GeneralWritingProcessTheWritingProcessThissectionexplainsandillustratesThegeneralsequenceofstepsinwritinganeffectiveessayPrewritingOutliningWritingthefirstdraftRevisingeditingFormanypeople,writingisaprocessthatinvolvesthefollowingsteps:1.Discoveringathesis—oftenthroughmoreprewriting.2.Developingsolidsupportforthethesis—oftenthroughmoreprewriting.3.Organizingthethesisandsupportingmaterialandwritingitoutinafirstdrat.4.Revisingandtheneditingcarefullytoensureaneffective,error-freepaper.Whyshouldwelearnthissequence?Learningthissequence…Youwillknowthatyoucanuseprewritingasawaytothinkonpaperandtograduallydiscoverjustwhatideasyouwanttodevelop.Youwillunderstandthattherearefourclear-cutgoals—unity,support,organization,anderror-freesentences—toaimforinyourwriting.Youwillrealizethatyoucanuserevisiontoreworkapaperuntilitisastrongandeffectivepieceofwriting.Youwillbeabletoeditapapersothatyoursentencesareclearanderror-free.PrewritingDoyouhavetroublegettingstartedwithwriting?Amentalblockmaydevelopwhenyousitdownbeforeablanksheetofpaper.Youmaynotbeabletothinkofaninterestingtopicorthesis.Doyouhavetroublecomingupwithrelevantdetailstosupportapossiblethesis?Andevenafterstartingapaper,youmayhitsnags—momentswhenyouwonder“WhatelsecanIsay?”or“WheredoIgonext?”Masteringsomeprewritingtechniqueswillhelpyouthinkaboutanddevelopatopicandgetwordsonpapersmoothly.Technique1:FreewritingFreewritingmeansjottingdowninroughsentencesorphraseseverythingthatcomestomindaboutapossibletopic.Itwilllimberupyouwritingmusclesandmakeyoufamiliarwiththeactofwriting.Itisawaytobreakthroughmentalblocksaboutwriting.Sinceyoudonothavetoworryaboutmistakes,youcanfocusondiscoveringwhatyouwanttosayaboutasubject.Yourinitialideasandimpressionswilloftenbecomeclearerafteryouhavegottenthemdownonpaper,andtheymayleadtootherimpressionsandideas.Throughcontinuedpracticeinfreewriting,youwilldevelopthehabitofthinkingasyouwrite.Andyouwilllearnatechniquethatisahelpfulwaytogetstartedonalmostanypaper.Seeifyoucanwritenonstopfortenminutesormore.Donotworryaboutspellingorpunctuatingcorrectly,abouterasingmistakes,aboutorganizingmaterial,oraboutfindingexactwords.Instead,exploreanideabyputtingdownwhateverpopsintoyourhead.Ifyougetstuckforwords,repeatyourselfuntilmorewordscome.Thereisnoneedtofeelinhibited,sincemistakesdonotcountandyoudonothavetohandinyourfreewriting.Whenfreewriting,youjustdosomethinkingonpaperandgetsomematerialdownonthepage.Trytoexploreyourtopicwithoutworryingatallaboutbeing“correct.”Figuringoutwhatyouwanttosayandgettingrawmaterialdownonthepageshouldhaveallofyourattentionatthisearlystageofthewritingprocess.ActivityTogetasenseofthefreewritingprocess,takeasheetofpaperandfreewriteaboutyouridealjob.Seehowmuchmaterialyoucanaccumulateintenminutes.Andremembernottoworryabout“mistakes”;you’rejustthinkingonpaper.PrewritingActivityUsetheprewritingtechniquefreewritingtodevelopthefollowingtopic“ProblemsofCombiningWorkandCollege”.It’shardworkingandgoingtoschoolatthesametime.IneverrealizehowmuchI’dhavetogiveup.Iwon’tbequittingmyjobbecauseIneedthemoney.AndthepeoplearefriendlyattheplacewhereIwork.I’vehadtogiveupalotmorethanIthought.WeusedtoplaytouchfootballgameseverySunday.Theywerefunandwe’dgooutfordrinksafterwards.Sundaysnowareforcatch-upworkwithmycourses.IhavetocatchupbecauseIdon’tgethomeeverydayuntil7pm,Ihavetoeatdinnerfirstbeforestudying.SometimesI’msohungryIjusteatcookiesorchips.Anyway,bythetimeItakeashowerit’s9pmorlaterandI’malreadyfeelingtired.I’vebeenupsince7am.SometimesIwriteanEnglishpaperintwentyminutesanddon’tevenreaditover.IfeelthatI’mmissingoutonalotincollege.TheotherdaysomepeopleIlikeweresittinginthecafeterialisteningtomusicandtalking.Iwouldhavegivenanythingtostayandnothavetogotowork.Ialmostcalledinsick.Uusedtogetinvitedtoparties,Idon’tmuchanymore.MyfriendsknowI’mnotgoingtobeabletomakeit,sotheydon’tbother.Icant’sleeplateonweekendsorwatchTVduringtheweek.Technique2:QuestioningInquestioning,yougenerateideasanddetailsbyaskingquestionsaboutyoursubject.SuchquestionsincludeWhy?When?Who?AndHow?Askasmanyquestionsasyoucanthinkof.Askingquestionscanbeaneffectivewayofgettingyourselftothinkaboutatopicfromanumberofdifferentangles.Thequestionscanreallyhelpyougeneratedetailsaboutatopic.ActivityTogetasenseofthequestioningprocess,useasheetofpapertoaskyourselfaseriesofquestionsaboutagoodorbadexperiencethatyouhavehadrecently.Seehowmanydetailsyoucanaccumulateintenminutes.Andrememberagainnottobeconcernedabout“mistakes”,becauseyouarejustthinkingonpaper.PrewritingActivityUsetheprewritingtechniquequestioningtodevelopthefollowingtopic“ProblemsofCombiningWorkandCollege”.Whataresomeoftheproblemsofcombiningworkandschool?Howhavetheseproblemschangedmylife?SchoolworksuffersbecauseIdon’thavetimetostudyorrewritepapers.I’vehadtogiveupthingsIenjoy,likesleepandtouchfootball.Ican’tgetintothesociallifeatcollege,becauseIhavetoworkrightafterclass.Mygradesaren’tasgoodastheywerewhenIdidn’twork.Someofmyfriendshavestoppedcallingme.MyrelationshipwithagirlIlikedfellapartbecauseIcouldn’tspendmuchtimew