How to Begin a Writing Assignment
Prewriting: How to Research and Organize
Often you're assigned a topic to write about or asked to choose among several. When you must create your own, keep in mind these points.
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Choose a topic appropriate to the length of your paper. Generally, students pick topics that are too broad to be adequately covered. Narrow topics lead to close observation, while broad topics lead to generalizations and sketchy development. If you're writing a five-page paper, don't write on the history of women's rights; instead, write about one incident in the history of women's rights. Even a personal or descriptive essay will be better if you choose a narrow topic—my childhood in a small town, for example, rather than my childhood, or my uncle's barn, rather than the Midwest.
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Avoid a topic that will tempt you to summarize rather than to discuss or analyze. Don't choose the plot of Macbeth but how the final scene of Macbeth illustrates the play's theme. The second topic is narrower and less likely to lead to summary. When considering a topic, ask yourself if it can lead to a reasonable thesis.
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Choose a topic that interests you. If you don't care about limiting cigarette advertising, don't select it as a topic for a persuasive essay. You'll have more to say and write better on something you care about.
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If your assignment requires research, choose a topic on which you can find material. Even when you aren't writing a research paper, make sure that you've picked a subject that you can develop with sufficient details.
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After you've picked a topic, don't be afraid to change it if it isn't working out. Instructors would rather you write a good essay than that you grind out pages on something you realize was a bad choice.
Topic vs. thesis
Don't confuse a topic with a main idea or thesis. The topic provides the subject; the thesis makes an assertion about that subject. Here are a few examples of topics that might be assigned to a college student:
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Compare and contrast X's poem “ To a Wolf” with Y's poem “ The Happy Meerkat.” Consider both theme and technique.
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Discuss the following statement: “No matter how much we may deplore human rights violations in China, the United States should not impose sanctions on the Chinese government.” Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion.
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Analyze Shakespeare's use of clothing imagery in King Lear.
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Describe an incident in your life that caused you to change an opinion or attitude.
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“The Civil War had much more to do with economics than with morality.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your opinion.
Two of these topics (the second and fifth) ask the writer to argue a position. A sentence expressing that position is a thesis statement. A thesis statement for the second topic might be, Imposing sanctions on China would be a mistake because it would hurt the American economy, because sanctions are notoriously unsuccessful as a way to force change, and because the United States should not interfere in the internal policies of other countries.
While the remaining three topics don't ask the writer to take a position, for a good essay on any of these topics, the writer should formulate a thesis. A thesis statement for the first might be, Although both poet X and poet Y show appreciation for their subjects, poet X's Wolf symbolizes the separation between humans and other animals, while poet Y's Meerkat symbolizes the connection between all living things. With this thesis statement, the writer makes a point about the topic and sets up a direction for the essay.
Writing a thesis statement
Whenever you write a paper analyzing, discussing, comparing, identifying causes or effects, or arguing a position, you should be able to write a thesis statement. You can refine and improve it as you go along, but try to begin with a one-sentence statement. A thesis statement can help you steer a straight course, avoiding the danger of digression.
Make your thesis statement say something. Don't be satisfied with weak generalities that fail to zero in on your main point. The following are examples of pseudo-thesis statements:
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Poets X and Y make important points about animals in their poems “ To a Wolf” and “ The Happy Meerkat.”
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People hold different opinions as to whether it is wise to impose sanctions on China because of their human rights violations.
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Shakespeare uses quite a bit of clothing imagery in King Lear.
None of these statements provides a clear direction for an essay because the assertions they make are so vague, they are useless. A better thesis statement for the third example might be, Clothing images in King Lear reflect the development of Lear from a man blinded by appearances to a man able to face the naked truth. Remember that the creation of a thesis statement is important to the way you approach your topic, helping you direct your thinking as well as your writing.
Avoiding fallacies
As you write be careful to avoid logic fallacies and ideological reasoning. Logic fallacies are problems in thinking or connecting ideas. Common fallacies include:
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Ad Hominem: Also called name-calling, this fallacy is an attack either directly or indirectly on a person.
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Bob can't be right because he is an idiot.
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Bandwagon/Celebrity Appeal: This is a fallacy that implies the reader should agree with a premise because a majority or a particularly significant person agrees with the premise.
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As everyone knows, this bill will help our children.
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Either/Or Reasoning: Assuming that there can be only one cause or one solution in an issue.
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The only way to keep our children safe is to ban video games.
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Slippery Slope: Assuming that because one minor fact is true, then a larger premise must be too, despite any further proof.
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Congressman Smith voted against tax increases last week; therefore, Congressman Smith will always be against tax increases.
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Ad Populum: Arguing based upon emotional appeals rather than facts
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All true Americans want to ban this book.
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Circular Reasoning: Presents as reasons a restatement of the problem.
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There are not enough parking spaces because there are too many cars.
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Ideological reasoning is the use of cultural, religious, or moral values and beliefs to prove a position. While there is nothing wrong with making personal judgments in this way, you should always be aware that your audience might not share your ideological views. To reach the greatest number of individuals you should avoid making ideological reasons the foundation of your arguments.
