2 Grouping Take The Information example essay topic

The Writing Process GENERAL STEPS IN THE WRITING PROCESS 1. P rewriting and Planning Good planning and preparation are the keys to good writing. a. Thinking The first thing that writers should learn about writing is that it starts with thinking. Those who learn to write well know that a good deal of thinking needs to take place before any writing happens. Many people who have trouble writing have trouble because they don't know how to get started. A writer needs to start by thinking about the topic.

Usually, in professional life or college, the topic is given, at least in a general way. For example, you may be assigned to write a marketing proposal for next year, or write a position paper on how the new Eurodollar will impact international exchange rates. Start by just thinking about the topic. Let your mind center on it.

What do you already know about the topic? What don't you know? What do you need to know? b. Gathering Information Begin brainstorming and perhaps jotting down information and ideas. Let your mind flow with the topic. Don't concern yourself with what the information or ideas are; just write down anything related to the topic that occurs to you.

If it helps you to make mind maps, use other graphics, or make lists, do so. Brainstorm until you can't think of anything else to jot down. Be as specific as possible with any details. After you " ve finished brainstorming, look back at the information and ideas you " ve thought of and written down. Review the material to see if anything else occurs to you. Think about what other information you might need to gather.

What else do you need to know? What questions might someone have about your information? Make a note or two about where you think you could find the information you still need. If you need to go to other sources, such as the library or databases, to get information and do some research, then do so. Make copies, mark them up, highlight passages, etc. When you " ve gathered all the information you think you " ll need, stop and check.

You need a lot of information and details to work with, of course, but check to see that you have the most basic information: the 5 Ws+H. Do you have all the information for your topic regarding who, what, where, when, why, and how? Do you have names and specific details? If you discover you are missing any information or necessary details, go back to your sources and get them. It is important to have all of your information beforehand.

It facilitates the planning and keeps many writing problems from happening. c. Thesis You need to know the thesis of your paper before you try to write it. In grade school, we " re taught that a paper's thesis is its main idea. This is true, but what is the main idea?

Writers think of a thesis in somewhat more precise terms. A thesis should contain two pieces of information: the topic and your position or opinion. You should be able to state it in one sentence. For example: IBM PCs would best serve our computer needs.

Topic: IBM PCs. Position / Opinion: ... would best serve our computer needs. Write your thesis statement down in your notes and information. If you need to modify it later, you can, but decide what it will be and write it down. Knowing your thesis helps you know the direction you are going to take your information when you write your paper, report, etc. It gives you focus. d.

Audience Take a few moments to consider who your audience will be. Who is going to be reading this paper? Who might read it after they read it? What do they already know about the topic, if anything?

What do they need to know? Also consider what you know about your readers. What level of education do they have? What field is their specialty? What position do they have and what work do they do? What about differences in age, gender, etc.?

What about cultural differences? Considering your audience will help you to mentally set your language level for writing your paper. Your mind will start working on choosing the right words and phrasing for what you are going to tell them. It will also help alert you to special considerations you might have to take into account when communicating with others, especially if topic knowledge or cultural differences must be considered. e. Purpose Take another moment to consider your purpose.

What are you trying to accomplish by communicating the information you will be writing? Are you simply trying to give information that was requested, or are you attempting to also explain the information? Do you need to convince them to see it your way or do it your way? Whatever it is, you should write it down in one sentence, like you did your thesis. For example: The purpose of my paper is to convince management that IBM PCs are the best choice for our computer needs.

Refer to your thesis to help you compose your purpose statement. You can modify it later, if necessary, but write it down the best you can for now. Knowing your purpose ahead of time gives you focus. It helps tailor your information and presentation to fit your thesis audience. Another reason it is good to know your purpose ahead of time is that it allows you to know when you are done with your paper. Some writers have trouble knowing when to stop writing.

When you have fulfilled your purpose, you " re done. If you " ve planned carefully, this usually coincides with discovering you " ve used all your information. f. Organization It is better and easier to organize your information and material before you write than to try to do it after you " ve made a draft. Being understood is the most important thing in communication, and that requires thought and organization.

Organization has three sub-steps: editing, grouping, and outlining. 1) Editing You may wonder what there is to edit since you haven't written your paper yet. At this point in the process, edit your information. Discard any information you don't need. How do you know what you need? Look at your thesis and purpose.

Whatever information will support your thesis and fulfill your purpose, keep. Whatever doesn't, toss out. If you " re not sure about a piece of information, keep it for now. You can toss it out later if you don't use it. 2) Grouping Take the information you " ve kept and sort it into groups. Base the groups on related information.

For example: This information is about IBM PC features; it goes together into a group. This information is about software compatibility; it is another group. This is price and warranty information; it's another group, etc. Make sure each piece of information you have is put in the group it belongs in.

If it helps to circle information, make lists, partial paragraphs, or draw information or subject trees, do so. You may want to name or title your groups to remember and identify what's in them. 3) Outlining This step does not have to be difficult. In the past it has been difficult for many writers, and many have developed a habit of skipping it. Don't. It isn't a big problem if it is done properly.

Most people were introduced in grade school to outlines like I, II, , A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, a, b, c, and so on. Writers rarely use these and only for projects that are very lengthy or complex, such as books or government proposals. Most writing does not require this. A scratch outline is sufficient for most things. Simply decide in what order to put your groups of information. What do you have to tell first?

Then what? What should the reader know after that? Just number the groups of information in order and stack them up like blocks, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Don't forget to put an introduction in the beginning and a conclusion at the end.

You " re done. That's an outline. It should tell you in what order you are going to present your information. That's about all it has to do, although it can double as a table of contents if you need one.

2. Writing Only now do you write, and writing should be easier and even faster because all you have to do is transcribe the information from your groups of information into sentences and paragraphs in the order you decided. While you are writing your draft, do not concern yourself with spelling, grammar, or mechanics; just write out the information in sequence as best you can. Don't worry about the introduction or labor over your wording at this time.

Let the information flow as best you can and keep on track. Other considerations will only disrupt or break your concentration, and they are not important yet. Your goal for now is to simply get it all down on paper or into the computer. Even if it takes a while, finish the draft before you go on to the next step in the writing process. Don't worry what it looks like as long as you can read it. 3.

Revising and Formatting After you have finished writing your draft, you will need to revise it to make sure your information is clear and complete, the ideas are presented well, and the material is as readable and understandable as you can make it. Check the organization to make sure everything ended up in the right place. If you need to rearrange material for clarity or to improve the flow of your reasoning or logic, do so. Get input from others if you want. Often they will see something you might miss. Rewrite as necessary, but don't let this become an endless task.

Once you have said what you have to say as best you can say it, let that be the end of it. If you planned well and carefully, the draft and revision should go well. If you run into a serious problem, backtrack through the planning process and correct it, then bring the process up to date, correct the problem, and finish your revision. Certain documents require proper formatting, such as memorandums, business letters, reports, case study analyses, etc. Determine the correct format for the paper you " ve written and arrange your information into that format. Pay close attention to the requirements and conventions of the format and make sure to follow them.

4. Proofreading The final stage of the writing process is to proofread the final draft. At this stage, you are looking for errors in wording, grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, etc. Use spell checkers, etc., to help you.

Read it aloud-often you can hear an error you might not see. This last step is very important because the way a document looks and reads is as much a part of the presentation as what it says. Take time to do this carefully. 5. Presentation or Publication The final product will be presented to the reader printed or published.

It should be as perfect as you can make it. If you followed all of the writing process steps, in or.