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CESS What is “The Writing Process”? A set of  steps or stages we use to efficiently and effectively

create a piece of written work from beginning to end – but this is not a linear process; it is a circular process that moves forward.

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Steps of the writing process: Pre-writing – the word/ideas stage -

getting your ideas from your brain to the paper

Drafting – the sentence/paragraph stage – getting your ideas into complete sentences and paragraphs

Revising – the elaboration stage – getting your complete sentences/paragraphs into well-crafted meanings, pictures, stories, information

Peer review – the other reader stage – getting your revisions elaborated on by a peer

Editing – the cleaning-up stage – checking your paper for the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage

Publishing – the printing stage – producing a nice looking piece of work How am I going to present my work?

Reflecting – the “What did I learn & how can I improve next time?” stage – never finish anything without applying it to getting better next time.

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Pre-Writing: word/ideas stage - getting your

ideas from your brain to the paper

word webs

Note cards

Outlines

Pre- mean BEFORE, so before you start writing, you need to get your words and ideas down on paper.

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A RAFT can help you get from one side or end of a river to the other.

Thinking RAFT will help you get from the beginning of your writing project to the end.

During pre-writing, you should first ask yourself questions about the following: (Think R.A.F.T.) Role of the writer

Who am I as a writer and what am I doing? This helps the writer decide on point of view and voice (Am I a narrator, a journalist, a 6-yr-old boy? Am I persuading, comparing, thanking, explaining?)

Audience for the piece of writing This reminds the writer that he/she must

communicate ideas to someone else; helps the writer determine content and style. (Is my audience my friends? Teachers? Employer?)

Format of the material This helps the writer organize ideas and

employ the correct format conventions. (Do I need to to have formal grammar, punctuation, wording? Can I use slang? Can I abbreviate words?)

Topic or subject This helps the writer to zero in on main

ideas and narrow the focus of the writing.

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writing and drafting usually meld into one another because none of the stages of writing happen all by themselves. Most of us often use a pre-writing strategy called free writing which is basically a first draft.

Drafting: sentence/paragraph stage – getting

your ideas into complete sentences and paragraphs

This is the first attempt at your writing.

It can be a messy conglomeration of your ideas.

It should include all elements of good writing:

Introduction, thesis, body, conclusion

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Usually you should be asking these questions of your teacher or yourself when you get a writing assignment. Here, you get to tell ME what your assignment is and what the role, audience, format, and topic are for that assignment.

Make your own R.A.F.T. assignment!!

You decide what your first R.A.F.T. assignment will be by picking the ROLE, the AUDIENCE, the FORMAT, and the TOPIC.

ROLE: AUDIENCE: FORMAT: TOPIC:

R.A.F.T. due at end of class today RAFT writing assignment due FRIDAY

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PROCESSJournals are a part of

your semester grade. If you don’t like your journal grade any given week, continue the writing process of revising and editing, revising and editing, and I will change your grade for that week accordingly - - because it’s all about the writing PROCESS!!

Revising: elaboration stage & the biggest part of

writing – getting your complete sentences/paragraphs into well-crafted meanings, pictures, stories, information

During the revision stage, we: Add details Move things around Cut great chunks Add great chunks Reword phrases Listen to the voice and its authenticity Fully develop the ideas and make them

clear

“The purpose of revision is not to correct, but to discover.”

- Lucy McCormick Calkins

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In this stage we stay positive, give constructive feedback, and suggest appropriate editing, doing the same for your peer as you would want them to do for you.

Peer Review: The other reader stage – getting

your revisions elaborated on by a peer

Someone else’s eye is always good.

They may be able to see holes in your ideas, content, organization.

They may be able to suggest better word choice (diction).

They may be able to shed light on a new way of thinking you hadn’t explored about your topic.

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Some people are able to edit all the way through their drafting and revising. Other people get too concerned about the “correctness” of their writing, thereby taking the focus off their ideas and content. If this is the case with you, please don’t worry about editing (spelling, punctuation, etc.) until the very end, after you are done revising.

Editing:Cleaning-up stage – checking your

paper for the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage

Clean up the text & make it readable Follow the standard rules of the

language Check spelling & punctuation Check formatting

Editing Strategies: Read text backwards (right to

left/bottom to top) Read out loud Start with problem areas Use a checklist Double & triple check Peer edit

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Just because you are done publishing, doesn’t mean you should be DONE.

Publishing:

The printing stage – producing a nice looking piece of work How am I going to present my work?

Handwritten Computer print out PowerPoint Stationery Poster ???

What care and effort you take in publishing gives the first impression of your piece.

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This is the part that makes you a better writer each time

Reflecting: The “What did I learn & how can I

improve next time?” stage – never finish anything without applying it to getting better next time.

“Next time I’m going to…”

“This was hard because I…”

“I’ll have to remember the word…”

“That metaphor was cool because…”

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Any written work you hand in will always be graded according to these six traits. There is a poster with these 6+1 traits (the 7th is presentation/publishing) on the back wall.These six traits are also the basis of your journaling & writing rubric that you should be getting familiar with.

What’s inside the Writing Process? The 6 Traits of Writing: In Pre-Writing, Drafting & Revising:

Ideas make up the content of the writing – the heart of the message.

Organization is the internal structure of the piece, the thread of meaning, the logical pattern of the ideas.

Voice is the soul of the piece. Word Choice is at its best when it includes the

use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.

In Editing: Sentence Fluency is the flow of the

language, the sound of word patterns – the way the writing plays to the ear, not just the eye.

Conventions represent the piece’s level of correctness – the extent to which the writer uses grammar and mechanics with precision.

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The Writing Process Review

The 6 Traits of Writing Review

Quiz We will be using the writing process and the 6 Traits of Writing ALL YEAR LONG