The Writing Process paragraph

       
          It is very important to follow the writing process to write a good, well organized essay.  This will ensure that your essay is as good as it can possibly be. So what is the writing process? The first step of the process is to choose a topic to write about. Next, think about that topic and "brainstorm," writing down all your thoughts about your topic. Then, develop an outline based on your brainstorming that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. After that, follow your outline and write the first draft of your essay. The next step is to give your first draft to someone to read and give you feedback about how to improve your essay. This is called the Peer Review step. Then use the comments from your Peer Review to improve your essay and write a second draft. Then give the second draft of your essay to your instructor for his or her comments and ideas to polish your essay even more.  Finally, write a final draft of your essay, making the changes indicated by your instructor. If you follow the steps of this process, you will write an excellent essay!

The Writing Process and Number 7

       Did you know that the number seven is considered a lucky number in American culture?  Four leaf clovers and horse shoes are also lucky. The number seven is important in betting, for example, in Las Vegas. If you get three 7's on a slot machine you might win a lot of money. Rainbows are lucky; they have seven colors. You get the idea. On the other hand, the number 13 is considered an unlucky number in the US.  Many hotels do not have a 13th floor! You follow seven steps to write a good essay: 1. Pick a topic, 2. Think about your topic and Brainstorm, 3. Create an outline, 4. Write the first draft using your outline, 5. Peer review, 6. Revise the first draft based on the peer review, 7. Write and proofread the final draft.  Follow these steps and you will write a good essay every time. Seven  is a lucky number. What is a lucky number in your country?  Are there any unlucky numbers? Are there lucky objects? 

Writing and Thinking: The Writing Process

I tell my ESL students that good writing starts with thinking--clear and organized thinking. We talk about different methods to organize and focus their thoughts prior to writing, such as brainstorming, listing, clustering, outlining, interviewing, peer-reviewing, and so on. Once they have a clear idea of what they want to write about, and how, the writing part is relatively easy. If they don't really know what they want to write about and what they want to emphasize and focus on, the result will not be good. I read somewhere that "every great thing begins as an idea." It's the same with writing. Great writing begins with great thinking. Or put another way, a piece of writing is no better than the thinking that produced it.

There is another kind of writing called stream-of-consciousness writing, which is basically writing what you are thinking. I'll write a few words about that kind of writing tomorrow.