The document outlines the writing process in 6 steps: prewriting, rough draft, revision, editing and proofreading, final draft, and publishing. Prewriting involves generating ideas through activities like listing, free writing, clustering, and outlining. The rough draft is the initial full version. Revision involves reworking content. Editing focuses on grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The final draft is polished. Publishing shares the work with others.

1. The Writing Process
Prewriting
Rough Draft
Revision
Editing and Proofreading
Final Draft
Publishing

2. Did you know that…
… we think at a speed of  Our hands will never be
about 365 words per able to keep up with the
minute? pace of our thoughts.
…we speak at a speed of
about 125 words per  As we compose, our
minute? thoughts keep looping
…we handwrite at a speed back to what our hand
of about 30 words per is writing.
minute?

3. Prewriting
 Where do ideas come
from?
 Listing
 Free writing
 Speedwriting
 Mapping/Webbing
 Clustering
 Outlining
 False Starts

4. Prewriting
Source of Riches
 A listing activity (hand out)
1. List people or animals from a category in the
first group.
2. List places from a category in the second
group.
3. List stories from a category in the third group.
4. Select one item from your three lists.
5. Write a secondary list about the single item
you selected.

5. Did you know…
 …that it is nearly impossible
to have a thought without
words? Try it.
 Before long, words will come
crowding back into your
brain.
 Our inner voice talks to us
continually – even in our
dreams – from about the age
of two until death.

6. Prewriting
 A clustering activity (hand out)
1. Write “English” in the center of a blank sheet of paper.
2. Draw a circle around the word.
3. Then, rapidly, and in Spanish, jot the words and phrases that come to
mind around this nucleus word.
4. Do this quickly without thought or analysis.
5. Return to the nucleus word “English” as often as you like to begin a
new train of thought.
6. When you “feel” done (1-4 minutes). Stop. Look at your cluster.
Circle the words and phrases. Connect ideas with lines wherever you
see a connection of ideas.
7. Write a focusing sentence about something in your cluster.
8. Write “Being Lost” in the center of a blank sheet of paper. Repeat
steps 2-10.

7. Clusters are chaotic.
1. Do not worry if your
words make little
sense.
2. Do not worry if your
thoughts stray into
unrelated topics.
3. Do not worry if your
cluster is messy.

8. Drafting
Writing Tools
 What kind of pen?
 What kind of pencil?
 Keyboard?
 Desk?
 Chair?
 Couch or bed?
 Music or silence?
 Food?

9. Composing
 Use your prewriting
exercises to help you decide
what to write about.
 Perhaps something from
your childhood?
 Write for ____________
minutes.
 Try to ignore others near you
and focus your thoughts on
what you want to say.
 You will share your writing
with two to four other people.

10. Small Groups
 Four students of mixed
gender is ideal.
 It is best if they are not close
friends.
 Rules of respect for writers
must be established.
 Insist upon active listening.
 Allow for natural roles of
leadership, reporting, note-
taking, time keeping to be
assigned within the group.

11. Small Groups (hand out)
 The youngest person
reads his or her draft
first – slowly and
clearly.
 Listeners summarize for
the author.
 Listeners remark on
what they liked best and
ask the author
questions.

12. Debriefing
 Time to make sense of
what we have done
 Use debriefing
questions (hand out)
 Individual reports
 Small group reports
 Feelings
 Current goals in the
process (hand out)
 Volunteer sharing

13. How will this work in my class?
How can you apply what we
have learned to writing in
your English language
class?

14. Assessing Student Workshops
 Observations
(hand out)
 Group
evaluations (hand
out)
 Individual
evaluations (hand
out)

15. Publishing
 Putting student writing into the world
 Submit to a magazine
 Read aloud to a group
 Post on the wall
 Submit to a website
 Enter a contest
 Publish a class or school anthology

16. Writing is…
…easy; all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper
until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”
- Gene Fowler