Writing Process

Paragraphs

Prewrite
What is your purpose for writing?
How are you going to achieve this purpose?
Who is your reader?
Use journalistic questions
Freewriting
Webbing/clustering
Listing
More prewriting questions http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/6
73/03/

Answer these questions about your topic:

Who?
What?
Where?
Why?
When?
How?
To what extent?

A timer is set. A topic is given. You write

whatever comes to mind, regardless of
whether it is on topic. If your mind goes
blank, just choose a word to write repeatedly
until your next thought comes.

Sometimes words to incorporate into the

writing are called out during this activity

Secondary
Detail

Secondary
Detail

Detail
Detail

Secondary
Detail

Topic
Secondary
Detail

Detail

Detail
Choose a topic. Brainstorm details and secondary
details to fill in bubbles. You can have as many
bubbles as needed.

Create a list of all ideas about the topic

Planning
Outline
2 types
Sentence
Topic
Should be balanced (For every A, there is a B.
For every 1, there is a 2, etc.)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/2
0081113013048_544.pdf

USE THIS SOURCE TO HELP MAKE OUTLINES

Page 50 in your textbook also has an outline

Helps to keep track of large amounts of info

Helps organize ideas
Presents material in logical form
Shows relationships among ideas
Defines boundaries and groups
Checks for balance

Outlines are required for every essay written in ENG

101. Students can choose to submit either topic or
sentence outlines. Standard outline form must be
used (bullets will not be given credit).

Prewriting
Planning
Rough draft
Revising/Proofreading
Peer Review
Final Copy
Grade
Mulligan
Start process over
Writing process isnt linear. You might
prewrite, plan, prewrite some more, plan,
draft, prewrite, etc.

Attempts to simplify complex combination of

skills
Reduces writers block
Engages diverse learners (think prewriting
preferences)
Focuses on progress not finished copy
Writing is recursive and never finished

Helps pinpoint specific writing problems in

organization, grammar, mechanics, etc.

Every body paragraph contains

topic sentence
primary details
secondary details
concluding sentence
In a college-level essay, paragraphs should be
a minimum of 7-10 sentences in length.

States main idea of paragraph

Topic sentences can appear in many places

In this class, a topic sentence must be directly

stated as the first sentence of each body
paragraph.

Most often missing from student writing

Align with topic sentence
Key word(s) from topic sentence should appear in
concluding sentence

Directions: Bring answers to these questions to

class on Wednesday.
1. What are the stages of the writing process?
2. What is wrong with the topic outline on
OWL@Purdue?

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/200811130
13048_544.pdf

3. Using the link above and page 50 in your

textbook, create an outline for a college-level
body paragraph. Label the placement of the topic
sentence, primary details, and secondary details.

Questions about this presentation (on

previous slide)
Read chapter 20 (pgs. 385-413)
Complete AlleyCat Tutorial (in syllabus and
also posted below this PowerPoint on Weebly)