Humanities Homework Help

Writing Steps

Step 1: Select a document to analyze

Choose a piece of writing that was written by a professional in your major or a field that is closely related to your major. The text should be at least 3 pages long so that you will have enough material to analyze and write about.

These writings may include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and trade publications (journals, newsletters, articles)
• Company web sites (Internet and Intranet)
• Professional society web sites (e.g., Federal or State Bar Association, the National Association of State Foresters, Society for Technical Communication, etc.)
• Internal correspondence (the audience is within the same company or organization as the writer), for example: memos, policy & procedure documents, reports such as audit reports, project status reports, proposals, lab reports, etc.
• External correspondence (the audience is outside the same company or organization as the writer), for example: letters or reports to customers or vendors, sales or marketing materials, external blogs, newsletters, etc.

Note: There are many sample documents available on the web.Use a Google search to find these in your discipline.You can also ask people you know who are working in your major field for a document they may have written.Ask your professors in your major courses for suggestions as well.

Step 2: Analyze the paper you selected

As a preliminary step, before you actually write the first draft of your paper, try to answer the following questions about the document you are analyzing:

• What do you think was the author’s purpose in producing this writing?
• Who was the intended audience?
• What genre does it represent?
• What style and tone did the author use? (formal, informal)
• What rhetorical appeals did the writer use? (ethos, pathos, and logos—these terms will be explained in class)
• What strategies were used to develop ideas? (description, narration, process analysis, compare and contrast, cause and effect, etc.)
• How is the text organized, and why do you think the author chose this particular organizational pattern?Is there a particular format that is used?
• Why do you think the author included or omitted particular information?
• What kinds of evidence did the author include to support his/her point of view, and how was that evidence used?

Step 3:Decide which rhetorical appeals and strategies you will focus on in your paper.A writer might use many appeals and strategies, but some are more important than others in achieving the writer’s purpose.So you need to be selective; choose those that you think are the most important (or most interesting) and write about them in your body paragraphs.

Step 4: Write your first draft (see “Suggested Organization” below).

Step 5: Participate in Peer Review of First Draft

On the day of the peer review, bring to class the following:

• A copy of your first draft (approximately 1300 words single-spaced; see “Suggested Organization”)
• A copy of the document that you analyzed
• A copy of the peer review form

Step 6: Write the Second Draft for Teacher Conference

Use the feedback from your peer reviewer to guide you as you revise and create a second draft. When you come to the conference, bring the following:

• A copy of the paper that you analyzed
• Your second draft (aim for 1500 words)
• Your peer reviewer’s comments

Step 7: Write and submit the Third Draft (in most cases, this will be the Final Draft)

Using the feedback you got from your instructor, revise your paper and submit it to Canvas (depending on your instructor). Please follow the format guidelines given below.