Anthony Collins

Chapter 2: Discussion 2

Chapter 2 Summary

Chapter 2 discusses the writing process. These are steps taken to break down a paper into small easy to manage steps. This process allows anyone, willing to take the time, to be able to write a successful paper.

1. Planning: You must think about the purpose of your writing and the audience you are writing for. Determine the nature and scope of your topic.

2. Managing your time: Establish and record the due date for your project. Decide on what kind of research you need to do and establish a time frame for that

research. Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute.

3. Finding a Topic: If not assigned by and instructor you must choose a topic. Narrow down the topic to a specific area within a field.

4. Thinking about Purpose and Audience: What is the purpose for writing? Think about why you are writing! Write for your intended audience.

5. Ways to Generating Ideas: Free Writing: Jotting down what comes to mind Looping: A more directed form of free writing by which you revise and narrow down

your free writing in successive loops. Keeping Lists: Writing down lists of detailed facts about your topic. Brainstorming: A form of listing where you write down words and ideas in one sitting. Clustering: A process by which you write down the main idea in the center of the page

and branch out by writing new ideas around the main idea and connecting with lines while keeping like topics grouped together.

Ask Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How: Ask yourself each of these questions about your topic and make notes of the detailed answers to these questions.

Keep a Journal: Keep a detailed personal journal to draw ideas from.6. Organizing and Drafting:

Starting Point: State your thesis clearly near the beginning of your writing project. Make an Outline: List your main idea and sub-topics in a logical order.

7. Using the Basic Methods of Development: Once you have gathered enough material and ideas you must choose one or more of the following methods to develop your story.

Narration: Tell a story. Description: Use specific details that appeal to your senses. Examples: Use specific examples to explain how replicate a process. Process Analysis: Break the process down into easy to follow steps Comparison and Contrast: Define similarities and differences about two or more

subjects. Classification: Subdivide the subject into categories. Definition: Explain what something is. Cause and Effect: Show how one event is directly related to another. Argument: Make a claim and give evidence to support your claim.

8. Parts of an Essay: There are three basic parts. Introduction:

i. Start with a questionii. Start with a quotation or dialogue

iii. Place your subject in a historical contextiv. Open with and anecdotev. Shock or provoke the reader

The Body Paragraphs: Supports or develops your thesis statement by using the following. Your topic will define how much evidence is enough.

i. Specific examplesii. Facts and figures

iii. Personal experience The Conclusion: This is your last chance to drive home your point by using the

following methods.i. Restate your main pointii. End with recommendations

iii. Show the broader significance of your argument9. Developing Paragraphs:

You develop paragraphs with the same methods you use to develop your entire essay by using narration, description, examples, and classification.

You need to tell the reader clearly and directly what your paragraph is going to be about. This is the purpose of the topic sentence.

10. Writing Topic Sentences: Topic sentences should be supported by every other sentence in the paragraph. A topic sentence should tell the reader the topic of the paragraph and it should

make a clear statement about that topic.

11. Linking Ideas Together:

Each paragraph should logically lead into the next.12. Using Visuals:

Visuals should never be for decoration. Use graphs, charts, and other visual that support you thesis.

13. Revising: A process of looking at your draft and making necessary changes in content,

organization, or emphasis. Revising often requires adding new evidence, narrowing a thesis, cutting out

paragraph or entire sections, and rewriting the beginning to appeal better to your audience.

Revising is not the time to focus on words or sentences. Wait a few hours to a few days before doing a revision so you can look at it with

fresh eyes.14. Reading a Draft with a Critical Eye:

Read your draft and also have others read your draft as well. Be sure your draft contains the following elements.

i. An effective titleii. A clear focus

iii. Sufficient information for your audienceiv. Adequate support for the thesisv. Organization

vi. Methods of developmentvii. Sources

viii. Paragraphsix. Sentence length and varietyx. Visuals: As needed

15. Getting Response before Revising: Ask someone to read your essay and give constructive feedback

16. Revising a Second Draft: Set your draft aside for a few days Return to your draft with fresh eyes and do a second revision on the draft

17. Editing and Proofreading: Fix grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and word choices using the following methods.

Tips for Editing Sentences:i. Check to be sure that each sentence expresses a complete thought.

ii. Check capitalization and end punctuation.iii. Look for sentences that begin with it or there.iv. Check for parallelism.

Tips for Editing Punctuation:i. Check for commas after introductory elements in a sentence.

ii. Check for commas before and, but, or, nor, so, or yet in compound sentences.

iii. When you quote other people’s words, be sure to put quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quotation.

iv. Check to be sure that you’ve put commas and periods inside quotation marks.

v. Check your use of apostrophes with possessives.

18. Proofreading and Final Formatting: The only stage of the writing process that you are not concerned with meaning. Slow down as you proofread. Follow any instructions given by your instructor. Check the following for formatting issues.

i. Heading and titleii. Spacing

iii. Marginsiv. Paragraph indentationv. Page Numbers.