Welcome to Welcome to the Writing the Writing Process 8Process 8thth grade Stylegrade Style

Welcome to Welcome to the Writing the Writing Process 8Process 8thth grade Stylegrade Style

PrewritingHatching new ideas.

• SOURCES OF INSPIRATION - How do I get ideas in the first place?

• magazines/newspapers/periodicals/CD-ROM • media - radio, TV, internet • experiences • film - movies• music • visual art - observing or creating • dreams • memories • discussion and brainstorming • responding to literature • role playing • research • imagination • personal interest inventories • class interest inventory

Prewriting• TIPS - What ways can I prewrite?

• free writing • journaling • image streaming (transplant yourself

to another place or time and describe from a first person point of view)

• lists • visualization • brainstorming - individually or as a group • webbing/mapping/clustering • graphic organizers • topic or word chart

PrewritingMapping

WritingTime to write.

NOW THAT IT'S TIME TO WRITE . . . What do I do?

Sloppy Copy Suggestions:* Name and date on top right hand corner of all pages * Number all your pages* One staple in the top left hand corner* Double space* Margin to margin* Single sided *WRITE!  WRITE!  WRITE! 

Don't stop once you start writing.  Revising and editing come later.  Just let the ideas flow.

*HOLD IT!  Before going to the next stage, make sure you have enough content to work with.

RevisingSearching for things

to fix.• Revising is . . . • making decisions about how you want to improve your

writing

• looking at your writing from a different point of view

• picking places where your writing could be clearer, moreinteresting, more informative and more convincing.

Adding What else does the reader need to know?

Rearranging

Is the information in the most logical and most effective order?

RemovingWhat extra details or unnecessary bits of information are in this pieceof writing?

ReplacingWhat words or details could be replaced by clearer or stronger expressions?

ARRR

Revising• REVISING TIPS - Ask yourself these questions . . .

• Can you read it out loud fluently? • Does every word make sense? • Is the series of events logical?  Do they relate? • Is it clear what your main idea is throughout the

piece of writing? • Are vivid words used to describe characters and

events? • Is your train of thought clear? • Do you use a variety of verbs (action words)

throughout the piece?  • Are you using the same words and phrases over and over

again? DON’T!• Is there a catchy introduction?  Does the conclusion

leave the reader thinking? • Do details support the topic of each paragraph? • Are all the sentences complete thoughts? • Is a vivid mental picture created in the reader's

mind?  

EditingGet out your fine

tooth comb.• Editing is . . .

• spelling • capitalization • punctuation ( . , ? ! )• grammar (How we talk.)• sentence structure • subject/verb agreement (2 parts to

every sentence)

Editing What to do

• Use your dictionary.• Does each sentence make sense when you read it alone?

• Have a friend read it.

PublishingDo the Done Dance!

• Give your finished product to your teacher!

CELEBRATE!Share your story with the class!