Technical

Writing Process
REPORTED BY;
ZONIO, IAN JAY
VILLAREAL, LADY LOU
Objectives

• Discuss the stages of writing

• Enumerate the prewriting techniques
• Explain writing process
• Discuss the copy reading and proofreading
techniques
 8 Stages of Writing
1. Introduction - An introduction serves to provide an initial overview and context
for the topic at hand.
2. Structure - In writing, structure involves the organization and arrangement of
ideas within a piece.
3. Presentation - presentation refers to the way information is communicated and
visually represented within the document.
4. Planning the report - Planning the report in writing stages involves outlining the
purpose, scope, and structure of the document.
5. Writing the first draft - Translating the planned structure into a cohesive and

preliminary version of the document.

6. Revising the first draft - Involves reviewing and refining the content for clarity,

coherence, and overall effectiveness.

7. Diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematics - Involves visually representing

data or complex information to enhance understanding.

8. The report layout - Refers to the arrangement and formatting of the document,

including headings, subheadings, and visual elements.

 Prewriting techniques
• Talking - Simply talking through your ideas with someone, regardless of their
knowledge of the subject, can help you gather your thoughts.
• Researching - Research is a vital aspect of the writing process, but it can also
be an effective prewriting technique.
• Brainstorming - Is a process where you quickly verbalize or write all of your
thoughts as they occur to you.
• Listing - When using the listing strategy, you write a list of as many ideas or
terms associated with your topic as possible.
• Clustering - Clustering, also known as mind mapping or idea mapping, is a
prewriting technique that focuses on the relationships between topics and ideas.
• Freewriting - Freewriting involves writing whatever comes to your mind without worrying

about the grammar, spelling or quality of your ideas.

• Looping - Looping is a prewriting technique that builds off of multiple five or 10 minute

freewriting sessions, allowing you to discover new ideas and gradually focus on a topic.

• Drawing - For visual thinkers, drawing can be a useful part of the prewriting process. This

strategy combines freewriting with drawing or doodling.

• Outlining - Allows you to organize your thoughts into the general order in which you want

to address them in your paper.

• Categorizing - A useful strategy when you're writing a paper that
requires comparison, such as evaluating two different arguments or
works of art.
• Storyboarding - Used commonly by filmmakers, storyboarding
involves creating a visual representation of a story's sequence.
The Writing Process
The writing process refers to steps most writers take in creating a finished written
product. Writing process steps include prewriting (such as brainstorming and outlining),
drafting, revision (for content), editing (for mechanics), and publishing.

5 Steps of writing process

• Prewriting covers all the thinking and planning you do for a writing
assignment. It includes thinking about the assignment, identifying a topic,
collecting details, and creating a writing plan.

• Writing the first draft means getting your ideas on paper. A first draft is your
first look at your writing and your first chance to see how well things are
coming together.
• Revising refers to changing and improving your first draft. Its your opportunity to think
about what youve written and then add, cut, or change it as needed. Your goal is to
make all of your ideas clear and complete.

• Editing is checking your revised writing line by line for errors. Also proofread for errors
after writing the final copy of your writing.

• Publishing refers to sharing the final copy of your writing. Publishing comes in many
different forms depending on the purpose and audience for your writing.
Copyreading
• Copyreading is editing or correcting errors made by the reporter and
proofreading the errors. made by the typesetter or printer.
• It is the art of arranging, correcting, and selecting the quality and type
of news.
• It is also called copyediting. One who edits copies is called a
copyreader or copyeditor.
Copyreading Defined;

Copy - the type written material sent to the linotypist or to a computer typesetter to
be typeset. - It may be a news story, a feature article, an editorial, or a literary piece.
Copyreading - much like the work of an English teacher correcting compositions,
except that the copyreader uses appropriate copyreading symbols universally known
by printers.
Copy reader - is a newspaperman who occupies a seat on the news desk, the nerve
center of the staff. He corrects errors in grammar, errors in fact, errors in structure,
and errors in style. He eliminates libelous and derogatory statements, opinions in
news stories, and those contrary to our laws and good taste.
Preparing the copy
In preparing the copy, the reporter should:
1. Use a computer, never submit it in a long hand
2. Type on one side of the sheet only in the double space.
3. Begin his story for news about three inches from the top of the page.
4. Indent deeply
5. Identify on the first page of the story with a slug line- the name of the paper,
words identifying the story, the reporter, and the date.
6. Type the word “more” at the bottom of each page except the last, where he
must indicate the end of the story with # mark.
Duties of a Copy reader:
1. Straighten out ungrammatical construction.
2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
3. See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses,
title, designations, identifications, figures, etc.
4. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.
5. Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper
with the facts unless he is sure of his corrections.
6. Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or
sources.
7. Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.
8. Watch for libelous statements.
9. Recheck figures and totals.
10. Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to make a story sound over-written.
11. Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary.
12. Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.
13. Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and
incredible.
14. Check sluglines and paging sequences
15. Write headlines
Proofreading techniques
Proofreading takes place when editing is finished. Focuses on surface-
level errors like misspelling and grammar errors.
➢ Examination of a document to find errors that should be corrected.
➢ Assuring that information is conveyed correctly requires skills in
proofreading
KINDS OF PROOFREADING
➢ Verification Proofreading
❖ Comparing the final copy with a previous draft to make sure that the material has been
keyboarded correctly
➢ Partnership Proofreading
❖ Involves two people – the document preparer reads aloud from the draft as a second
person verifies the final copy
➢ Proofreading on the Computer Screen
❖ Viewing and adjusting material on the computer screen
➢ Proofreading without an Original Document
❖ No comparison document to use for verification
 Proofreading
Techniques
• Read your paper aloud. Sometimes writing sounds different in your head than it sounds on paper.
• Make a list of errors that you commonly make and keep an eye out for them.
• Read the text backwards. Sometimes the brain automatically corrects written mistakes.
• Proofread for only one type of error at a time.
• Double check everything:
▪ Proper names
▪ Citations
▪ Punctuation
▪ Page numbers
▪ Header/footer material
▪ Fonts
• Read slowly and carefully.
Difference between Copy reading and
Proofreading
• Copy editing or copy reading is • Proofreading is about
about making sure a text is clear, correcting errors in a proof
readable, and error-free. In the version of a typeset text.
publishing industry, this is the final • Proofreading involves checking
edit before a manuscript is typeset. the text for any remaining errors
• Copy editing involves reviewing after copy editing has been
and correcting the text for grammar, completed.
spelling, punctuation, consistency,
and style.
Thank you!