{"id":103,"date":"2026-05-05T23:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T03:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/essaywriting\/chapter\/chapter-5-the-writing-process\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T23:15:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:15:43","slug":"chapter-5-the-writing-process","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/chapter\/chapter-5-the-writing-process\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 5: The Writing Process","rendered":"Chapter 5: The Writing Process"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nWhat you will do in this chapter:\r\n\r\n1. Review paragraph structure and compare it with essay structure <\/em>\r\n2. Analyze a model essay<\/em>\r\n3. Learn about body paragraphs<\/em>\r\n4. Learn the writing process<\/em>\r\n5. Brainstorm and focus a topic<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n

Review It!<\/em><\/h1>\r\n

Paragraph to Essay<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nTo remember the structure of a paragraph, imagine a ___________. The top and bottom (buns) are similar because the last sentence restates the controlling idea introduced at the start. Moreover, the top and bottom parts hold all of the juicy information together as one whole unit.\r\n\r\nExercise 1: Complete the sentences for the \u201chamburger\u201d paragraph structure below.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n
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Learn It!<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\r\n<\/header>\r\n
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Essay Structure<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nThe first four chapters of this book focused on writing the parts of body paragraphs: topic sentence, supporting sentence(s), and concluding sentence. Beginning with this chapter, you will learn to write an essay that consists of introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. The basic outline of an essay is illustrated below:\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n
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Model Essay<\/h1>\r\nExercise 2: Read the model essay and answer the questions below.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n

Storytelling and the Brain<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There is an ancient Hopi Native American saying: \u201cThose who tell the stories rule the world.\u201d Indeed, stories are a crucial part of culture and society, and since the beginning of humanity, stories have been used to teach and entertain people of all ages. The transfer of knowledge and wisdom through the format of a story seems to have the power to compel and [pb_glossary id=\"201\"]to compel[\/pb_glossary] <\/strong>persuade people much more than other means of communication. Recent something research in [pb_glossary id=\"203\"]neuroscience[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> is shedding light on the reasons why storytelling is neuroscience: the study of the brain and the an effective communication tool. More specifically, stories can affect the nervous system human brain in two ways, which might explain their [pb_glossary id=\"205\"]efficacy[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> to convey ideas.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0With the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers results have found that listening to a story has two significant effects on the brain. The first effect is called neuro coupling. This phenomenon occurs when two people have matching activity in the same areas of their brain. Researchers at Princeton University did a study (Stephens et al., 2010) in which brain scans using MRI technology were taken of speakers telling a story and of listeners while listening to a recording of the story. The scans showed [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]synchronized[\/pb_glossary] <\/strong>neural activity in the brains of the storyteller and the listener, but the neuro time or speed coupling disappeared when there was a [pb_glossary id=\"209\"]disruption[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> in communication. Thus, it appears that interpersonal communication is most successful when a speaker can stimulate corresponding brain activity in a listener through storytelling. The second effect of stories on the brain is related to increased levels of oxytocin, a hormone produced in the body that is typically associated with trust, cooperation, and other [pb_glossary id=\"212\"]prosocial[\/pb_glossary] behaviors between A series of studies demonstrated how dramatic stories can trigger the release of oxytocin, with positive effects on participants\u2019 behavior (Zak, 2015). Zak claims that when people treat others well, their brains [pb_glossary id=\"213\"]synthesize[\/pb_glossary] oxytocin which in turn builds trust and leads to [pb_glossary id=\"214\"]reciprocal[\/pb_glossary] <\/strong>treatment. While this process illustrates how storytelling might affect the human brain and lead to feelings of empathy and trust amongst individuals, more research is beneficial needed to fully understand the effects of oxytocin on the brain.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In conclusion, the power of storytelling has been recognized throughout the ages, but now there is clinical data to support this claim. When listening to a story, the human brain can be changed because the listener's brain imitates the storyteller's brain patterns, subsequently releasing chemicals that can produce positive feelings and behaviors. In this way, stories may have the power not only to change the brain, but also to change the world by helping people become more tolerant and empathetic. (435 words)<\/span>\r\n\r\n
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References<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nStephens, G. J., Silbert, L. J., & Hasson, U. (2010). Speaker-listener neural coupling underlies successful communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(32), 14425\u201314430. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1008662107<\/a>\r\n\r\nZak, P. J., (2015). Why inspiring stories make us react: The neuroscience of narrative. Cerebrum: The Dana forum on brain science, 2.\r\n\r\n \r\n

1. What is the topic of this essay? <\/em><\/p>\r\n

2. At the end of the introduction, what topic focus is stated? <\/em><\/p>\r\n

3. For the body paragraph, underline the topic sentence. What is the controlling idea? <\/em><\/p>\r\n

4. What main supporting points are explained in the body paragraph? <\/em><\/p>\r\n

5. What words or phrases helped you to find the main supporting points? <\/em><\/p>\r\n

6. Why is some information in parentheses: (Stephens et al., 2010), (Zak, 2015)?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Learn It!<\/em><\/h1>\r\n<\/header>\r\n
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Body Paragraph<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nA body paragraph is part of the main section of an essay. To understand body paragraphs better, learn their location, function, and features.\r\n