May 22

For writing into the day, we answered quotations about writing process (see slide 18 on the PowerPoint) and then shared our answers with partners.

We had a whole group discussion about writing process.

• The writing process is in order.  It helps you come up with a writing sequence.  (Referring to question 3 from yesterday.)
• If you are going to write, you have to know about it.  Research might be the first step.
• Planning can help with writer's block.
• There is not a right or wrong way to begin writing.
• The writing process is individual.
• You have a different process for different kinds of writing.
• The process, according to Models for Writers, is Prewriting -> Draft -> Revise -> Edit
• They don't use the word "revise" enough.  It should say revise after each step.
• When revising, you have to be careful.  You might take out something that you should have kept in.  
• You should have a lot of people critique your paper.
• If you let everyone change your paper, it isn't yours anymore.  But you also can't be too hard headed.
• You don't want your audience to get bored.  You can't talk about the same thing for too long.
• You need moderation.
• Is there a right answer in writing?

How does one learn what the one's writing process is?

• Trial and error
• Practice, write a lot
• Instruction
• Instruction felt annoy, like they are telling you how to write.  As a writer, you need to find it yourself.  If you just copy what you were taught, you don't have your own process.
• You can learn by mimicking models.

Next, as a class, we wrote a list of prewriting strategies.

• Word association
• Research
• Talking to people
• Reading examples
• Watch documentaries
• Cornell notes
• Subconscious brainstorming
• Personal experiences
• Sitting under a tree
• Deciding on your main point
• Visual aids to spark imagination
• Listening to music
• Thinking
• Quiet
• Questioning
• Internet 
• Rest
• Caffeine
• Showering
• Being around kids
• TV
• Cluster Web
• Freewrite
• Discussion/Debate
• Eat
• Change your environment
• Understand the subject
• Walking
• Social media

We discussed the questions about prewriting (see slide 20 on PowerPoint).

• Prewriting is necessary.  It can weed out grammar issues.
• there is no particular right way of prewriting.
• It is necessary because once it's in public, you can't get it back.

When does prewriting end?

• It never ends.
• It ends when you turn in the paper.
• If you close your mind, you stop prewriting.
• It's done when you get an A.

We also talked about which of the following is a better sentence:

1. Startling a starving husband makes for hot, jumping flies.
2. I believes he will, make good mayor.

We finished with a writing out of the day answering this question: Start writing what good academic writing looks like.

Homework:

• Read "Shitty First Drafts" and "Assumption Two" (on Moodle).
• Print and bring to class the two revision handouts (on Moodle.)