BRAINSTORMING and EDITING THE A PAPER 1 It

BRAINSTORMING and EDITING

THE “A” PAPER � 1. It not only fulfills the assignment but does so in a fresh and mature way. The paper is exciting to read; it accommodates itself well to its intended audience. � 2. The evidence is detailed and used persuasively and where appropriate; citations are used effectively where appropriate and are formatted correctly. � 3. The organization gives the reader a sense of the necessary flow of the argument or explanation. � Paragraphs are fully developed and follow naturally from what precedes them; the conclusion reinforces the reader’s confidence in the writer’s control of the argument. � 4. The prose is clear, apt, and occasionally memorable. The paper contains few, if any, errors of grammar, mechanics, word choice or expression, none of which undermines the overall effectiveness of the paper.

THE “A” PAPER � These well-written essays reveal an understanding of the entire passage. They define clearly the speaker’s changing responses and discuss, with apt and specific reference, how the diction, imagery, and tone reflect these responses. These papers need not be without flaws, but they will be characterized by a convincing interpretation of the passage and consistent control over the elements of effective writing. They demonstrate the writer’s ability to read with perception and to express ideas with clarity and skill.

BRAINSTORMING: WAYS TO START 1. Freewriting • let your thoughts flow as they will; write whatever comes into your mind • don’t judge the quality of what you write and you don’t worry about style or any surface-level issues, like spelling, grammar, or punctuation. 2. Break down the topic into levels • the general topic, like “The relationship between tropical fruits and colonial powers” • a specific subtopic or required question, like “How did the availability of multiple tropical fruits influence competition amongst colonial powers trading from the larger Caribbean islands during the 19 th century? ” • a single term or phrase that you sense you’re overusing in the paper. For example: If you see that you’ve written “increased the competition” about a dozen times in your “tropical fruits” paper, you could brainstorm variations on the phrase itself or on each of the main terms: “increased” and “competition. ”

BRAINSTORMING: WAYS TO START 3. Clustering/mapping/webbing: • Take your sheet(s) of paper and write your main topic in the center, using a word or two or three. • Moving out from the center and filling in the open space any way you are driven to fill it, start to write down, fast, as many related concepts or terms as you can associate with the central topic • Once the storm has subsided and you are faced with a hail of terms and phrases, you can start to cluster. Circle terms that seem related and then draw a line connecting the circles. Find some more and circle them and draw more lines to connect them with what you think is closely related. When you run out of terms that associate, start with another term. 4. Journalistic questions • use the “big six” questions that journalists rely on to thoroughly research a story: Who? , What? , When? , Where? , Why? , and How? . Write each question word on a sheet of paper, leaving space between them. Then, write out some sentences or phrases in answer, as they fit your particular topic.

QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF � � As you think about the topic itself, try answering the following questions: 1. What do you already know about this topic? 2. Where did you learn it? 3. What aspects of the topic don't you know so much about? 4. What aspects of the topic would you like to learn more about? And for each answer, ask WHY? � As you explore further, think about your audience: � 1. Who is you audience for this (not just your teacher)? 2. Who might be interested in this topic? 3. What do they already know? 4. What might you tell them? 5. What questions would they ask you? 6. How might you answer them?

DETERMINING ORGANIZATION METHOD Here a few strategies you can use to develop papers: � Chronological order Paragraphs separate the process or series of events into major stages. � Classification Paragraphs divide the material into major categories and distinguish between them. � Increasing importance Paragraphs are arranged so that the most important point comes last, thus building the paper's strength. � Cause and effect Indicates causal relationships between things and events. � Comparison and contrast Similarities and differences Although one pattern should serve as the overall organizing framework, your argument can use a combination of these strategies within paragraphs.

FINAL TIPS � Just get it down. Revise later. � It is important to realize that writing is a way of thinking. Do not feel that you have to have all of your thoughts fully organized in your head before putting fingers to keyboard. � Once you have done your research and planned your outline, the best way to think about your paper is to write it. � The purpose of an initial draft is to produce raw material, not to dazzle with your finely-shaped prose. Having something on paper gives you something to work with.