Writing Process
or
How to become a self-aware writer
READ ME AND FOLLOW THE LINKS TO THE TRICKS AT THE BOTTOM!
Writing
and reading mirror each other. Each is a communication process that involves a
sender and receiver of information. When
you play the role of reader, you are the receiver of information.
When you play the role of writer, you are the sender of information.
In fact, you are both the creator and sender of the information.
There
are few processes in the human world that are more complicated than the creative
process. For some people, remarkably, the creative process seems to spring forth
full blown from the writer’s head (as did Athena from the head of Zeus. If you don’t know this reference
to Greek Mythology, Look it up!).
(More on the Ancient Greeks.)
Some
craftspeople, for example, can pick up their tools and begin working, creating
the image of the final product as they go along, anticipating (thinking ahead),
and ending with a finished work
of art that is appealing and attempts to convey the
message or evoke (bring forth) the feelings that the artist wishes to convey.
Most
artists and crafts people must spend a good amount of time (a good deal of time)
thinking about what they are about to create. When they have an idea of what
they will create; they consider the materials they will use (sometimes called
the ‘medium’ meaning ‘way’, or ‘means’).
As
you can see, much of the hard work is up front, in the preparations for the
task. The actual creation of the product takes place towards the end of the
creative process.
For example, consider the process of baking a cake.
First, one decides what cake to bake. Usually one follows a recipe (the
plan). Then one gathers the ingredients (the materials) and the cooking utensils
(the tools) necessary for the job. Often one will review the steps in the recipe
to be sure to be able to anticipate difficulties along the way.
(Preheating an oven is an example of anticipating what will happen next;
often a recipe will remind you to do this, but sometimes they don’t and it is
always worth remembering, is it not? Only then should the baker begin to bake!
Writing is a creative process as well. Remarkably, as
with some bakers and cakes, some people can just sit down and begin writing and
write all the way through to the end. They
have the talent to do this and their finished work will be effective (the
message gets across) and coherent (understandable).
Not
many of us can do this. Most of us
must think hard before expressing our thoughts in writing. There is nothing
worse than staring at a blank page, knowing you have to write something, but not
knowing what to write or what to do about it.
You must understand writing as a process with specific steps that must be followed. You must learn to put on the writing process spectacles (ala Herr Kant) and see the task from the perspective of a writer. Then you must learn and follow the steps in the writing process:
Learn all the steps in the writing process: (please click on each in order):
1. Prewriting: you must prepare for the exam! (Trick #1)
2. Brainstorming: you have 5 minutes for this on the exam! (Trick #2)
3. Note taking: what is important to the topic? Find relationships.
4. Outlining overview: Use outlines in the outlining section. (Trick #1)
Remember to begin on the third page of the booklet! (Trick #2)
Remember to skip lines!!! (Trick #3)
6. Editing: You can do this if you skipped lines! (Trick #3)
7. Proofreading overview: Again, if you skip lines (Trick #3) this is easier. You MUST save 5 minutes for proofreading! Proofreading steps appear in the proofreading instructions section.
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Copyright: 2005 English 4 All, Inc.