Composition

S2

The whole composition plan

Whenever you undertake a specific piece of writing you face two problems: saying what you really
mean and making that meaning clear to your readers. For these two problems there are no easy
solutions. One thing is certain, though. If a piece of writing is to be effective, you must decide at the
outset what you want to say, to whom you want to say it, and how you want to say it. Once the writing
is done – whether it be a letter home or an application for a job or a term paper- you must look at what
you have produced and give honest answers to the following questions: is the writing readable and
clear? Does it convey a sense of purpose? Does it engage the reader in the sense you want to?
To be consistently satisfied with the answers to these questions, you need to develop a somewhat
standardized approach to writing assignments.

Prewriting
1) Make a list of ideas, assertions, examples and facts that are related to your subject and work
this into a preliminary outline.
2) Decide on the purpose of your piece of writing and frame a specific thesis statement for that
purpose.
3) Think carefully about the kind of reader you are writing to; the identity of the reader largely
determines what you want to say and how you want to say it.
4) Decide on the pattern of organization and methods of development.
5) Identify those items in the preliminary outline that fit your purpose and support your thesis.
Then work these items into an outline.

Writing and revising

6) Begin to write and keep writing until you have completed a rough draft. Don’t be concerned
with problems of wording and phrasing and grammar and punctuation at this stage.
7) Try to think of an illustration, an anecdote or an example to use for an interesting, engaging
opening statement for this first draft. Once you have done so, go through the paper, checking,
especially to make sure the ending is a complete summary of your topic and thesis.
8) Go over the entire draft, checking it for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Then,
reread it carefully for clarity, organization and sound reasoning.
These eight steps of the writing process comprise two phases: first the prewriting or planning phase of
the paper, second, the writing and revising phase of the paper. The prewriting process is as important
to the quality and success of the final paper as are writing and revising.