Writing Process PowerPoint Presentation
the writing process.
{ Carrie Thornbrugh, M.A.
Academy of Art University
June 2015
Material adapted from Good Reasons with
Contemporary Arguments. 5 th Edition. Faigley and
Selzer. Glenview, IL: Pearson. 2012.
“There is nothing to writing.
All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway
Beauty
Utility
Intrigue
Why do we write?
Personal Narrative
Presents a personal point-of-view.
Grounded in real-world facts and issues whilst simultaneously grounded in the self.
Uses narrative techniques such as: characterization, plot, setting, description, concrete details, etc.
Shows rather than tells.
How does this differ from a short story?
This will be a true story from your life.
The purpose is not merely to entertain; your purpose is to persuade. i.e. the story you tell should have a point!
Elements of Creative
Nonfiction
Scene: Action that takes place in real time.
The dramatic/important moments of your narrative should almost always be in scene so that the reader can witness important events as they unfold, rather than have them told to us after the fact.
Scenes give the reader a break from the author’s voice , allowing them to feel present in the moment.
Avoid telling in your work; instead, show behavior such as thoughts, speech, or action to illustrate what the character is feeling or doing.
Evoke an experience rather than giving information.
Scene
Summary: Covers what happened but not in real time. Narrative summary compresses time and is utilized for the less dramatic moments of your piece.
Useful if a scene of this aspect wouldn’t be interesting or if you are saving action for key moments.
Tends to feel like a lecture if too much info is conveyed through summary.
Summary
Showing rather than Telling: Good narrative technique includes scenes that show us what happened and how you felt at key moments in your story.
Example of Telling: “The horse was wild.”
Example of Showing: “Blue galloped furiously, as if he were being ridden, around and around his five beautiful acres. He whinnied until he couldn’t.
He tore at the ground with his hooves. He butted himself again his single shade tree.”
--Alice Walker, “Am I Blue?”
Narrative Technique
(Beauty)
When writing your personal narrative, try to move away from the general and abstract and aim for specific and concrete.
Concrete words are specific, precise and tangible and refer to definite persons, places or things. We understand concrete language through sensory organs.
EX: 100 degrees, grass, sofa, 1997 Ford Contour
EX: In order to earn an A in Calculus class, you’ll have to attend every class, complete each assignment, study at night and get help when if you don’t understand a concept.
Specific terms refer to individuals rather than broad groups.
Ex: school (general) How can this be made more specific?____________
General language can often be vague but keep in mind that you should get specific when it matters.
Be specific!
Research
Human beings are curious animals—We learn naturally when trying to solve problems that concern us.
*If possible: Choose a topic that interests you.
If topic is assigned: Important to examine why we should care.
Intrigue/ Utility
Research is like detective work. You have to search for leads and follow each one until you find what you're looking for.
Don’t get discouraged when a lead turns out to be a deadend. Adjust your strategy and asking for help when you need it.
Successful research depends on discovering the right search terms or keywords. This can take time.
It's always a good idea to ask a reference librarian for help because they are trained in how to find good search terms.
Research
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/1/
MLA CITATION
What Is MLA Style and Why Is It
Important?
MLA citation is a method of citation that is used in various disciplines in the humanities and liberal arts.
Using a standardized documentation method such as MLA can help build one's credibility
(ethos) as an author. It shows the author's accountability to the source material.
Protects the author from accusations of plagiarism, which is the use of material written by others without inclusion of proper source citations.
M odern L anguage A ssociation
Incorporating Evidence from Sources into
Your Paper
Evidence should be incorporated through: quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing.
Do your best to summarize (put the main idea of an article into your own words in a sentence or two) or paraphrase (put a sentence or two from an article into your own words).
Quote sparingly (a good rule of thumb is to include no more than 1-2 brief quotes per page).
It’s better to quote short phrases and work these into your sentences whenever possible rather than to quote several lines at a time.
Quoting is best when the original language is especially memorable, concise, or when you want to lend credibility to your claim by quoting an expert.
MLA In-Text Citation Rules
When you summarize, paraphrase, or quote from an author, you must credit the author intext (in the body of the paper).
If you paraphrase or quote from an article, credit the author in one of two ways:
1) Give the author's last name in the sentence or
2) Put the author's last name in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. In either case, if the article has page numbers, you must put the page number on which you found the quote or paraphrase in a parenthesis at the end of the sentence.
MLA In-Text Citation Rules
In general, you should not copy more than 5 words in a row from a source without putting those words in quotes and crediting the author.
In most cases, copying more than 5 words in a row without putting those words in quotes and crediting the author is considered plagiarism.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Use quotes sparingly. For example, one or two brief quotations per page is sufficient. Your research essay should be your own writing, not a list of quotes strung together.
**Remember to properly introduce quotes (avoid making a quotation into its own sentence with no introduction or context) and follow them by stating how they illustrate, exemplify, or apply to your argument.
Instead of quoting long, mundane paragraphs of writing, put it into your own words and add commentary. Just be sure to cite all information found in sources, even if you summarize or paraphrase the information.
Use sources to support your own argument, not to make it for you.
A Note on Quotes
Credible sources include:
articles published in scholarly journals,
articles published in major newspapers,
websites or publications by academic institutions and centers
websites or publications by nonprofit organizations
government websites or publications
Interviews count if your source is credible
EX: Interview with expert in the field
Credible Sources
The following sources are not reliable and are not acceptable sources for papers written in college:
Popular magazines like Rolling Stone, or Vanity Fair
Anonymous websites, blogs, or articles
Websites, blogs, or articles written by individuals not affiliated with an organization or institution and/or an author without credentials/expertise in the field
Student papers
Comments by the general public in response to an article
Tabloids like the National Enquirer.
NOT Credible
The most commonly used non-credible sources in student papers are anonymous sources or sources written by individuals without credentials/expertise in the field they are writing about.
This usually happens because the student conducts research through a general search of the internet (i.e. a Google search) instead of using an online library database or an internet search tool designed for research.
Librarian's Internet Index is an internet search tool vetted by librarians, which contains credible websites.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
If you can’t find what you are looking for, contact a reference librarian at the San
Francisco Public Library or your local library.
Reference librarians are trained in conducting research and are there to help you! If you're having a difficult time finding information, what you should not do is assume that there just isn't anything out there on your topic; talk to a reference librarian first.
Tip: Research databases: Academic Search
Premier, EBSCO.
Research Help
Important: You will not find as many good sources through Google as you will through a library.
Google is not discerning and pulls all sources related to your search term—credible or not.
Generally, credible sources are found through online library databases and catalogues.
Wikipedia is not a credible source for collegelevel research.
Can be a good source to consult when you're first learning about a topic but it should never be cited in an essay.
Look at the sources cited by the Wikipedia author (listed at the end of the page) to see if any of those are credible sources—could find some good leads!
Wikipedia
Well-Organized Paragraphs
What's SEA?
S = Sub-point is the point to be proved in your paragraph; sub means "below" or "supporting," so the sub-point supports the main point (thesis) of your essay
E = Evidence used to illustrate the point. This evidence includes facts, statistics, examples, definitions, expert opinions, and descriptions.
A = Analysis of what the evidence shows and how it supports the sub-point. This may include interpretation of the evidence, explanation of the evidence, discussion of the evidence, etc.
Good paragraphs have all three ingredients (S, E, and A); the writer usually alternates between E and
A.
S.E.A.
Help from Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/1/
Starting the Writing Process
Prewriting (Invention)
Writer's Block
Creating a Thesis Statement
Developing an Outline
Reverse Outlining
Proofreading
The Process
WEBSITES FOR STATISTICAL RESEARCH
U.S. Government website with statistical data: www.fedstats.gov
For information on polls and surveys, the PEW
Research Center is a reliable source for press, politics, and public policy issues: peoplepress.org
BOOKS:
What the Best College Students Do. Bain, Ken.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
2012.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7 th
Edition. Modern Language Association. 2009.
