Planning, Shaping, Drafting, Revising
Generating Ideas and Text
Most students think that writing an essay is a one-step process. They can wait until the night before the
due date and regurgitate a well-thought out paper onto the computer screen.
For some lucky few, this is indeed the case. But that’s probably because they have some experience
with writing already.
How we will do essays for this class, so pay attention:
We will:
Think about the paper. We will engage in prewriting activities like brainstorming, listing, questioning,
clustering, diagramming, outlining.
We will create a real live, honest-to-goodness thesis statement!
A thesis statement contains your topic and your take. Maybe even your plan for how you will support
your take on your topic.
We will create an outline. For reals. We will do this whether we think we need to or not. It’s five points of
your paper; you will turn it in. It will contain your thesis statement and your topic sentences for your
support paragraphs.
We will then and only then engage in our drafting of the essay. We will begin to write! We will think
before we put our fingers on the keyboard. We will read the relevant chapters and example essays
before we begin drafting so that we know how that particular kind of essay should look.
We will write our rough draft. We will save each version of our essay under a different file name so that
no work is ever lost.
We will print out the rough draft so that we can read it over.
We will read it for content, to make sure that it flows well and that each paragraph supports the thesis.
We will read it for errors. We will proofread and edit, fixing grammar and style issues.
We will, because we are perfectionists, reread the stupid old essay we are ridiculously tired of one more
stinking time and fix any left over rough spots because we want our instructor to weep with delight at the
sheer perfection of the brilliant piece of writing we have produced.
Generating Ideas and Text
Most students think that writing an essay is a one-step process. They can wait until the night before the
due date and regurgitate a well-thought out paper onto the computer screen.
For some lucky few, this is indeed the case. But that’s probably because they have some experience
with writing already.
How we will do essays for this class, so pay attention:
We will:
Think about the paper. We will engage in prewriting activities like brainstorming, listing, questioning,
clustering, diagramming, outlining.
We will create a real live, honest-to-goodness thesis statement!
A thesis statement contains your topic and your take. Maybe even your plan for how you will support
your take on your topic.
We will create an outline. For reals. We will do this whether we think we need to or not. It’s five points of
your paper; you will turn it in. It will contain your thesis statement and your topic sentences for your
support paragraphs.
We will then and only then engage in our drafting of the essay. We will begin to write! We will think
before we put our fingers on the keyboard. We will read the relevant chapters and example essays
before we begin drafting so that we know how that particular kind of essay should look.
We will write our rough draft. We will save each version of our essay under a different file name so that
no work is ever lost.
We will print out the rough draft so that we can read it over.
We will read it for content, to make sure that it flows well and that each paragraph supports the thesis.
We will read it for errors. We will proofread and edit, fixing grammar and style issues.
We will, because we are perfectionists, reread the stupid old essay we are ridiculously tired of one more
stinking time and fix any left over rough spots because we want our instructor to weep with delight at the
sheer perfection of the brilliant piece of writing we have produced.
