WRITING
WORKSHOP:
Intro,
Discussion,
Conclusion
BEFORE
YOU
WRITE
•  Read
assignment
carefully
as
soon
as
its
posted
•  ASK
US
immediately
if
you
do
not
understand
•  Task
of
assignment–
pay
special
a;en<on
to
each
ques<on
posed
in
the
prompt…
answer
ALL
•  Rela<ng
it
back
to
course
materials
(notes,
pdf)
•  Consider
WHY
we’ve
asked
you
to
write
this…
Vasari
wrote
that
Fra
Angelico
“would
never
take
his
pencil
in
his
hand
Kll
he
had
first
uMered
a
prayer”
Format
of
a
Formal
Essay:
I.  Introduc<on
II. Discussion
III. Conclusion
**Yes,
this
IS
a
Wri<ng
Course
INTRO
Lord
Byron
“Nothing
so
difficult
as
a
beginning”
•  Establishes
the
points
you’ll
be
making
in
the
en+re
paper
•  Acts
as
a
road
map
to
where
you
are
going
–  What
is
my
thesis
(main
argument)
–  What
kind
of
informa<on
will
I
present
–  What
is
the
organiza<on
of
the
following
paragraphs?
**Sylvan
Barne;,
8th
ed.–
p.
191
–
194
(examples,
<ps)
Introduc<on
No‐No
•  Intro
as
filler
(avoid
biographical,
anecdotal,
general
informa<on)
•  Avoid
star<ng
with
Webster’s
defini<ons
•  Avoid
broad,
sweeping
statements
about
the
relevance
of
the
topic
(since
the
beginning
of
<me)
DISCUSSION
•  This
is
the
bulk
of
your
paper
•  Each
paragraph
should
have
1
main
idea
•  Each
paragraph
/
sec<on
should
address
the
ques<ons
you’ve
been
asked
•  Each
idea
needs
to
be
thoroughly
supported
•  Be
direct,
explicit
in
your
support
–
connect
the
dots
for
the
reader–
don’t
make
us
guess!
•  ALWAYS
explain
how
your
arguments
RELATE
BACK
to
class
•  Remember
to
include
EXAMPLES
CONCLUSION
Lord
Byron
“Nothing
so
difficult
as
a
beginning…
Unless
perhaps
the
end”
•  Your
last
word
on
the
subject
•  NOT
a
place
to
summarize
what
you’ve
already
established
•  Because
you
have
established
something…
what
is
the
next
logical
argument?
You
can
draw
an
inference
that
has
not
been
previously
expressed!
•  Conclusion
CAN
go
beyond
the
confines
of
the
assignment
•  Sylvan
Barne;,
8th
ed.,
pg.
194‐96
Conclusion
•  Pushing
the
boundaries–
–  Consider
broader
issues
/
implica<ons?
–  Make
new
connec<ons?
–  Elaborate
on
the
significance
of
your
paper!
–  Are
there
addi<onal
ques<ons
raised?
–  Play
the
“SO
WHAT”
game
to
generate
ideas…
The
conclusion
puts
the
bow
on
your
paper
and
<es
it
together
nicely!
Conclusion–
To
Avoid:
•  “That’s
my
story
and
I’m
s<cking
to
it
conclusion”
–
summary
of
what
you’ve
already
wri;en
•  Emo<onal
Appeals
•  Extra
snipets
of
informa<on
that
you
otherwise
could
not
have
included
in
your
paper
COMMON
MISTAKES
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Examples!
Paragraph
format
One
paragraph…
many
ideas
Mis‐reading
the
assignment
Not
asking
ques<ons
/
seeking
help
ahead
of
<me
DO…
•  Proof
your
paper
for
grammar
mistakes
•  Re‐read
your
assignment,
making
sure
you’ve
answered
all
the
ques<ons
•  Connect
the
dots–
be
explicit
in
showing
the
reader
how
you
got
from
Point
A
to
Point
B
•  Use
specific
examples
(ar<st,
<tle,
date)
•  Be
clear,
concise,
thorough…
this
doesn’t
necessarily
mean
LENGHTY
DON’T…
•  Write
about
tangents
that
are
not
related
to
the
ques<ons
at
hand
•  Assume
that
the
paper
can
be
wri;en
in
an
hour
•  Write
a
stream
of
consciousness
•  Treat
a
formal
essay
like
an
art
project
•  Be
wordy
•  Skirt
issues–
a;ack
the
ques<on
at
hand–
address
it,
deal
with
it,
finish
it
KEEP
IN
MIND
•  Get
in,
get
out,
get
done!
•  Answer
only
the
ques<ons
you’ve
been
asked
•  You
only
have
1
page
of
text–
this
can
be
done
if
you
write
as
clearly
and
concisely
as
possible
•  We
are
your
cheerleaders!
YOU
CAN
DO
THIS!