Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:
The Rough Draft must be at least 1000 words. This draft is generally the first time you type and weave together all your thoughts and information into one document. Try to get them into paragraphs on the first shot, but if you can't, go in right after and cut and paste them into shape. If you are in the habit of just spilling it all out in "stream of consciousness" style the first time you write everything out, then that is more like prewriting and should be done at that stage of the writing
process as free writing.
You will not use direct quotes in this essay. If you are tempted, paraphrase or summarize instead. For more information on this, refer to the “Quotes...” handout provided in class.
Overall, the writing should be focused around a central point, although the exact thesis may still be coming together. Don’t worry about introductions or conclusions (that would be trying to sum up or sell something you don’t fully understand yet). Ideally, you’ll write this in one sitting. You won’t have to do too much digging or hard thinking because you did all that while generating your pre-
writing. Some new things might come up, but just add them in without too much thought to organization. Generally follow the organization of your detailed outline.
In the rough draft, you shouldn’t think too much about organization (beyond your outline), exact wording, spelling or grammar; there’ll be plenty of time for that during revision. “Just get your thoughts down and move forward,” is the driving motion here.
When you feel like you’ve written everything down, go back and shape the text into rough paragraphs. A rough draft may be newly cut and pasted without transitions between ideas.
As you begin to assess your Rough Draft, decide on a thesis (which may still be tentative) and start to focus your details to make sure they all support your thesis. You’ll also need to develop your essay by adding detail, explaining, and replacing telling details with “showing” details. Continue to focus as needed, but be open to your essay going deeper, changing directions, or growing beyond what you had originally planned. Those things are good----they show that you are learning something!
Still resist writing an introduction and a conclusion. If you feel like you are ready to attempt to tie the essay together, then try to do so in your prewriting or construct rough ones. That way, you are still leaving yourself open to moving to the next layer of understanding your thesis and purpose.
Also at this point, you can do a few development exercises with this draft. For the narrative sections, try “The 360 Degree View,” or ask yourself what all your senses recorded at a particular moment.
Remember: “How do I know what I think until I see what I’ve written?”
This draft is for you to see what you’ve written and then understand what you think. Sometimes you start off knowing what you think. Then the Rough Draft is your first attempt at explaining.
Do the “Focus and Paragraph Workshop,” and revise your essay into the First Draft.
Generally you should read over your corrected Rough Draft until you see a thesis rising out of it. Ask: What is the main point I want my reader to get out of this essay? Challenge yourself to give a specific answer.
