- I am moving from the impersonal to the personal by sharing insightful experiences.
- I am moving closer to myself but moving away simultaneously. "What enables also constrains" e.g. a supermodel - what can she eat?
- When writing an analytical essay I need to focus on a driving idea e.g. Marx's "Man is free but everywhere in chains."
- Arguing versus assertion or opinion.
- I need to seduce or convince the reader that my argument is worth elaborating on. This is the hook.
- Am I on to something here? Is the hook counter-intuitive i.e. does it go against common sense? e.g. obligation to community Vs business focus.
- Linear cumulating is where one driving idea may unpack into four themes.
- I need to drive a big idea through with an unbroken thread and take the reader with me. A broken thread reduces the seduction.
- My intro could be a simple statement e.g. "In 2006 a hotly contested issue.........". Then I tell the reader I'm going to explore that issue and tell them how I'm going to explore it. e.g. I'll do that by asking four questions. I could use my assignment criteria here.
- Humorous quotations about education will make the reading more enjoyable.
- Revise what I've written and keep looking for the compelling hook. Why is it important - what am I going to do with it?
- Each paragraph should have an open and close link. My point should be the first sentence of the paragraph. Then I need to elaborate on that point and give evidence. The final sentence is the "so what" and this takes me to the next paragraph where I start with my next point.
- Don't start a paragraph with the work of another author. Use my own points.
- Remember I have to convince a knowledgeable reader. What counts as evidence can come from my own field or from experience.
- Use sub-headings for each theme.
- The conclusion is the final "so-what" and it can be very brief.
- If the work is to be confidential, say so.
# posted by Lyn Ambrose @ 6:14:00 am
