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The Writing Process
Writing is a process, consisting of a planning stage, a writing stage,
and a revising and proofreading stage. These three stages of the writing
process can, and often do, overlap. Reorganization, for instance, can take place
in the middle of the writing stage as well as during the revision stage.
Proofreading of one section of a piece of writing might occur in the middle of
the generating of ideas or the devising of a thesis statement or topic sentence
for another part. To a large extent, though, the
three stages are followed in order. In the planning stage, ideas are generated,
a topic sentence or thesis statement is selected, an overall plan of
organization is developed, and supporting details decided upon. In the
writing stage, ideas are written down in sentence form as rapidly as possible
according to the previously developed plan. Finally, in the
revision/proofreading stage, sentences are changed so that they are more
accurate or polished, words are checked for exactness, and concrete details are
evaluated for adequacy and relevance. Here, too, errors in sentence structure,
grammar, and mechanics are looked for and corrected. Because writing is a process,
the first draft should never be considered the only or final version. Keeping
this rule in mind takes off some of the pressure to make everything "perfect"
the first time. What is on paper can--and should--be changed many times before
it is turned in. For many people, using a computer makes it easier to remember
that what is written is not necessarily permanent, since substitutions, the
keeping of multiple versions, and the use of non-printing comments are so
simple. Nevertheless, whether you use a computer or the traditional pencil
and paper, avoid getting so attached to what you write that you fail to
change it even when it doesn't fit the context or the purpose.
Probably the
hardest part of writing for most people is getting started. Following are
four ways to get ideas on paper so that you can work with them:
This method is much like what you might guess from the title. It is the writing down of a list of words and phrases related to a given topic in no particular order. At the end of three to five minutes the writer looks over the list and groups similar ideas together. Next, he or she classifies ideas within each group as generalizations or concrete supports and ranks the ideas by order of importance or some other logical method. The writer repeats the process as often as necessary to get enough ideas to write one or more topic sentences. After selecting a topic sentence, the writer checks the listed details for relevance and concreteness and makes appropriate additions and deletions before starting to write the paper itself. Following is an example of such a laundry list at an early stage in the process of generating ideas:
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TELEVISION
Rapid writing is similar to the laundry list method in that no attempt is made to organize ideas as they are written down. The major difference is that sentences are used instead of words and phrases. To use this method, set a timer for three to five minutes, and start writing. Continue writing until the timer dings. Keep your pencil moving or your fingers typing during the entire time period, even if you have to write "I can't think of anything to write" or over and over again. (The amazing thing is that most people get so tired of writing the same sentence repeatedly that they do think of something to write before the time period is over.) At the end of the writing period, look over what you have on paper. Circle an interesting idea, and write for another three to five minutes about that. Repeat the process until there are enough ideas on paper for you to write one more topic sentences or thesis statements.
3. Thought Links (= Mind Mapping) To use thought links to generate ideas, draw a circle or square in the middle of a piece of paper, and write the topic inside it. Then each time you think of an idea related to the topic, jot it down on a line drawn out from the square, one line for each major idea. If an idea supports or explains a major idea, draw a line out from the line containing the corresponding major idea and put the supporting idea there. After about five minutes or so, examine what you have written. If enough specific ideas exist to permit you to write one or more topic sentences about the topic, do so. If the ideas stated are still too broad for you to write concretely about the topic in the allotted length, circle an interesting subtopic, and write a separate thought link about that. Repeat the procedure until you have sufficiently narrowed the topic and gathered enough supporting details to write the composition. An example follows:
4. Webbing: Webbing is similar to thought links in that the process starts with the topic placed in a square or circle in the middle of a sheet of paper. However, instead of permitting an almost unlimited number of lines for subtopics from the circle (many of them with other lines containing supporting details attached), webbing surrounds the topic with no more than three levels of five boxes each. The innermost boxes each hold a subtopic. The second level of five boxes poses a question about the subtopic in the corresponding box in the inner circle. If desired, an additional set of boxes outside the second set gives answers to the questions. These answers are potential topic sentences. (This method is called webbing because the final product resembles a spider web when circles are used.)
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