Page 194 - Keys to College Success

get creative

FREEWRITE ON A TOPIC

Complete the following on paper or in digital format.
Ramp up your freewriting skills by practicing on a topic from one of your courses.

1. Review your syllabi and f nd one that lists a writing assignment that is already linked to a general or specif c topic.
Write the assignment topic at the top of your paper or digital document.
2. Then, on paper or an electronic device of your choosing, freewrite three paragraphs, writing whatever thoughts
you have related to your topic, in whatever order they occur. Don’t do any research beforehand, and free yourself
from self-censorship so that ideas can f ow. Keep this document in your materials for that course and use it as a
starting point for your assignment when the time comes.

■ Source notes should include all identifying details of the work (author, title, year,
URL, and so on) as well as a short summary and critical evaluation.
■ Content notes are taken during a thorough reading and are where you put the
information you want to use. To supplement your content notes, annotate pho-
tocopies of sources.
5. Write a working thesis statement and outline. Next, write a thesis statement that
declares your subject and point of view and ref ects your purpose. This working
thesis may change as you research and develop your draft. Finally, create a work-
ing outline to guide your writing.

Drafting
No first draft comes out of the gate ready to hand in. You may write many drafts, each
version moving you closer to what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Freewrite a draft. Don’t think yet about your introduction, conclusion, or organiza-
tional structure. Using your planning stage information as your raw material, get your
thoughts down on paper. Only then should you begin to shape your work.
Write an introduction. The introduction tells readers what the paper contains and
includes a thesis statement, which is often found at the end of the introduction.

Create the body. The body of the paper presents your central ideas and supporting
evidence (facts, statistics, and examples). Try to find a structure that helps you organize
your ideas and evidence into a clear pattern. Options include arranging ideas by time,
acccording to importance, by problem and solution, or according to cause and effect.

Write the conclusion. A conclusion brings your paper to a natural ending by sum-
marizing your main points, perhaps showing the significance of your thesis and how it
relates to larger issues.

Revising and Editing Reading, Research, and Writing

First, critically evaluate the content, organization, word choice, paragraph structure,
and style of your first draft. Consider whether your evidence proves your thesis, and

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