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Agenda for Class 1
Introduction 1800 1815 The Writing
Process 1815 1845 Planning and Organizing
Strategies 1845 1900 Drafting
Strategies 1900 1930 Coffee Break 1930
1945 Revising Strategies 1945
2030 Informing 2030 2100
2
Introduction

• Steve Whitmore
• ASB 9870
• 604.291.4946 (W) 604.939.4562
• whitmore_at_cs.sfu.ca
• http//www.ensc.sfu.ca/whitmore/courses/ensc820/
• Move Feb 14 (Valentines Day) class to 13 or 15?

3
Assignments

• Best and worst project management practices (10)
• Manager strengths and weaknesses (20)
• Analysis and evaluation of project management
  (70)
• First 2 assignments are diagnostic and
  descriptive
• Final assignment persuasion, informing,
  organization, format, style, grammar, punctuation
• The writing component for the 3 assignments sum
  to 20 of 820 grade

4
Introduction to the Writing Process

• Steve Whitmore
• January 2006

5
Learning Objectives

• By the end of this module, you will understand
  some basic concepts about the writing process.
• Rule vs. strategy-based writing
• The uniqueness of your writing process
• The writing process as iterative
• The importance of efficiency when writing
• A key difference between expert and novice
  writers
• Experiment with caution

6
Rules vs. Strategies

• Never end a sentence with a preposition.
• Never start a sentence with because.
• Never use sentence fragments.
• Never split an infinitive.
• Never use the passive voice.
• Etc.

7
The Case of Prepositional Endings

• Never end a sentence with a preposition?

That is the sort of errant effrontery up with
which I shall not put. -- Winston Churchill
8
The Case of Because

• Test Question Why did Spot chase Fluff in the
  story?
• What the student wrote
• Answer Because Fluff is a cat and Spot is a dog.
• What the teacher wanted
• Answer Spot chased Fluff because Fluff is a cat
  and Spot is a dog.

9
Alternatives to Because

• As the truck was in gear, the load of bricks slid
  off the tailgate.
• Could mean
• While the truck was in gear, the load of bricks
  slid off the tailgate.
• or
• Because the truck was in gear, the load of bricks
  slid off the tailgate.

10
Choices

• Rule-based approach to writing ? experience of
  failure ? writers block or dislike of writing ?
• Strategy-based approach to writing ? break the
  rules to achieve the goals required by a
  document ?

11
Unique Writing Processes

• Determined by four key factors
• Usual practices
• Environs
• Attitudes
• Audiences

12
My Writing Practices

• i ion

Compos t
13
For Example
Photograph deleted to minimize file size.
14
Writing as an Iterative Process
15
Writing as a Linear Process
16
Increasing Efficiency When Writing

• The Case of Creo Electronics Corporation
• Estimates of time required to produce engineering
  documentation for prototype optical tape
  recorder
• 11 percent of total time devoted to
  documentation
• equals 3.3 person years
• equals 120,000 (1988 dollars)
• A 10 increase in efficiency equals 12,000
  saving
• A 25 increase in efficiency equals 30,000
  saving

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Strategies to Increase Efficiency

• Improvements to writing environment
• ? Provide a quiet interruption-free environment
• ? Organize the writing environment
• ? Improve the lighting and physical comfort
• Improvements to computer skills
• ? Master using the word processor
• ? Learn to touch-type or dictate

18
Writing Like an Expert
19
A Rule that Matters?

• Experiment with your writing process try new
  approaches
• but . . .
• If it aint broke, dont fix it.

20
Conclusion

• Reflections How much time do you actually spend
  revising your work?