Notes

Class Notes

1st Step in Writing Process: Make a Point

Think of a few analogies here:

Think of a puzzle….first thing you do? Set the boundaries/edges/parameters—then you are making ONE puzzle and your scope is established
Think of an umbrella---it creates the parameters of protection from rain
Think of a moving box marked TOYS—only toys go in there

NOW let’s look at HOW we create UNITY—in what? With what?

OUR TOPIC SENTENCE

Placed usually where? EARLY—in a paragraph—first sentence; in an essay—first paragraph

What else is a TS called?

Main idea promise statement
Controlling concept
Generative sentence
Red thread (show dark picture—Mona Lisa)

How do we write this thing?

TWO PARTS What a TS must have

1. a LIMITED TOPIC, SUBJECT or SCOPE (can achieve that with prewriting)—let’s use one of your topics

2. WRITER’s SLANT/IDEA/ATTITUDE about the topic—what you want to say/prove about it, sometimes called the argumentative edge, the aboutness. This is the hard part…HOW is it achieved?

a. By using a judgment word (right, wrong, effective, beautiful, misguided, beneficial, harmful, detrimental, success, failure)

OR b. By using the word SHOULD (not)—arguing a course of action

ONE more thing:

Here are what TS should NOT be:

1. Too broad

2. Too Narrow/Factual, Dead-end statement (duh)

3. An announcement

4. A question

5. Too judgmental (stupid idiot)

NOW, onto the 2nd Step in Writing Process

2. SUPPORT YOUR POINT WITH Specific and Adequate EVIDENCE

What does that mean?

SPECIFIC MEANS-- what stands out for the reader

Capital letters: proper names of people, places, products
Numbers: dates, times, stats, money, ages
Punctuations/Signs: quotes, dashes, dollar signs, percents
Descriptions: similes, metaphors, personification

NOW what does ADEQUATE mean? Sufficient/Enough—three major (at least) point/reasons

3. NOW, ONTO STEP 3

ORGANIZE EVIDENCE/PLAN/OUTLINE (COHERENCE)

To do this, there are three main considerations….

1. Overall Structure/Length: Let’s look at a paragraph considered to have MODEL STRUCTURE (Page 49)

“Changes in the Family”—what our first WR will look like

Major Point #1: Mom not there

Details: (Then) Dad worked; (Now) after-school programs/alone

Major Point #2: do not eat together

Details: (Then) Mom fixed dinner; (Now) take out, fast food, eat at different times

Major Point #3: TV taking over conversations

Details: (Then) eat together, talk, share; (Now) watch TV in separate rooms

Conclusion: Restate in different words

LENGTH: 11-14 sentences

2. USE Transitions: used to move from one idea to the next (Like traffic signals, directional devices)…think of TS as our steering wheel

Look back to “Changes in Family”---identify the transitions…First of all, another, finally, clearly (4)

Standard Number of Transitions: 3-5

THREE BIGGIES for you at this time:

Moving along to next point: In addition, furthermore, also
Showing details: for examples, for instance, to tillustrate
Conclusions: clearly, indeed, ceryainly, surely, obviously (NO in conclusion, insummary, to conclude)

3. Ordering Strategy: How do we decide which of our THREE supporting points goes 1,2,3?

NEED a PLAN:

a. Time order: arrange three points as they occur (NARRATIVE)

b. EMPHATIC order: arrange three points in order of importance—least to greatest/ best is last

The most important reason, best of all, the most significant point, the greatest reason

Onto Step 4: Ch. 5 Sentence Skills (Writing Error-Free Sentences)

This completes the USCS Model

When you check for Errors, Read the Writing THREE times aloud
1. Revise (paragraph level—looking at the flow/style, checking for confusion/errors or holes in logic/ inconsistencies
2. EDIT: (sentence level)—grammar and punctuation
3. PROOOFREAD: (word level)—spelling, repeated words, typos)
REP MODEL

Now that we have our FIRST FOUR STEPS COMPLETED, we will start to use them in our specific Writing Assignments (multiparagraph)

let’s start applying our Steps in Writing to a specific strategy…

NARRATIVE (with descriptions)---what? Why? How?

What is it? (DEFINE)—a story with a point

Why do we write stories? To be creative, understandable, interesting, relatable, memorable

How do we write? STORIES MUST HAVE FOUR PARTS…

1. Characters (must be described)

2. Setting (Time and Place)—must be described

3. Conflict/Dramatic Situation—must be described

4. A POINT—a message/truth/moral; a universal idea that can be applied by the reader

OPTIONAL ELEMENTS: (but smart to include)—

Dialogue----external (quotes); internal (italics)

STRUCTURE: We are writing a FAMILIAR ESSAY—a story about YOU written in the “I” voice…about a tough Choice/decision you had to make

THREE PARTS:

1st Paragraph Introduction to characters and setting—use descriptions to explain enough about the people’s background to help set up a later problem

2nd Part (1 ½ - 2 pages)—THE STORY/THE EVENT with the problem A Short scene (15-20 minutes) where a conflict is reaching its peak/ where a decision is required—for good or bad)
- Begin with “One day” language to put us in the scene