THE PROCESS OF WRITING
Lecturer
: Prof. Mashadi
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UNIVERSITAS
INDRAPRASTA PGRI
FAKULTAS PASCASARJANA
2018
1. Prewriting
Prewriting
is the first stage of the writing process, and includes all the things you do
before you are ready to write out the first version of your text. It is everything you do before you begin to draft
the paper. Look over an assignment handout, choose and narrow your topic, and
assess your audience and purpose. Research is also an important aspect of
prewriting. Otherwise, the best way to start is to ask yourself
the questions listed below:
a.
What shall I
write about?
This is a
question about the topic or theme of your writing. If you choose
something that moves you in some way, your writing is more likely to be
interesting to the reader.
Why do I want to write about it?
This is a
question about the purpose of
your writing, and it is linked to the first question. Here are some of the
possible purposes you may have for a piece of work:
to explain, to
inform/instruct, to describe, to narrate, to persuade, to move, or to amuse/entertain.
b.
What kind of writing shall I do?
This is a
question about the genre of your work. Here are some of the genres you could
choose from: short story, poem, letter, narrative, news story, essay, book/film
review
Report, or biography.
c.
Who am I writing it for?
This is a
question about the audience for your writing. For example: Will it be posted on
a bulletin board? Do you want to publish it in a school magazine? Is it a
letter addressed to the leader of the student council? Or is it a research
journal?.
2.
Planning
When you
have answered those questions above, you are ready to start planning your
writing. Depending on your topic, you can collect ideas and make notes by doing
one or more of the following activities:
a.
Thinking/brainstorming
b.
Brainstorming - is the process of coming up with as
many ideas as possible about a topic without being worried about the
feasibility or whether an idea is realistic or not.
c.
Reading, researching and take notes on a topic
d.
Observing and make lists of ideas on a topic
e.
Interviewing, you may also need to consider your
audience before you begin to write. To make sure that your writing will fit the
audience you are addressing, you need to consider who they are.
f.
Discussing ideas about a topic with others and take no
test
g.
Imagining/fantasizing make a cluster, which is a
visual map of ideas and concepts related to your topic
h.
Note-taking is ask questions about a topic
The final
task of the prewriting stage is to organize your ideas and notes into a logical
order. You may find it helpful to write an outline or use some kind of chart or
table to organize the information you have collected. You are now ready for the
next stage of the writing process - drafting!
Step 1 :
Choosing and narrowing a topic
> When
you are given a free topic and can write about something you are interested in,
then you must narrow the topic to a particular aspect of that general subject.
You must narrow the subject of your
paragraph to a specific focus so that you can write about it clearly and
completely.
After you
have chosen a topic narrowed it to a specific focus, the next prewriting step
is to generate ideas. This is called brainstorming.
There are
three useful brainstorming techniques :
a.
Listing > produce as many ideas as possible by
listing the words or phrases that come into our mind.
b.
Freewriting > generate as many ideas as possible
and to write them down without worrying about appropriateness, grammar,
spelling, logic or organization. Remember the more you freewrite, the more
ideas you will have. This strategy is when you write whatever comes into your
mind about the topic at hand for a specific amount of time, like 10 or
15 minutes. Instead, you should try and come up with as many ideas as you
possibly can to help you when you get to the writing process.
c.
Clustering > clustering is another brainstorming
activity that you can use to generate ideas. In the center of your paper, write
your topic and draw “balloon” around it. Then, write whatever ideas come to you
in balloons around core.
3.
Writing and Revising
draft
Stage three
in the writing process, after prewriting and planning, is writing and revising
several drafts until you have produced a final copy.
There are
some steps that you should do before you write a final copy to hand in :
a.
Writing the first rough draft
Writing the
rough draft is a transition, one that takes you from the mental aspect of note
taking, outlining and prewriting to the act of writing. Your topic is defined
with a clarified and supported focus. As you incorporate all the work you have
completed up to this point, keep in mind that your rough draft is just that—a
rough copy of your paper that you continue to shape, edit and strengthen after
it is written.
With that in
mind, you can tackle your rough draft. Focus on the content and the flow of
information rather than on the little details, such as detailed information and
grammar –there is plenty of time to clean up and strengthen your paper between
the rough draft and the final version. Your rough draft consists of writing an
introduction, supporting body paragraphs and a conclusion. As you write, keep
the following tips in mind:
·
Maintain a logical development
·
Create smooth transitions between paragraphs
·
Stay in the active voice
·
Vary your sentence structure by using simple, complex
and compound sentences
·
Avoid 1-2 sentence paragraphs
What you
need to get started:
·
Your notes
·
Your outline
·
A clear mind
·
Time and room to work
While
following your outline is important, putting every little detail and piece of
supporting information into your paper in the rough draft is not always
necessary, but do what works for you. Your notes and outline together serve as
guides for what you intend to include and where you intend to include it.
Writing the introduction of your rough draft
With your
outline in sight, start writing the introduction of your rough draft. The
ultimate goal of a strong introduction is to get the attention and interest of
your readers. In addition, your introduction should do the following:
- Include some background
information on your topic
- Make the perspective and point
of view clear
- Contain your thesis statement
- Provide a roadmap of how your
paper is organized (broadly defined)
- Focus on the main points you
make within the body of your paper
Writing the
body paragraphs of your rough draft
The body
paragraphs of your rough draft are the backbone of your paper; they hold the
supporting information that backs up your thesis. Keep the suggestions below in
mind as you write each paragraph:
Start each
paragraph with a clear topic sentence that defines what the paragraph is about
Write smooth
transitions between paragraphs using transitional words and phrases
Avoid
writing paragraphs that are too short because they show a lack of development
Stay in the
active voice to keep your paper clear and effective
Maintain
your point of view or perspective to keep the paper focused
Avoid
summarizing information you have already written about –save it for the
conclusion
Support your
perspective and interpretations with data in the form of indirect and direct
quotations
Replace your
keywords with synonyms periodically to avoid repetitive language
Cite all
sourced material
Make sure
the sentences of each paragraph flow to form a cohesive point
Writing the
conclusion of your rough draft
The
conclusion of your rough draft is where you tie everything together. Some of
the information is similar to that found in the introduction, but it should not
be a word-for-word copy. In the conclusion, more emphasis is placed on the
results of your research or on broader implications on the subject as a whole.
To write the conclusion, follow the below steps:
Re-read your
introduction while paying particular attention to the development of it and
supporting body paragraphs
Set the
introduction aside
Summarize
the argument made in your introduction
Conclude
your argument(s)
Ultimately,
your conclusion is your last chance to help readers truly understand what your
paper is about, so it needs to show the order and importance of your main
points and show how you logically conclude the paper.
Remember as
you write your rough draft that it is okay to omit the more detailed
information to focus on the flow and transition of each paragraph. The details
obtained through your research are easily added after the first draft is
complete. In fact, through the process of finalizing your paper, you are likely
to edit, proofread, make corrections and change things up quite a bit.
Once the
basics of your paper are in place, though, applying those finishing touches to
strengthen your paper is much easier. With a rough draft completed, you should
take a day or two away from the paper to provide clarity and a fresh
perspective when you come back to finalizing it.
b.
Revising content and organization
Writing is a
process of discovery, and you don’t always produce your best stuff when you
first get started. So revision
is a chance for you to look critically at what you have written to see:
·
if it’s really worth saying,
·
if it says what you wanted to say, and
·
if a reader will understand what you’re saying.
Here are
several things to do. But don’t try them all at one time. Instead, focus on two or three main areas
during each revision session:
·
Wait awhile after you’ve finished a draft before
looking at it again. The Roman poet Horace thought one should wait nine years,
but that’s a bit much. A day—a few hours even—will work. When you do return to
the draft, be honest with yourself, and don’t be lazy. Ask yourself what you
really think about the paper.
·
As The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers puts it,
“THINK BIG, don’t tinker” (61). At this stage, you should be concerned with the
large issues in the paper, not the commas.
·
Check the focus of the paper: Is it appropriate to the
assignment? Is the topic too big or too narrow? Do you stay on track through
the entire paper?
·
Think honestly about your writing: Do you still agree
with it? Should it be modified in light of something you discovered as you
wrote the paper? Does it make a sophisticated, provocative point, or does it
just say what anyone could say if given the same topic? Does your writing
generalize instead of taking a specific position? Should it be changed
altogether?
Think about your purpose in writing: Does your introduction state clearly
what you intend to do? Will your aims be clear to your readers?
c.
Proofreading the second draft
Remember, though, that revision of an essay is not simply proofreading.
Proofreading is checking over a draft to make sure that everything is complete
and correct as far as spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and
such matters go; it's a necessary, if somewhat tedious and tricky job, one that
a friend could help you with--even if that friend is a "Spellcheck"
on a computer. No machine can help you with true revision, however, nor would
you want it to--a re-vision of your essay, how you see things now, deciding
whether your thesis and body, and also your introduction and conclusion, really
express your vision.
Revision is global, taking another look at what ideas you have included in
your paper and how they are arranged; proofreading is polishing, one spot at a
time. That's why revision should come before proofreading: why polish what you
might be changing anyway?
d.
Writing the final copy
A final draft is a piece of writing that will be handed in as your best
work. Students should treat crafting a final draft as a task of
increased importance, because it is their last chance to enhance their paper
and correct any flaws.
Steps for Crafting the Final Draft
of an Essay
Take a break after writing your second draft. You will have to revise your
second draft at least three more times until it is put in order—have a rest
before starting the final copy of your paper.
Do a spellcheck of your second draft. You should revise your paper in terms
of misspelled words, typos, and accidental word repetitions; you could also
perform a punctuation check at this interval.
Do a grammar check. It is a process that requires extreme caution, because
grammatical mistakes may be far less obvious than spelling errors. This check
implies correcting faulty parallelisms, problems with noun-verb agreement,
dangling participles, improper usage of passive voice, and so on.
After you’ve checked the language of your paper, it is time to pay
attention to its technical aspects. This includes the formatting style, your
reference list, in-text citations, and the title page. Make sure all of these
correspond with the requirements of your teacher or the publication you are
submitting your essay to.
Revise the whole piece of writing once again. Since it is the last time you
will read through it with an intention to make corrections, be extra-attentive
and check every little detail in the text. Evaluate the structure of your
essay, the way your arguments are organized, and the credibility of these
arguments. Check for poor or non-existent transitions between paragraphs, pay
attention to grammar, stylistics, syntax, and punctuation.
Key Points to Consider
Reading your final draft aloud will grant you an opportunity to take a
fresh look at what you have written. Weaknesses in writing are usually easier
to notice when heard.
Your paper should be written in your own words, except abstracts where you
are using citations. It is always better to show your own understanding of an
issue, even if it is incorrect, than to frame your ideas in another author’s
words. A final draft is your last chance to exclude any possible signs of
plagiarism from your paper.
Using a computer for proofreading is a sound idea, since text processing
software often has a function of automatic spelling and grammar checking.
However, proofreading on your own once again after the computer check is still
recommended to avoid mistakes a computer may not have found.
Do and Don’t
Do
Do check whether your thesis statement is stated
clearly, and whether it encompasses all of your key ideas. Also, check if
your introduction draws readers’ attention in.
Do check whether each of your paragraphs represents
an idea. It is important that multiple ideas are not crammed into one
paragraph; topic sentences showing these main ideas should be included into
each paragraph as well.
Do evaluate your evidence. It shouldn’t be
insufficient, but the paper shouldn’t be overburdened with too much factual
information as well.
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Don’t
Don’t try to read your writing on a computer screen.
After you’ve made a spell-check on the computer, print your essay out, and
proofread the hard copy. It is much easier to perceive information on paper.
Don’t rely on automatic spell and grammar checkers.
Though these tools contribute to the process of proofreading, they are far
from being perfect, therefore they can miss obvious errors.
Don’t leave proofreading the final draft copy for
the last minute; give yourself enough time to revise your paper thoroughly,
because most likely this piece of writing is the one you will hand in.
Don’t be afraid to give your final draft to a friend
or another person you trust for proofreading. A person who has never seen
your piece of writing will take a fresh look at it, and most likely notice
flaws and errors you’ve missed.
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Common Mistakes When Crafting the Final Draft of an Essay
– Incomplete references. Students often tend to hurry when crafting the
final draft to finally finish the writing process, and forget about the proper
formatting of in-text citations and sources in the reference list.
– Forgetting to spell out abbreviations. You should provide a complete
transcript of a certain term or name before using an abbreviation for it.
– Not explaining the meaning of uncommon words. Students use a term with a
specific meaning, but forget to specify it; spell-checkers may not flag the
term, and neither will these students pay attention to it while proofreading
since it may have been spelled correctly.
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