Prof. Todd Comer's writing resources
"No sooner do we come into this world than bits of us start to drop off." -- Gustave Flaubert
Writing process
How Does the Essay Writing Process Work (and when do I get a grade)?
This class emphasizes the writing process. By emphasizing the writing process and requiring more than one draft of an essay, your work will improve dramatically. The old approach required just one draft, the final draft, and was often written at the very last minute. By emphasizing process, your final product will improve, but the hope is that you will also understand that nothing is truly every finished or mastered. The education process continues.
Each essay assigned in AH 110 and AH 120 will be somewhat different in process, but in general you will do the following in my composition courses:
1. Brainstorm about your topic/assignment.
2. Be placed in a workshop group.
3. Submit a rough draft to me and the people in your group 1. On the day that your rough draft is due, we will discuss one sample rough draft as a class (our class-wide workshop).
4. You will then provide feedback to each other based on the Editor Comment Sheet; normally you have until the next class day to type out your comments. Bring copies of your ECS for me and for the writer of the essay you are editing.
5. Do I grade your rough draft? No.
- I will, instead, subtract 10 points from your final grade (each major essay is graded on a 100 point percentage scale) if you do not submit a rough draft.
- If you need feedback, set up a meeting with me and we will discuss your rough draft in detail. I will not give you a grade at that time either, however. I will give you specific information about what needs to be improved in your essay, so that you may continue to revise and improve. I often have more than 80 meetings with students each semester: I want you to meet with me over your work.
6. In the next class following the class-wide workshop, you will meet in the library with your workshop group.
- I will collect your Editor Comment Sheets at the beginning of the class.
- Do I grade your group work? Yes. Your participation grade will be affected if you do not submit ECSs, etc.
- You will share your ECS with each person during the class hour, strictly following the workshop process modeled during our class-wide workshop.
7. You will revise your essay based on group feedback.
8. You will go to ARC, the Academic Resource Center; revise, and then consider meeting with Prof. Todd again if necessary.
9. Turn in final draft of your essay in a two-pocket folder. In the folder include your rough drafts, signed ARC form, plagiarism form (if required) and ECS (completed for you by those in your group).
10. You will normally receive your draft back within a week (or two at most) with many comments and a grade.
11. Unhappy with your grade?
- Come argue your grade with me. I have no problem bumping up grades if I misread your work.
- Want more feedback? Come meet with me.
12. If I allow you to revise your final draft again -- a gift to you -- I will do so according to my timetable. Nor is there a guarantee that your grade will be measurably higher.
NOTE: ECS and Plagiarism worksheets may be found on the website: http://tcomer.faculty.defiance.edu