THE WRITING PROCESS

Below is a step by step writing guide with vetted resources.  As always, check with your teacher if you are unsure about how to proceed with any step of the writing process.

The first step in any type of writing process is to understand your assignment.  First, understand the type of paper you will be writing according to your teacher and the assignment.  In general, there are 6 major types of essays you may be writing in English class:

• • Analytical - this type of essay requires you to look at an issue or idea, break it down, evaluate it, and present your findings to an audience.

  • Argumentative/Persuasive - in this type of essay you will present an opinion or interpretation of a topic and justify your claims with specific evidence.  Your goal is to convince your audience of your opinion using facts and evidence.

  • Expository - this type of essay requires you to explain something to your audience.

  • Narrative - in a narrative essay you are telling a story.  It can be either fiction or non fiction.

  • Synthesis - in this type of essay you will be asked to gather information from a variety of sources and make a claim or statement about a topic.  In general, you will be synthesizing information in MOST essays, but in a synthesis essay, your teacher's main focus is how you can bring multiple sources of information together to make a claim.

Review the assignment rubric in detail.  You should pay attention to all of the requirements of the paper as well, including seemingly small details like font style and font size.  Understand all aspects of the assignment before you begin.  Be sure to check in with your teacher if you do not understand the assignment or stop by the HUM ARC in the Library Media Center for extra help.  Check out the schedule here.

More resources for understanding the assignment:

• • Understanding Your Assignment - OWL Purdue

  • Questions to Ask about Your Assignment - UNC Writing Center

  • School Wide Writing Rubric - English Department

A thesis statement is the sentence in your introduction that makes a point and takes a stand.  It shows your perspective on a certain topic.

• • Expresses in one sentence what you will explain in the paper.

  • Draws a conclusion about the topic of your paper.

  • Uses specific language.

  • Generates a multi-part argument (includes each supporting point).

  • Generally the last sentence of the introduction.

  • Not too obvious, vague or simple.

Below are some additional resources to help you understand thesis statements and write your own.

• • Debatable Thesis Statements - OWL Purdue

  • Different Types of Thesis Statements by Essay Type - OWL Purdue

  • Writing Thesis Statements Practice Sheet - PDF

  • Good vs. Bad Thesis Statements - Kibin Essay Writing Blog

  • How to Write a Killer Thesis Statement Video - Shmoop

In order to support your thesis, you'll need evidence from the text and/or additional sources depending on the assignment.  Use the databases and academic search engines to gather evidence.

Note: Identifying quotes from your text for your essay is SIGNIFICANTLY easier if you are annotating/sticky noting as you read.  (This goes for research as well.)  Flag quotes you find important.  Read with a topic in mind - what is your unit about?  If you can keep the big idea in mind and sticky notes in your pocket, your ability to identify strong, supporting quotes will be stronger.

• Choosing the Right Quote - UNC Writing Center

• Choosing the Right Quote - CUNY Writing Fellows

Once you have a thesis and an idea of your supporting evidence for your claim, you are ready to outline/draft your essay.  For some teachers/assignments, an outline is required.  It is a good idea to make outlining a habit even if it is not required.  Having a complete outline will make the writing process a lot easier. Most essays will be organized in the Introduction, Body, Conclusion format.  Be sure to check over your assignment, read your rubric, and check in with your teacher about the length and format requirements.  Once your outline is complete, you are ready to begin drafting your essay.  Follow the guidelines below when drafting and use the resources below to guide your work.  Note: You should be integrating quotations in this step as well - more on expertly blending quotes into your essay in the next section.

Introduction

• Hook - You'll first want to hook your reader to get him/her interested in the topic you'll be addressing.  There are several types of hooks (Anecdotal, Question, Statistic, Quotation).  See below:

  • Types of Hooks with Examples - Writing Studio

• Introduction of Ideas/Text - Transition to the topic of your essay.  What are you writing about?  Introduce the idea/issue/text.

• Thesis - Generally speaking, your thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.  This may vary depending on the type of paper/assignment.  As always, check with your teacher to be sure.

Body Paragraphs

In general, your body paragraphs should flow in the form of an inverted pyramid, meaning from general to specific.  Start broad and then work your way into more detail by supporting your claim with specific evidence from the text and analysis.  Use the OWL Purdue Resource for writing body paragraphs here.

• Topic Sentence/Transition - Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence.  This sentence should be related to your thesis statement and should introduce the main topic of this particular body paragraph.  In many cases it will serve as a transition as well.

  • Topic Sentences - University of Toronto

  • Topic Sentences - OWL Purdue

  • Transitions - University of Wisconsin Writing Lab

• Make Claim - Introduce your claim.  Be clear and concise.

• Evidence - Add your quotes.  You want to make sure your quotes blend seamlessly.  Introduce the quote, add the quote, cite properly, and lastly/most importantly, tie your quote back to your claim.  Use the resources below to help.

  • Integrating Quotes into Your Writing - UNC Writing Center

  • Blending Quotes

  • OWL Purdue Quote Integration

• Closing

  • Close your paragraph by summing up your claim.  Be sure you are always tying your statements back to your thesis statement.

Conclusion

You're almost done!  Conclusions can be tough.  But that's why we're here to help.  You want to think of this as your last chance to convey your thoughts to your reader.  You'll want to start with a transition sentence.  Then restate your idea/thesis in a new, summative way - be sure you are not simply repeating yourself.  You're really just trying to summarize your claims.  Finally, make a real world connection - what is the real world importance of this claim/opinion?  See the resources below for tips/things to avoid.

• Tips and What to Avoid When Writing Conclusions - University of Richmond

• Tips and What to Avoid When Writing Conclusions - Time4Writing

Outline/Drafting Resources

• • How to Create an Outline - OWL Purdue

  • Analytical Essay Outline Sample - PDF from Kibin Writing Blog

  • Argumentative Essay Outline Resource - Kibin Writing Blog

  • Expository Essay Outline Resource - Kibin Writing Blog

  • Venn Diagram for Compare/Contrast Essays - Student Handouts

Before you submit your essay for a grade, you should revise.  Be sure to give yourself a day or two for this part of the process.  If you procrastinate and save your essay for the last minute, you will not have time for this crucial step!  Allow yourself a day or two to step away from your essay.  This helps clear your mind from what you've been working on for a while and can give you more clarity when you come back to your essay to revise.  You can use the resources below to guide your revision.  Feel free to visit the Writing Center for help or check with your teacher.

• Revision Guide - OWL Purdue

• Revision Checklist - Sloane State

• Peer Editing Form - PDF