The six stages are: understanding the task, gathering data, invention, drafting, revision, and editing. Understanding the task, means to understand the assignment. If you do not read the instructions carefully, you're going to misunderstand the assignment! The next step is equally important; gathering data. You have to know what you're talking about if you want a good grade. The next step is, invention. This is where the creative juices start flowing. Inventing is basically coming up with ideas of how to present your paper, writing techniques you may want to use. A working thesis is a good idea to come up with through this step. Invention brings us to our next step, drafting. You have all these great ideas, now it's time to get a bit organized. Write out your basic structure of your paper, in the order you wish to present. I, personally, prefer outlining. It gives me room to move around but not randomly run away with an idea. Your draft is going to be the skeleton of your paper, now to give it some muscles! Revision is making your paper run together as a whole. It definitely helps the reader read more easily, and don't you want your reader having a fantastic time? The final step is editing. Will anyone really take your paper seriously if you have the punctuation of a second grader? It, life revision, makes it easier on the reader to focus on the subject on your paper rather than that oddly placed semi-colon.
Personally, I consider editing the least important. I don't mean to brag but I don't have that much of a problem with punctuation or grammar (but of course Spellcheck, on Microsoft Word, has saved me many times). I consider the "understanding the task" step the most important. If you don't start your paper correctly it will crumble! Wouldn't it be lovely to turn in a paper that you pulled an all-nighter on, learn that you "misunderstood" the assignment and you need to start from scratch. No, that would not be lovely.
The part I find most easiest is drafting. I know it's a bit nerdy but I enjoy getting my ideas all organized and pretty looking. The part I find difficult is the invention; I have two little friends called procrastination and "writer's block". Oh the fun we have together (that was typed sarcastically).
I spend the most time inventing ideas, mostly because of writer's block and procrastination. The step that is the tedious for me is the editing. Usually, I have read it over many times, so I can easily spot mistakes.
All in all, I agree with the six steps Behrens. Although it does seem very time-consuming, the outcome is very much worth the effort!
No comments:
Post a Comment