reader of your subject, what you want to say and why.

2. Provide details to support or clarify your initial statement.

3. End with a conclusion that completes your thought and may include recommendations, solutions, or calls for action. Do not introduce new ideas or additional details. Your closing must complete your thoughts.

BEGINNING MIDDLE END

Organizational Patterns: Organizational Patterns: MiddleMiddle

You are passing on information.

Determine the best way to do that. Time Order: first, next, then, after, following, last Problem – Solution Cause – Effect Description Is there an organizational pattern specific to your

work?

Organizing: ContentOrganizing: Content

Sort information into categories– Main ideas– Supporting details for each main idea

Determine logical sequence for categoriesCluster or outline the contentMemo and mark field notes as you sort

information

Drafting and RevisingDrafting and Revising

Recursive Processes

Drafting Revising

Drafting and RevisingDrafting and Revising

GETTING THE IDEAS DOWNMAKING THE WRITING BETTER

Reader friendly language– Avoid verbose/pretentious language– Avoid casual language– Take out the “makes”– Use directional, coordinating, and

subordinating words

More Drafting and RevisingMore Drafting and Revising

Effective Sentences– Vary sentence structures– Limit sentence length to between 10 and 20

words– Use active and passive voice appropriately– Maintain parallel structure– Be aware of common sentence problems, e.g.,

misplaced modifiers or dangling modifiers.

More Drafting and RevisingMore Drafting and Revising

Effective paragraphs– Paragraphs serve functions: introductory, supporting,

concluding (Think beginning, middle, end.)– A paragraph should begin with a sentence that conveys

a main idea or important detail or element of the message.

– Smaller pieces of information are often easier to digest and allow the reader to more readily absorb the information.

Editing/ProofreadingEditing/Proofreading

FINE-TUNING THE DOCUMENT

SOME HINTS Spell checkers only identify misspellings. Check pronouns for agreement in number and

person, and for clear referents. Know yourself as a writer, and look for

frequent errors. (I tend to type your for you. A spell checker will not catch this error.)

Editing/ProofreadingEditing/Proofreading

Common proofreading errors include– Letter and space omissions– Punctuation errors– Spelling errors/right spelling, wrong word– Grammar and usage errors– Pronoun errors– Word omissions– Incorrect dates, telephone and fax numbers, or e-mail

addresses– Reversed numbers

Revising/EditingRevising/Editing

Proofreading techniques– Previewing– Line-by-line review– Reverse line-by-line review

E-mailE-mail

Good writing is good writing. What applies to report writing applies to many e-mail messages.

Create precise, attention-getting subject lines Limit each message to one subject Provide the most important information first. Do not send messages composed in anger or in

direct response to insulting messages. Edit and proofread for correct spelling, grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and usage.

More on e-mailMore on e-mail

Consider what the reader already knows or needs to know about the topic.

Consider who will read the message (that is multiple readers).

Be sure the purpose is clearly stated in the subject line.