Stages of Writing
Prewriting
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Prewriting
 Prewriting is the process of coming up with ideas for
your essay.
 This is not formal, polished writing.
 There are many prewriting techniques, but we will be
discussing:
 Brainstorming
 Freewriting
 Clustering
 Outlining
Brainstorming
Freewriting
Clustering
 A way of narrowing your thoughts by connecting your
ideas
 Great techniques for visual learners
Topics to choose from
 My goals five years from now…
 My biggest fear…
 Something this school really needs is . . .
 An unforgettable dream
Tagmemics
 Tagmemics is a system that allows you to look at a
single object from three different perspectives. The
hope is that one of these perspectives (or even all
three) can help you to determine a subject for writing.
Tagmemics involves seeing your topic:
 As a particle (as a thing in itself)
 As a wave (as a thing changing over time)
 As part of a field (as a thing in its context)
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/topic.shtml#topoi
Tagmemics: As a Particle
As A “particle” a thing in itself:
Let's say that you want to write a paper on . If you use
tagmemics as a system of invention, you will begin by
looking at Malcolm X as a thing in himself. In other words,
what are the characteristics of Malcolm X as a man? The
characteristics of his philosophy?
From http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/topic.shtml#topoi
Tagmemics: As a Wave
As a wave (one thing changing over time)
You next might consider Malcolm X in terms of how his role in the civil rights
movement changed over time. Certainly Malcolm X experienced a radical shift
in his beliefs about civil rights; you might explore this shift and the
consequences both for Malcolm X and for the movement as a whole. You might
also consider how history has viewed Malcolm X over time. You might have
discovered in your reading that there exists today some division of opinion as
to whether or not Malcolm X ought to be considered a civil rights leader. What
forces have contributed to this dispute, and how has the nature of the dispute
changed over time?
From http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/topic.shtml#topoi
Tagmemics: As a Field
As a field (one thing in context with something else)
Finally, consider Malcolm X as a thing in context. Relate him to his
culture, to his moment in time. Look for the causes that produced
Malcolm X, as well as the effect he had on his own historical period. Or
compare or contrast him with other civil rights figures to see what
special contribution he made to the movement and its history. You
might even connect Malcolm X with unlikely events and figures in
order to provide a wide context for his work and his life.
From http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_papertopic.shtml#topoi
Aristotle’s Topoi
1. Definition
2. Division
3. Comparison
4. Relationships
5. Testimony
Topic to choose from
Use any one of the prewriting techniques
(brainstorming, freewrite, clustering, topoi,
tagmemics) to generate ideas for one of the following
topics:
 Someone that inspires me…
 Some that I inspired…
Outlining
 Outlining comes after you already have the ideas
for your paper.
 It is a way of laying out your thoughts before you
begin writing.
 Use bullet points to write down each concept you
want to mention in the order you want to mention
them.
 For more detail, see the Writing Center’s handout
on outlining.
Thesis: The decisions I have to make in choosing college courses depend
on larger questions that I am beginning to ask myself about my life’s work.
I. Two decisions described
A. Art history or chemistry
1. Professional considerations
2. Personal considerations
B. A third year of French?
1. Practical advantages of knowing a foreign language
2. Intellectual advantages
3. The issue of necessity
II. Definition of the problem
A. Decisions about occupation
B. Decisions about a kind of life to lead
III. Temporary resolution of the problem
A. To hold open a professional possibility: chemistry
B. To take advantage of cultural gains already made: French
Drafting
 The draft is the first attempt to organize information.
 Typically called a rough draft for a reason.
 YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES!
 Your essay structure does not need to be perfect.
Revising
 Reworking your essay so that the ideas are expressed in
the best way possible.
 Revising is not the editing stage.
Global Revision
Content
Structure
Thesis
Strong supporting points
Local Revision
Grammar, spelling, etc.
Editing
 Editing is eliminating punctuation, grammar, and
spelling mistakes.
 Should be saved for the end of the writing process.
 SpellCheck can be a false friend!
Checklist for Editing
Have you read your work aloud to listen for
problems?
Did you check every possible misspelling in a
dictionary?
Have you avoided run-ons?
Are you using verbs, pronouns, and modifiers
correctly?
Have you used your punctuation correctly?
Are your capital letters correct?