Assistant: 

The Writing Process
WEEK 1 - DAY 2: 
ENGL1014 COLLEGE 
ENGLISH I
Faculty of Education and Arts University of Belize

OBJECTIVES
•Attendance Check
•Group Meeting
•The Writer's Voice
•The Rhetorical Situation
•The Writing Process
•In-Class Activity



REMINDERS
•Narrative Essay Presentations begin on 
Monday, August 19th, 2024
•There will be no class on Wednesday, 
August 21st, 2024.



GROUP MEETINGS

Considerations 
before putting pen to 
paper...




The Writer’s Voice





Does the word “hence” look naked to you? Are you compelled to add a redundant “the reason why” afterward? When 
you say the word synchronous aloud, do you add a fourth syllable?  Congratulations, your English reflects your Belizean 
heart and soul. But how about your college essays? Is your submitted work so genetic and devoid of local relevance? 
Does it begin with the dreaded “this essay will delve...”? In that case, you may be letting the robots steal your voice. 

It used to be easier, in retrospect, to teach College English 1. Students had their own thoughts, which were sometimes 
widely scattered or even self-contradictory. The facilitators helped students research topics, organize and synchronize 
their ideas, and support their opinions. But now, some students have decided to let online applications do all the thinking 
and writing for them. The resulting submissions, admittedly,  are written in more standard English, but they are soulless, 
boring, and ultimately meaningless. I am heartened to see mistakes like “hence the reason why” because these indicate 
that I am reading the words of a living being.

Since AI writing applications mimic the patterns and phrases most used by human writers, an  AI essay is instantly 
recognizable to instructors because it is ridden with cliches and generalizations. It utilizes the words and phrases used 
most often online, never making an original point. AI writing lacks a unique Belizean perspective, fresh ideas, logic, and 
insight. If it does cite sources, these may not, on examination, actually support the point. AI -generated research papers, 
even those with credible citations, fall apart when the sources are examined. 

Please share your own thoughts and opinions in your own voice, even  if  these  are  expressed  in  nonstandard  English. 
Blend your ideas with the source material, creating a paper that expresses your unique stance. It is more important for 
you to develop your own voice than for you to perfect your English, although you should work towards both of these 
goals.  If you do not write in your own voice, reflecting your unique life experience and intelligence, this course is a 
waste of our time, and yours. After all, there are apps that will mark the papers for us so we don’t have to spend hours 
laboriously reading and evaluating your work. But we won’t use them. We promise to give you our human response to 
your words. In return, please give us human words. 





Read the following essay introduction. Was it written by a human being enrolled in College 
English 1 or is it AI generated? 

In  a  world  increasingly  dominated  by  pharmaceuticals,  the  value  of  herbal  remedies  is  often 
overlooked.  Belize,  with  its  rich  biodiversity  and  long-standing  tradition  of  herbal  medicine, 
presents a unique opportunity to embrace these natural healing methods. This essay argues that 
Belizeans should prioritize herbal remedies over synthetic pharmaceuticals due to their cultural 
significance, cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and holistic health benefits.





 Read this introduction: Human or robot? What are the clues?

“As a Maya woman, the world around me has always revolved around nature and its energies, which are the 
pillars to sustain Mother Earth” (Saqui, 2022). Aurora Saqui, of southern Belize, writes of a way of life deeply 
connected to traditions. From the misty forests to the lively coastal towns, the remedies these healers offer are a 
part of Belize's heart and soul. In a world that is all about new things, it may be that the old ways keep people 
healthiest. Bush doctors, curanderas, and other traditional herbalists play a vital role in providing remedies that 
have been passed down through generations, blending herbal medicine, spiritual rituals, and community wisdom 
to address a wide range of health concerns. Garifuna and Maya communities hold profound Indigenous knowledge 
of  medicinal  plants  and  healing  methods.  The  Creole  and  Mestizo  populations  embrace  traditional  healing 
practices  rooted  in  African  and  Central  American  influences.  These  and  other  cultural  groups  collectively 
contribute to healing in Belize, embodying the interconnectedness between culture, nature, and health. Although 
there  are  potential  challenges  and  controversies,  embracing  traditional  healers  and  their  remedies  within  the 
Belizean healthcare system is not only culturally significant as well as effective in holistic healthcare, but also 
crucial for preserving invaluable indigenous knowledge.

The 
Writing 
Process




The Writing Process



1.
The Writing Process is 
Recursive and not 
Linear

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2. Writing is Genre Specific
KNOW What a Genre Is
Genres are ways of writing and speaking that help people communicate and 
work together in specific situations. Genres offer relatively stable patterns for 
writing, but more importantly they reflect how humans act, react, and interact 
in everyday situations. Genres are meeting places—and meaning places.
LEARN “Genre Know-How”
Genre know-how is the ability to use genres to analyze and interpret what is 
happening around you. When you have genre know-how, you can use genres 
to focus your creativity, generate new ideas, and present those ideas to others
KEEP in Mind That Genres Are Flexible
Genres are as flexible and changeable as the human activities they represent. 
They need to be adjusted to suit evolving situations. They can be stretched, 
blended, and messed around with to fit unique situations.

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Writing is Genre Specific
DEVELOP Your Writing Process
A writing process leads you from your basic idea to a finished document, 
from  inventing  ideas  to  final  editing.  Developing  and  refining  your 
writing process will save you time and effort in the long run.
USE Genres in College and in Your Career
A genre-based approach to writing helps you master a “genre set” that will 
transfer to your advanced college courses and to the workplace. 

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3. Writing is Thinking: From Start to Finish
●Writing is not some mystic art. It’s a practical 
skill—particularly  since  most  of  our 
communication is text-based to begin with.

●No one’s born with this skill, though. We hear 
routinely from people who say they’d love to 
write, but don’t know where to start. 

●They feel unfocused and overwhelmed by the 
task. 

●If this is beginning to sound like you, don’t 
worry because I’m going to walk you through 
how  writing  works,  and  how  you  can  get 
better at it.

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I know...Writing Sucks or that is often the Consensus! But it does not have to...
●I am not asking you to produce polished, perfect 
prose in one sitting.

●Hardly anybody does that anyway. I am asking 
you to start with thinking.

●That first leap into taking your idea and making 
it  a  Thing  People  Read—isn’t  really  about 
wording. It’s about thinking.

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If you make thinking the first step, you will be doing it on purpose
●You become someone who thinks about why 
they do what they do, and understands how 
each decision affects the results.

●And  developing  this  knack  for  critical 
thinking will make you better at what you do 
(in writing and all other situations).

●Metacognition is the fancy word for this. It is 
consciously  thinking  about  what  you  are 
thinking.

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If you make thinking the first step, it will get messy.
•At this early, thinking stage, you’re just putting your ideas 
down on paper. 
•Try not to worry about re-reading or editing as yet. You’ll 
have time to do that later (preferably on a different day 
altogether). 
•Just think about what you’re trying to say, and jot the 
main  ideas  down.  If  you’re  not  sure  how  to  finish  a 
sentence, abandon it halfway through. 
•If you want to write extensively about one particular idea 
but your mind’s moving too quickly to flesh it all out, 
paraphrase for now and move on to the next point.


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If you make thinking the first step, it will get messy.
•Worst-case scenario here is that you’ll end up with a 
lot of open questions you’d like to answer. “More 
research needed” is an open door, not a reason to 
stop writing. 

•If you’re anything like me, the end result of this first 
step  is  going  to  look  a  little  like  an  outline 
interspersed  with  rants  and  probably  a  few  side 
notes. 

•In other words, it’s a rough draft.


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But guess what, you have started Writing!

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You cannot possibly share this with your Readers! 
•Think of the writing process as a journey you want to 
take your readers on.

•First,  you  need  to  provide  them  with  a  map  for 
guidance. That is, your thesis. 

•The thesis is your main idea. State it as clearly as you 
can in the early part of your draft. This is what you 
hope your reader will remember, and it’s what will 
help you organize and guide the rest of the piece.

•After  you’ve  written  your  thesis  and  gotten  your 
ideas   down,   it   is   time   to   consider 
structure-organizing your ideas in paragraphs.

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You need to Support your Readers!
•After finishing the rough draft, you revise. 

•At  this  state,  you  are  no  longer  writing  for 
yourself;  you’re  now  truly  writing  for  an 
audience-readers.

•You need to now think about your readers. 

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You need to Support your Readers!
•Most  of  your  readers  may  need  more 
explanation that you’ve provided in your early 
draft,  or  more  convincing.  So  you  provide 
supporting details to flesh out your early ideas.

•Supporting your main point isn’t something you 
do just for the hell of it. You do it for your 
readers—the ones who live outside your own 
brain and aren’t able to read your mind.
THESI
S
SUPPORTING 
DETAIL 
ORGANIZATION
/
COHERENCE
SUPPORTING 
DETAIL 
SUPPORTING 
DETAIL
GRAMMAR/
MECHANICS
CLARITY

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So how do you get to the GOOD WRITING: That takes a little more TIME and 
EFFORT.
•At this stage, you’ll have the structure of a solid 
essay.  Most  of  what  remains  to  be  done  is  line 
editing  to  improve  word  choice  and  sentence 
structure.

•You also clarify meaning in meandering phrases, or 
perhaps  reorder  paragraphs  to  keep  the  ideas 
running  smoothly.  This  stage  is  usually  more 
satisfying than the rough draft you wrote at first.

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So how do you get to the GOOD WRITING: That takes a little more TIME and 
EFFORT.
•Many people have great ideas but hate the process of 
writing.  I  get  it—even  for  people  who  write 
regularly,  it  can  be  a  frustrating  process.  Good 
writing is hard work.

• If it were easy, everyone would be able to do it and 
we would not even need classes like this one!

•But the payoff is so, so worth it. Wherever you are 
on your life or professional path, whether you have 
years  of  experience  or  a  fresh  outlook  to  share, 
writing your ideas gives you a particular ownership 
of and authority over what you do.

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So with every NEW assignment, in order to RISE TO the CHALLENGE you will:
Think Critically
Plan Consistently
Draft Generously
Craft Purposefully
Revise diligently
Edit keenly
Format Specifically




Writing is not Simply 
Good Grammar

In-Class 
Activity




Let’s Write..
In  250-300  words,  reflect  on  your  personal  writing  process,  considering  the  following  guiding 
questions:
1.Starting of Your Writing Process: Where does your writing process typically begin? Is it with 
brainstorming, research, or perhaps outlining? 
2.Environmental Factors: Do you require a specific setting or environment to engage effectively in 
writing?  Consider  aspects  such  as  location,  noise  level,  time  of  day,  and  other  factors  that 
contribute to or hinder your productivity. How do these environmental preferences influence the 
quality and flow of your writing?
3.Tools and Resources: What tools do you rely on during your writing process? This could include 
digital tools like word processors, grammar checkers, and research databases, or physical tools 
such as notebooks, pens, and printed resources. How do these tools support or shape your writing? 
Are there any particular methods or strategies you use to organize your thoughts and ideas?
4.Ending Your Writing Process: How do you know when your writing process is complete? Is 
there a particular step or feeling that signifies completion for you?
5.Challenges and Strategies: Reflect on any challenges you face during your writing process. What 
strategies do you use to overcome these challenges? Consider how you approach tasks like editing, 
revising, or staying focused.
Your reflection should offer insight into how your personal approach to writing impacts your overall 
work. Be specific about your habits and preferences, and consider how understanding your process can 
help you improve as a writer.

For Next Session......
●Narrative Essay Presentations!

El Fin!
Questions? 
Concerns?
User: Don't include instructor nor location. Please give me it in the provided format only, no additional text or words. Generate study notes and questions at the end in this format:
              Chapter: Chapter Title
              Notes: Some important notes.
              Questions:
              - What is this? 
                Options: a.) Option 1, b.) Option 2, c.) Option 3, d.) Option 4
                
Answer: b.) Option 2
Assistant: