STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL WRITING

Define Your Subject and Purpose

Focus on your topic and goal.

Are you:

- Giving information?

- Arguing a point?

- Conveying bad news?

- Proposing a project?

Freewrite

Write without stopping as quickly as you can for at least 10 minutes.

Be concerned with the flow of words and ideas.

Look carefully at what you have written.

Brainstorm

Jot down random thoughts about your goals, your reader's needs, your needs, the infor-mation you want to get across, the action you would like readers to take, and so on.

Make an Outline

Decide on the best organization for your purpose and subject. Organize a beginning, middle,and end. If possible, draft topic sentences for major paragraphs or sections.

Write

Begin writing without editing. Keep an eye on your outline, but do not worry if your planbegins to change.

Revise

Reorganize if necessary. Check word choice tone. Delete unnecessary words. Develop astrong opening and conclusion. Provide transition between thoughts.

Polish and Proofread

Review grammar, punctuation, spelling, word usage, and tone. Work on sentence constructionand variety. Check for mechanical and typographical errors.

Cluster

Start with a key word in the center of your paper. Circle the word.

Add words and circle them as you make associations. Draw lines or arrows.

Continue until you run out of ideas, or one idea becomes strong.