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PPT-Week1TheWritingProcess.pptxThe Writing Process
Writing is made of 3 movements:
Pre-writing
Writing
Editing
Pre-Writing
Pre-writing occurs before you write
Pre-writing defines ideas and thoughts you have about a topic
You pre-write when you talk to someone about an idea
You pre-write when you journal about a worry, a belief, a philosophy, an opinion, etc.
Before you sit to write about a topic, it is ALWAYS helpful to pre-write about your topic
How to pre-write
You can pre-write
by outlining your topic
by journaling note about your topic
by just talking about your topic
By webbing or clustering (Google this phrase:“cluster diagram for writing)
This diagram will give you an image from which to work
Pre-write by clustering or webbing
Clustering/webbing begins by writing a main idea in the center of a paper, circle it.
Let’s use an example. Say you wish to write about your hopes to travel.
You could begin by asking yourself, what ideas do I have about traveling?
Brainstorm ALL ideas, and draw these out from the center. Some ideas might be, cost, places to visit, itinerary to follow, benefits of traveling, companions for traveling, group travels, sights to see, food to explore, etc.
Another example…. Addictions
Perhaps you wish to write about the impact of addiction
In the center, write the word Addictions
Branch out from that center and BRAINSTORM all ideas about addictions, i.e. forms of addiction, reasons, impacts on families, therapies, self-esteem, history, age, gender, childhood experiences, family history, etc.
Brainstorming is nonjudgmental, it is inclusive, and it is vast.
Be FREE when you brainstorm
Categorize your topics
What are all the themes that surfaced in your brainstorming?
Once you have a number of branches stretching out from the center, decide on perhaps 3 main ideas
Choose ideas for which you would like to write
Brainstorming, clustering, and webbing give you A LOT of different ideas
Once you have seen the MANY them possibilities, narrow down your selection
Narrowing down your ideas
For the clustering/webbing on TRAVEL, you might choose to ONLY write about 3 major SIGHTS you wish to see in Rome
Or, you may wish to use this paper to study the work of Rick Steve’s guidebook on a particular country
For the clustering/webbing on Addiction, you may choose to write only about ONE person who managed to become sober
Or, you could elect to study how addiction might be linked to childhood trauma
Let the clustering/webbing free you to explore all ideas; from there you can narrow down your topic
Now begin to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE
The 2nd stage of the Writing Process is to just WRITE WRITE WRITE
No editing yet
Just write as much as you can; don’t worry about grammar
Sometimes it helps to journal first about your selected topic
The great challenge has been that most people DO NOT pre-write enough
When you do not pre-write, you might feel that you do not know where to begin
Pre-writing AS MUCH AS possible before you write will free this 2nd stage
Use all the pre-write methods possible: clustering, outlining, journaling, talking
EDITING is last
Once you feel you have 1 Chapter about one of your ideas from the various pre-writing methods you used, now you can go back and edit
By editing, you begin by reading it out loud
Editing uses an entirely different set of skills
Editing is a more scientific method, it is more linear, and more left brain
If you edit when you are STILL creating, you may stifle your creativity
Creating using your right brain, editing uses your left brain
Left & Right brain activity
Draw a line across a paper.
On the far left side write, list left brain activities
On the far right side write, list right brain activities
Examples of left brain activities are: reasoning, language, logic, field such as science, math, verbal activity
Left brain activity is linear; a linear activity is a straight line of thinking (rules are set, breaking the rules results in consequences); it can be a clear sequential act (division in math); it can be logical thinking (legal world)
Right brain activity is non-linear: there isn’t a set of rules, it can feel chaotic but also freeing; poetry, music, creativity, circular images
Where are you on this line? There is no right or wrong. Both are good, both are needed in the world, and both develop our full potential
Are you a left brain student or a right brain student?
If you are a left brain student, you might enjoy structure, outlines, clear cut guidelines. The scientist enjoy the structure of the scientific method which is a left brain activity.
If you are right brain student, you might enjoy freedom from rules, non-structural ways to think such as clustering and brainstorming are very freeing. The artist enjoys the freedom of the right brain.
As we grow, we begin to integrate our least preferred way of thinking. As a child we may have been right brain, but as we grow we begin to develop the left brain. Or as a child we may have thrived with a very structured environment, but as we grew we may have found that relationships were better facilitated by your right brain engagements.
Can you think of educational systems for the right brain and for the left brain? Where does rote memorization fall? What about the Montessori method? What about the Suzuki method for teaching the violin?
Back to writing….
Writing uses BOTH brain activities.
Find your preferred method to pre-write, left or right brain
Then write!
Editing is a left brain activity…leave it for last
For your Small Papers, begin with the freedom to just write on a topic that is of importance to you
Grammar is more left brain, writing is more right brain
Keeping these two tasks separate will enhance your creativity
