Writing Is A Process

Writing Is A Process

A Private Session Presentation
Richard R. Becker, Copywrite, Ink.

Tuesday, January 28, 14

Introduction


Good.

When graduating students are asked
whether or not they believe they are good
writers, about half or more agree.*

Proficient.

*National Assessment of Educational Progress (paraphrased)

Introduction


Good.

Proficient.

When graduating students are tested to
determine their writing ability, about
25 percent demonstrate proficiency.*

Poor.
*National Assessment of Educational Progress (paraphrased)

Basic.

Introduction


Most people treat writing as a skill set,
but it requires different disciplines.

Introduction


Research.
Form.
Writing.
Editing.
Proofreading.
Presentation.

Introduction


Research


The systematic investigation into and study of materials and
sources in order to establish facts and reach conclusions.

Research


The average student will invest three
minutes of time to research subjects
before writing a paper or assignment.*

*National Center For Education Statistics

Research


The average professional would be best
served by dedicating as much as 40
percent of total project time to research.

Research


Main Points
• Select a finite number of topics based on a pressing need.
• Prioritize those topics with an industry and audience lens.
• Collect quantitative analysis, such as benchmarks and surveys.
• Conduct qualitative analysis, like interviews and observations.
• Verify all research with second sources and opposing views.

Research


Mechanics
1. Prepare yourself well ahead of the interview with research.
2. Warm the interviewee up by asking the easiest questions.
3. Alternate between factual questions and first-hand accounts.
4. Invite the interviewee to ask questions and create dialogue.
5. Demonstrate active listening and end on setting up an action.

Research


FORM


The shape, appearance, constitution, and configuration of
that defines the state of any communication.

Form


Mixed Media.
Creative.

Short Essay.
A visual representation of the form that
student writing exercises take during any
given week.*

Math.

Journal Entry.

*The Pew Research Center

Form


Excellent.
Good.

Poor.
How Advanced Placement and National
Writing Project teachers rate the structure
and organization of student writing.*

Basic.

Form


Main Points
• Structure denotes how the information is presented.
• Format is dictated by the limitations of the medium.
• Consistency considers contextual relationships.
• Pace is the speed in which people consume the context.
• Connectivity considers the ability of an audience to relate.

Form


Mechanics
Introduction.

Middle.

Conclusion.

Flow.
Pace.
Essentials.

Voice.

Style.

Audience.

Three mechanics that make up form can be described as
mass, dimension, and gravity.

Form


Writing


The medium that complements our spoken language with a
dependency on a system of signs and symbols.

Writing


Almost 98 percent of employers consider
oral and written communication skills
critical among job applicants.*

*Millennial Branding

Writing


Excellent.
Good.
How Advanced Placement and National
Writing Project teachers rate the ability of
their students to write a strong argument.*


Poor.

Basic.

Writing


Main Points
• Accuracy is what matters above all. It has to be right.
• Clarity is less about words and more about understanding.
• Concise writing strives for maximum impact, minimal means.
• Humanity reminds the writer to have a conversation.
• Being conspicuous draws people in without being garish.

Writing


Mechanics
1. Establish the thesis or objective of your communication.
2. Prioritize the content around three or four major themes.
3. Flesh out the facts until every topic question is answered.
4. Evaluate the content for a central point or engaging lead.
5. Summarize the content with a conclusion and call to action.

Writing


Editing


The process of reviewing the organization, structure,
transition, position, evidence, and argument of a draft.

Editing


Main Points
• Communicate a point and check the evidence supporting it.
• Make sure that the structure fits the purpose of the piece.
• Edit any unclear sentences and define any important terms.
• Consider whether or not you have adhered to the right style.
• Make sure that all appropriate citations have been made.

Editing


Mechanics
• Basic English grammar book.
• A collegiate dictionary.
• The Associated Press Stylebook.
• The Chicago Manual of Style.
• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
• Industry and organization-related guides.

Editing


Proofreading


The final stage of editing with a focus on surface errors such
as spelling, grammar, style, and punctuation.

Proofreading


• Check spelling by reading backwards and seeing each word.
• Read the content out loud and listen for alliteration.
• Lightly circle punctuation, forcing it to stand on its own.
• Look for things you don’t know rather than lists of what you do.
• Change the context with a ruler, printer, or even a new font.

Proofreading


Mechanics
• Caret. Insertion.

• lc. Lower case.

• Switch. Transpose.

• Link. Remove space.

• Paragraph. Big P.

• Squiggle. Delete.

• Three lines. Capitalize.

• STET. Retain.

• Circle X. Add a period.

• Backslash. Split.

Proofreading


Style And Usage
• Sentence fragments. All sentences have subjects and verbs.
• Run-on sentences. Sentences only need one main clause.
• Misplaced modifiers. Misplaced modifiers confuse the action.
• Pronoun cases. They are different as subjects or objects.
• Subject/verb agreement. Singular subjects have singular verbs.
• ‘Self’ pronouns. Remember -self refers to a preceding noun.

Proofreading


Style And Usage
• Antecedent agreement. Pronouns match the nouns they replace.
• Comparatives. -est compares three or more, -er compares two.
• Comparisons. Make sure you compare similar items.
• Negatives. Avoid double negatives and negative words like but.
• Plural looking nouns. Nouns like measurements are singular.
• To be verbs have a place. They denote a state of being.

Proofreading


Capitalization
• The first word in every sentence.
• The beginning of all quotes.
• The first word of a sentence after a colon.
• Proper nouns, except titles following a name.
• Special cases, such earth, classes, seasons, and gods.
• The titles of things, with some design exceptions.

Proofreading


Abbreviation
• Most positions or ranks are only abbreviated with first names.
• Academic titles are only abbreviated after the name.
• Organizational abbreviations need to be set by the company.
• Spell out ‘percent’ except lists, parenthesis, or style constraints.
• States have special abbreviations determined by AP Style.

Proofreading


Punctuation
• Periods end a sentence.
• Question marks end a direct question.
• Exclamation points convey strong emotion.
• Commas can be mastered by the 85 percent rule.
• Colons designate lists, related clauses, and one kind of quote.
• Dashes are used to share empathic information.
• Hyphens clarify modifiers before a noun.
• The apostrophe denotes contractions first and foremost.

Proofreading


Presentation


The final publication or production of any written
communication, whether script or screen.

Presentation


Main Points
• Provides a well-organized story, from start to finish.
• Starts with an effective lead and follows with specific facts.
• Covers the subject throughly, with an identifiable action.
• Looks for new and interesting ways to tell a complete story.
• Edits and proofreads, working toward crisper content.

Presentation


Mechanics
• Language Accuracy.

• Economy of Language.

• Word Relationships.

• Void Of Redundancy.

• Clarify Mistaken Words.

• Adheres To Style.

• Avoid Hype To Excite.

• Invests In Readers.

• Active Content Excites.

• Vividness In Detail.

Presentation


Writing Is A Process
richardrbecker.com



Writing Is A Process

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