Section 28
The essay is assigned . . .
Brainstorm a list (all ideas in writing)
Know what you want to communicate
Choose a topic you are familiar with.
Write
Use guide questions that your essay will answer
Pick an appropriate place to work
Find your tools
Read--articles, books,
Find vocabulary in dictionaries and books
Find a partner for discussion
Have an audience in mind
Use easy words and clear easy sentences that are meaningful
Go to the Writing Center
Towards the middle of your time . . .
Write your introduction
When you get stuck take a break, read what you have written, give examples
Write like you're talking to someone
List your main ideas
Organize your ideas
Write a draft
Don't worry about mistakes
Try to stay on the topic
Forget your own language
Write the body of the essay
Revise
Outline
The essay is almost due . . .
Write the conclusion
Write the introduction
Add ideas--revise
Give your essay to someone
Use grammarcheck
Use spellcheck
Check for your main ideas
Proofread
Go to the Writing Center
Print the essay and proofread it
Format the essay
Section 36
The essay is assigned . . .
Think
Use sources: TV, books, computer web, newspapers, friends, own experiences,
and teachers
Write: notes, draft, keywords, everything that occurs to your mind
(freewriting), write down your ideas wherever they occur to you—carry notecards
for this purpose
Get a broad view of the topic
Write some “interesting” sentences
Imagine your readers,
Find the right place to get inspired—what time of day is best for you?
Do you need a large desk or table? Do you need chocolate or some
other food or drink?
Use the right tools—Do you need a computer? Do you need colored pens?
Start typing
Use your own language to help get your ideas together
Towards the middle of your time . . .
Write a draft
Go to the Writing Center
Write down adjectives
Add specific examples
When you get stuck—put your writing away, drink tea, think about your
life in relation to the assignment, go back to your sources, read what
you already have written, think about other related aspects of the assignment
Type it
Revise—change and improve the essay, omit parts, add parts, move parts
around
The essay is almost due . . .
Read the essay
Give it to friends/teacher to look for mistakes, to get different viewpoints,
to find out if your ideas are clear or if they need more explanation
Make a clean copy
Avoid clichés
Check for word choice problems
Proofread for any kind of mistake like punctuation, spelling, and repeated
words
Section 38
The essay is assigned . . .
Think
Ki sho ten ketsu this is a Japanese plan for an essay (introduction,
ideas or thesis, other point of view or antithesis, conclusion)
Plan
Know your purpose
Brainstorm
Don’t get worried
Type
Find an uncommon topic
Think about your readers
Gather information (books, newspaper, internet)
Use clear appropriate words
Organize your ideas and highlight the main ones
Find the right place to write
Love your topic
Towards the middle of your time . . .
Write a draft (not a list)
Write the body first
Write the introduction first
Go to the Writing Center
Revise
Outline
When you get stuck—sleep, do something else, forget it for a while
Ask friends
Type
Read your draft
The essay is almost due . . .
Write the introduction
Write the conclusion
Look for correct sentence structure
Proofread for mistakes
Type
Use computer tools—spellcheck and grammarcheck
Format your essay