Stephanie Schulz ENGL 458: Personal Fact Sheet This is a list of helpful things to remember from the class

ENGL 458: Advanced Writing Workshop. The Writing Process: Journaling: Journaling is a valuable tool in all stages of the writing process. It is an easy and informal way to record ideas, plan outlines, explore formats, reflect, vent frustrations, revise, and just generally express thoughts. Journaling can be cathartic. It is a private place for a writer to explore their mind, and, when everything is recorded, no ideas are lost in the process. Drafting: Write three drafts, at least. Not only is the final draft more polished, when old drafts are excellent sources for ideas. Having more drafts means having more sources to go back to for inspiration during the writing process. Paramedic Method: The paramedic method of revision breaks writing down to the sentence level. It is particularly useful in revising rough spots of a paper. If the words just dont flow right, the ideas arent clearly stated, or a paragraph is just plain difficult to understand, the paramedic method can help. Sideshadowing: Sideshadowing helps a writer receive clear, detailed, and useful feedback from reviewers. It allows writers to get suggestions for problems they are facing and answers to the questions they really want to ask. Simply jotting down a few questions in the margins of a draft can make a big difference in the effectiveness of the peer reviewing process. Introductions and Conclusion: Spend more time writing an introduction and a conclusion. They are the most memorable parts of a paper, so they should emphasize the most important ideas in a paper. Writers should contemplate why they choose a certain method of introducing a topic, or of closing an argument. Experiment with different methods: tell anecdotes, drop quotes, use imagery, try differing lengths. Do whatever it takes to make the paper hit home.

Elements of Style: Show, dont tell: Showing the reader is more effective than telling the reader. Instead of stating the purpose of a paper and listing off all of the supporting arguments, show the reader through examples, anecdotes, and imagery. Immerse the reader in the writing, lead them to the correct conclusions. The reader is more likely to remember what they read if you use an interactive writing style. Keep it personal: Dont be too analytical. Even when writing a research paper, there is room for personality. Personal touches keep the reader interested, but they also keep the

writer interested. And when the writer is interested, they communicate more clearly. A little bit of color goes a long way. Theory Ideas: Literacy: A persons literacy is shaped by their sponsors of literacy. These sponsor include people as well as institutions. It is important to consider literacy sponsors when writing. A writer should know their own sponsors to better understand what influences their writing choices. Writers should also consider their audiences sponsors. Knowing who has influenced readers can help writers choose effective genres, structures, and arguments. Discourse: Discourses are ways of communicating. They are defined not only by words, but by actions, values, and beliefs. In order to communicate effectively, a writer must write in the discourse of their intended audience. Learning to adopt new discourses expands a writers ability to reach new audiences. Hunting/Gathering: Hunting and gathering are two opposing ways to approach research. Hunters know what information they want to find, and they go after it directly. Gatherers have a general idea of what they want, and let the research take them where it will. Most people use a combination of hunting and gathering. Depending on the project, one method may be more useful that the other. Knowing which method to use speeds up the research process and makes for more efficient writing.

New Media: Differences Between Old and New: The main elements of composition stay the same, but there are several things to consider when moving from traditional form of writing to new media. Select an effective and manageable format. Be sure to find ways to collect data and keep track of resources. Make sure visual and audio aspects mesh with the written work. Composing with new media is surprisingly similar to traditional writing, and intimidatingly different at the same time. Online Resources: A list of resources to remember: Audacity, Gimp, Picnik, Scripped, Survey Monkey, StumbleUpon, CompPile, MovieMaker, Cinefx, PhotoStory, StoryBoard Pro, Internet Archive.