SWA 8: EofA pg. 85-6, #1-5

1) I would describe my present writing process as one of discovery. I like to start writing and figure out what I want to say as I go along. Two suggestions I would definitely consider adding to my writing process are creating an outline before I start drafting, and talking with someone while I am writing my paper if I ever get stuck or have writers block. They would help me be more organized, speed up the writing process, and help eliminate some of the post-writing revision process by allowing a peer reviewer to catch some errors and add suggestions as I am writing it.
2) There are many advantages to outlining your ideas before writing a draft. An outline helps people see the organization of ideas before they begin to write. It also serves as the “skeleton or bare bones of the paper because it provides the internal structure that holds the paper together.” Outlines can help turn the writers full attention to writing once they are complete, will tell the writer what to do, and ultimately save time and reduce frustration while writing the actual paper.
3) This chapter lists three specific suggestions for revision. The first of these is looking at your draft as a whole. I could use this make sure I have a well written introduction, well supported body paragraphs, a good conclusion, and use transitions between points. The second suggestion is ask revision questions to help you locate other problems. I would use this to make sure I am clear and concise and do not ramble or loss focus from my points, and I have said all I want to cover and do not need to add any missing information. The final suggestion is check for final errors, and or adjust the title, and type or print your paper. I would use this to make sure I use proper grammar, such as the same tenses, and everything flows and makes logical sense.
4) The exploratory argument paper features the arguer identifying not just one position, but as many of the major positions on an issue as possible, both past and present, and explains them through summaries and an analysis of the overall rhetorical situation for the issue. It paves the way for a position paper because an exploratory paper will help you look at your issue from several angles, which will help you decide which position you prefer for the position paper.
5) There are many potential ways for conducting peer review. The first is providing each member of the three or four person group with a photocopy of your paper so that as you read the paper they can follow along and mark problem areas. Another way is participating in a round-robin reading session, in which group members read the papers silently and make notes before they discuss the papers one by one. A final way of conducting peer review is for pairs of students to exchange papers to take home and read before the next class. Peer reviews offers many advantages, such as allowing another reader to add suggestions that will likely make your paper better, and making the writing task more sociable and provide immediate feedback from a audience.