1.Writing Basics

Getting Started

• Let your prewriting guide you.
• Focus on your ideas and how to organize them.
• Write rapidly and use your natural writing voice.

Understanding the Parts


Your first draft will have three parts. Here are your goals for each part:

• Beginning: Capture your reader's attention and state your focus.
• Middle: Provide your main points and details.
• Ending: Bring the writing to a thoughtful close.

1.The Beginning
Writing Your Beginning Paragraph

When you write your beginning, do the following things:

• Capture your reader's attention.
• State your focus.

Capturing the Reader's Attention

Here are several strategies for capturing the reader's attention:

• Start with a question.
• Start with a surprising fact.
• Start with a quotation.
• Start with an anecdote (perhaps how you became interested in the subject).

Stating Your Focus

Most writing has a focus statement, a sentence that tells what the writing is about.

• A narrative essay, an expository essay, or a research report has a thesis statement.
• A persuasive essay has an opinion statement.

(Fictional narratives create a focus by establishing a setting, main characters, and a conflict.)



1.The Middle


Writing Your Middle Paragraphs

Each middle paragraph presents one main point (or reason). Here’s how to write each middle paragraph:

• Start with a topic sentence.
• Add supporting details.
• Use transitions to connect ideas.
• Provide an ending sentence.

Let your outline guide you as you write your middle paragraphs.



Understanding Transitions

Transitions are words or phrases that connect ideas. They can do the following:

• Show location
• Show time
• Compare ideas
• Contrast ideas
• Emphasize a point
• Conclude or summarize
• Add information
• Clarify

Using Transitions

You can use transitions both within and between paragraphs.

• Within paragraphs, transitions connect supporting details.
• Between paragraphs, transitions connect main ideas.

1.The End

Writing Your Ending Paragraph

When you write your ending paragraph, do the following three things:

• Restate your focus.
• Summarize main points or reasons.
• Leave the reader with something to think about.

If you are writing a persuasive essay, include a call to action.



1.Tips and Tricks

Getting Unstuck


If you're having trouble getting started, try some of these techniques.

• Start by writing about your topic nonstop for five minutes. This is called freewriting.
• Write as if you were talking about your topic to friends.
• Talk about your topic into a tape recorder and play it back, writing down what you like.

After you finish your first draft, set it aside for a little while before beginning the next step in the process—revising.

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