WRW-Module Overview
Writing Workshop Introduction
Introduction
In many professions, writing serves as a way for people to broadcast ideas. Each individual type of writing serves a different purpose, and understanding the importance behind each type of writing can enhance the final product. Journalists and reporters focus on getting to the point quickly by informing readers with facts, whereas writers who want to instruct or paint a picture focus more on descriptive, detailed aspects. Writers hoping to tell a story might use a narrative writing technique, while people trying to persuade will use rhetorical tactics and try to pull the reader to agree with their opinions. Fortunately, the components of a polished piece of writing remain the same despite the type of essay, so gaining knowledge in crafting a well-organized piece for readers remains beneficial for every person no matter what field of work they enter or what occupation they choose to pursue.
Essential Questions
- How do I effectively create a thesis statement for an essay?
- What does a well-organized essay look like?
- How do I effectively brainstorm before writing an essay?
- How do I proofread for a polished paper?
- How can adhering to proper conventions contribute to a well-written essay?
- How do I find reliable sources to support my ideas?
- What is the research process?
- How do I research properly?
- What is MLA format?
- How do I use in-text citations to document my sources?
- How do I create a proper Works Cited page for my paper?
Key Terms
Essay
: A piece of writing on a particular subject.
Thesis Statement: One sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay.
Ideas: The opinions or thoughts of the writer.
Organization: Arranging an essay in a way that keeps similar ideas in groups known as paragraphs.
Paragraph: A group of sentences that explains the ideas of the writer.
Topic Sentence: The sentence that begins each paragraph and reveals what the paragraph will be about.
Conclusion Sentence: The sentence that appears at the end of each paragraph and wraps up the information from the paragraph.
Brainstorming: The way for writers to think of the ideas to include in an essay.
Support: Ideas from other people that writers use as evidence to back up and prove their own ideas.
In-Text Citation: The author's last name and the page number of the source that follows the proof in an essay and leads to the Works Cited entry to reveal the publication information about the source.
MLA Format: MLA stands for Modern Language Association. MLA format is the way that a writer sets up an essay 12-point font, Times New Roman, Double-Spaced, 1-inch margins, Header, and Heading.
Sources: The various books, essays, and other places a writer finds the support for an essay.
Primary Source: The main work of literature a writer focuses on and uses for an essay.
Secondary Source: Various texts a writer uses to find support for an essay.
Works Cited Entry: The publishing information of a certain source that is set up in a certain format to appear in the Works Cited.
Works Cited: An alphabetized list of all sources used in the essay written in MLA format.
Bibliography: An alphabetized list of all sources read that relate to a certain topic of an essay and written in MLA format.
Expository: An essay written for the purpose of informing, explaining, or describing the author's subject matter.
Descriptive: An essay that asks a student to describe something in particular.
Narrative: An essay where the writer tells a story.
Persuasive: An essay that requires a writer to establish a position on a topic and research in order to persuade readers also known as an argumentative essay.
Sources: The various books, essays, and other places a writer finds the support for an essay.
Primary Source: The main work of literature a writer focuses on and uses for an essay.
Secondary Source: Various texts a writer uses to find support for an essay.
Cohesion: Well-structured, logical order in writing revealing that all paragraphs and sentences connect smoothly.
Transition: The connections that links two sentences or paragraphs together and contributes to cohesion.
Closure: Indicates a sense of conclusion, or end, for the reader.
Structure: How each sentence and paragraph relates to create organization.
Syntax: The arrangement of words to create well-formed sentences.
Diction: The choice and use of words.
Style: How an author chooses to write and address the audience.
Voice: The personality of a piece of writing.
Conventions: Proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage.
IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS