The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

Or… Zen and the Art of Essay Or… Zen and the Art of Essay Craft Craft

Getting StartedGetting Started

First and foremost…First and foremost…

DON’T PANIC!DON’T PANIC!

GETTING STARTED IIGETTING STARTED II

Habits That Will Result in a Poor Habits That Will Result in a Poor PaperPaper

ProcrastinatingProcrastinating One-draft writingOne-draft writing Massive self-criticismMassive self-criticism Thesaurus abuseThesaurus abuse Marriage to first draftMarriage to first draft

Habits That Will Result in a Habits That Will Result in a Successful PaperSuccessful Paper

PrewritingPrewriting DevelopingDeveloping RevisingRevising TweakingTweaking Writing CenterWriting Center ConferencingConferencing

Habits That Guarantee FailureHabits That Guarantee Failure

}No ProcessNo Process}No PaperNo Paper}PlagiarismPlagiarism

Understand Your AssignmentUnderstand Your Assignment(Then Forget About it For Awhile)(Then Forget About it For Awhile)

Thoroughly read your Thoroughly read your assignment prompt.assignment prompt.

What, specifically, is your topic?What, specifically, is your topic? Who is your audience?Who is your audience? How long should your essay How long should your essay

be?be? Are there special requirements?Are there special requirements? Ask questions if you don’t Ask questions if you don’t

understand.understand.

Getting IdeasGetting Ideas

After figuring out your assignment - you After figuring out your assignment - you need to generate ideas before you begin need to generate ideas before you begin drafting.drafting.

Forget about the end product for a bit and Forget about the end product for a bit and just get creative.just get creative.

Try listing, mapping, free-writing, journalist Try listing, mapping, free-writing, journalist questions, cubing, or any other method that questions, cubing, or any other method that works for you.works for you.

ListingListing

Listing is a good way Listing is a good way to quickly gather many to quickly gather many ideas on paper.ideas on paper.

Simply make a list of Simply make a list of as many ideas as as many ideas as come to you as quickly come to you as quickly as possible.as possible.

Topic:Topic: Essay About An Essay About An Important PlaceImportant Place

List:List: Bed, my comfy chair, the Bed, my comfy chair, the

mountains, the ocean, my office, mountains, the ocean, my office, the garden, anywhere with a the garden, anywhere with a book, Starbucks, home, the book, Starbucks, home, the shower, the right state of mind…shower, the right state of mind…

MappingMapping

Mapping is a form of Mapping is a form of free association that free association that creates a visual image creates a visual image of ideas and their of ideas and their connections. Using connections. Using mapping can give you mapping can give you not only ideas for an not only ideas for an essay - but connecting essay - but connecting ideas that may turn ideas that may turn into paragraphs.into paragraphs.

Favorite PlaceFavorite Place

Comfort

Starbucks

Aesthetics

Books

TastesSmell

Hanging outwith friends

Writing Studying

Energy

FreewritingFreewriting

Write, write, write and don’t Write, write, write and don’t stop. Freewriting means taking stop. Freewriting means taking an idea and running with it an idea and running with it wherever it leads. Don’t think wherever it leads. Don’t think about it - just keep writing. about it - just keep writing. When you free yourself and just When you free yourself and just allow the ideas to come, you allow the ideas to come, you might end up with a great essay might end up with a great essay topic that you wouldn’t have topic that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.thought of otherwise.

StarbucksStarbucks

Coffee calls from shelves and Coffee calls from shelves and walls. I can’t not stop in. Who walls. I can’t not stop in. Who will be waiting for me today? will be waiting for me today? Chatting till I have to run to Chatting till I have to run to class, my latte sloshing with class, my latte sloshing with each step. I don’t even mind each step. I don’t even mind when it splashes on my fingers: when it splashes on my fingers: my sugar-free, non-fat liquid my sugar-free, non-fat liquid gold. Keeping me sane. The gold. Keeping me sane. The barista knows my name. Here I barista knows my name. Here I sip the taste of home. sip the taste of home.

Journalist QuestionsJournalist Questions

Use the standard questions Use the standard questions every journalist must answer.every journalist must answer.

WhoWho WhatWhat WhenWhen WhereWhere WhyWhy HowHow

Thinking of different ways to Thinking of different ways to answer those questions might answer those questions might lead to a fresh perspective on lead to a fresh perspective on your topic.your topic.

The Taste of HomeThe Taste of Home

Who: Either alone or with friends.Who: Either alone or with friends.What: Coffee, coffee, coffee!What: Coffee, coffee, coffee!When: Day, night, when studying, When: Day, night, when studying,

when socializing, when thinking, when socializing, when thinking, when chilling…when chilling…

Where: Starbucks, Coffee Haus, Where: Starbucks, Coffee Haus, my office, home, pretty much my office, home, pretty much anywhereanywhere

Why: Energy, inspiration, comfort, Why: Energy, inspiration, comfort, mental and emotional healthmental and emotional health

How: With all the senses engaged.How: With all the senses engaged.

CubingCubing Similar to Journalist Questions, Similar to Journalist Questions,

cubing involves considering your cubing involves considering your topic from six different angles.topic from six different angles.

Describe it (colors, shapes, sizes, Describe it (colors, shapes, sizes, etc.) etc.)

Compare it (What is it similar to?) Compare it (What is it similar to?) Associate it (What does it make Associate it (What does it make

you think of?)you think of?) Analyze it (Tell how it's made)Analyze it (Tell how it's made) Apply it (What can you do with it? Apply it (What can you do with it?

How can it be used?)How can it be used?) Argue for or against itArgue for or against it

Describe it: Engage the senses - how does Describe it: Engage the senses - how does it look and taste and feel - what do you it look and taste and feel - what do you hear and smell?hear and smell?

Compare it: Like finding my muse. Compare it: Like finding my muse. Associate it: A luxurious bubble bath; Associate it: A luxurious bubble bath;

slipping into silk pajamas.slipping into silk pajamas.Analyze it: It gives me a moment to breathe Analyze it: It gives me a moment to breathe

in my surroundings, to organize my in my surroundings, to organize my thoughts. When drinking a cup of coffee thoughts. When drinking a cup of coffee with friends, I am sharing my real self.with friends, I am sharing my real self.

Apply it: Coffee can be an effective and Apply it: Coffee can be an effective and relatively safe energizer. It can help get relatively safe energizer. It can help get through massive amounts of graduate through massive amounts of graduate school readings.school readings.

Argue for or against it: Strangely, I think of Argue for or against it: Strangely, I think of home and comfort when I drink a cup of home and comfort when I drink a cup of coffee during the day, despite the fact coffee during the day, despite the fact that no one in my home is terribly fond of that no one in my home is terribly fond of coffee. When I make coffee at home, it coffee. When I make coffee at home, it never seems to be as comforting as never seems to be as comforting as coffee I share with friends at work. coffee I share with friends at work.

The VRDThe VRD((VeryVery Rough Draft) Rough Draft)

The VRD is rough - The VRD is rough - very very rough. rough. Take your idea and start writing about it.Take your idea and start writing about it. Don’t worry too much about spelling, punctuation, Don’t worry too much about spelling, punctuation,

organization or grammar. Just make sure it’s marginally organization or grammar. Just make sure it’s marginally readable.readable.

It’s like freewriting - but attempts to stick to the topic and It’s like freewriting - but attempts to stick to the topic and gets typed.gets typed.

It It CAN CAN be nutty, horrible, abysmal, disorganized, slangy be nutty, horrible, abysmal, disorganized, slangy and even silly.and even silly.

The idea is to just get started. The idea is to just get started.

““Polaroids”Polaroids”

Anne Lamott, in Anne Lamott, in Bird by Bird, Bird by Bird, describes the next part of the describes the next part of the process as “seeing what process as “seeing what develops” - like a polaroid.develops” - like a polaroid.

After writing your VRD, let it After writing your VRD, let it breathe for a day or so and then breathe for a day or so and then read it again.read it again.

Do you see anything different Do you see anything different there?there?

Can you see a more interesting Can you see a more interesting direction for your essay direction for your essay developing?developing?

Is there more to explore? Is there more to explore?

Anne Lamott’s Anne Lamott’s Three Draft EssayThree Draft Essay

After gathering ideas, you can think of your essay writing After gathering ideas, you can think of your essay writing process in three drafts:process in three drafts:

The Down Draft:The Down Draft: Just get it all down (aka - the VRD).Just get it all down (aka - the VRD).

The Up Draft: The Up Draft: Then fix it up (revision and organization).Then fix it up (revision and organization).

The Dental Draft: The Dental Draft: Check every ‘tooth’ carefully - work on Check every ‘tooth’ carefully - work on word choice and sentencing to make it sound better word choice and sentencing to make it sound better (tweaking). (tweaking).

Read it Out LoudRead it Out Loud

During the revision phase - read your paper slowly, out During the revision phase - read your paper slowly, out loud to yourself.loud to yourself.

Better yet, read it out loud to a friend or tutor.Better yet, read it out loud to a friend or tutor. Even better - have someone read it out loud to you!Even better - have someone read it out loud to you! You will be amazed what paper issues you can ‘hear’ that You will be amazed what paper issues you can ‘hear’ that

you missed when reading.you missed when reading.

If parts are awkward, confusing,If parts are awkward, confusing, choppy or repetitive, you’ll choppy or repetitive, you’ll notice.notice.

You might feel a little silly - but it may mean the difference You might feel a little silly - but it may mean the difference in your paper grade.in your paper grade.

Formatting and RequirementsFormatting and Requirements

If you haven’t already - it’s time to revisit your If you haven’t already - it’s time to revisit your assignment sheet.assignment sheet.

Notice the requirements for paper length, font, Notice the requirements for paper length, font, margins, etc.margins, etc.

Does it need a cover sheet? A creative title? Does it need a cover sheet? A creative title? What should be included in your folder with the What should be included in your folder with the

final draft?final draft? After all your hard work - don’t loose points by After all your hard work - don’t loose points by

neglecting the requirements.neglecting the requirements.

Finish It!Finish It!

At this point - if you’ve gone through the process - you At this point - if you’ve gone through the process - you should be proud of your essay.should be proud of your essay.

If you’ve also gone to the Writing Center and conferenced If you’ve also gone to the Writing Center and conferenced with me - you should be proud with me - you should be proud and and confident.confident.

Give it one last check for those sneaky, ‘dum’ errors (like Give it one last check for those sneaky, ‘dum’ errors (like writing ‘to’ instead of ‘too’ or ‘your’ instead of ‘you are’)writing ‘to’ instead of ‘too’ or ‘your’ instead of ‘you are’)

And all that’s left to do is…And all that’s left to do is…

Staple it - put it in a folder with the process Staple it - put it in a folder with the process and celebrate!and celebrate!