Summary of Six Steps

1. Getting Ideas

Let yourself go with these. The more ideas you get down on paper the easier it is to choose the best ones.

·        List – select about three keywords from the question and make a list for each word

·        Mindmap – make a mindmap on the TOPIC; ‘piggy back’ on ideas, don’t block yourself

·        Research – go through your material on the topic and make notes in point form; look for gaps; complete any additional research you think might be useful, such as investigating the form you have to write in or finding out what other people have said or thought about the topic. Remember to make NOTES

·        Freewriting – write for five minutes on the question. Use a timer. Do not read back over what you have already said. You will be reading over later. Keep your pen on the paper for the full five minutes and let your subconscious do the work.

2. Choosing

 Keep the question/topic in mind

·        Read back over your list, mindmap, research notes and freewriting and highlight anything you think you can use. Look for groups and ‘threads’, look for patterns in your information.

·        Place each highlighted item on a separate sheet of paper

3. Outlining

·        Sort the slips of paper into possible beginning, middle and end piles

·        Then arrange the slips within each group into a logical order. If there are obvious gaps, write slips to fill the gap. Number them. You could ‘rehearse’ the writing in your head using these slips. Some people feel more comfortable drafting if they have done this

·        Write a summary statement, after looking over your outline

4. Drafting

·        The aim is to get a draft on paper in a fairly short time. Theoretically each slip of paper has an idea that can be developed into a paragraph or two and linked to the paragraph before and after.

·        If you have trouble starting, use the summary sentence or begin with: This essay(?) is about ……. You will have plenty of time to come up with a great opening sentence when you are revising your draft.

5. Revising.

·        Make a copy of your first draft. Space it generously so that you have room to make changes and additions

·        Read through your draft pretending that someone else wrote it. It sometimes helps to leave a gap of some time between the draft and the revision. Do not be tempted to ‘fix’ things as you go along, just put a mark in the margin or highlight anything that needs fixing for some reason and work out the reason later.

·        Revising involves: Moving, Adding, Cut. Go back through the draft looking at each mark you have made and work out what he problem is. Decide whether you need to move, add or cut and do what you need to do.

·        This process needs to be done several times until you are satisfied with the ideas and structure of your piece and that you are saying what you think you are saying.

·        Work on your great opening sentence and great finishing sentence. Remember that these may already be there somewhere in the piece. Read through ‘auditioning’ each sentence for the position of first or last. If they are not quickly write about four or five possible sentences and play with these until you get what you want.

6. Editing

·        Read through the piece and mark mistakes

·        Think about the style. Is it appropriate? Look at the words and the sentences

·        Then consider the grammar. Look for sentence fragments, run – on sentences, changing tense, punctuation, paragraph breaks.

Then look at presentation. Check spelling, layout, title, bibliography and references if needed.