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Research Step 5 - Drafting
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Goals:
To
create an organized draft of your project
To integrate sources into your
writing
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Writing a rough draft is a subjective
activity--each writer has an unique method of writing. Having written a
number of essays in the past, you as a writer should know how you work most
effectively. Don't change anything now. Simply sit down and write a
first draft of your essay.
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Getting Started
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Beginning an essay is often the most daunting
component of the drafting process. A good lead in is a necessity, but
writers often get stuck after the first couple of words. The following is
a list of ideas for lead ins borrowed from Jean Wyrick's Steps to Writing
Well. If you would like to read an example of any of the listed
techniques, see me.
- A paradoxical or intriguing statement
- An arresting statistic or shocking statement
- A question
- A quotation or literary allusion
- A relevant story, joke, or anecdote
- A description, often used for emotional
appeal
- A factual statement or a summary
who-what-when-where-and-why lead in
- An analogy or comparison
- A contrast
- A personal experience
- A catalog of relevant examples
- Statement of a problem or a popular
misconception
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Writing a Thesis Statement
Once you get started with your introduction, you
need to transform your Controlling Statement into a thesis
statement. First, you may want to adjust the Statement to fit any
changes you have made to your focus since writing the initial statement.
Next, eliminate the section that reads "The purpose of this paper" to
improve the style of the thesis statement. Here is an example from a
classmate's project:
Controlling Statement: "The
purpose of this paper is to explore the
issue of abortion rights in the US. The paper will analyze both
sides of the issue and present major cases such as Roe v. Wade."
Thesis Statement: When it comes
to the abortion debate in the US, people are just off track. The issue
is not a moral one, it is legal and constitutional, and the fact is that the
United States Constitution protects a woman's right to choose.
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Using Your Sources
Incorporating sources is not as tricky as you
may think. You have three types of notes to utilize - quotations,
paraphrases, and summaries. The last two are easy to use: simply work them
into your essay in your own words, making sure to include a parenthetical
reference (see MLA page). Quotations are a little more difficult,
because you need to create a logical flow of ideas into and out of the quoted
passage. I would recommend checking your format for quoting against a
trustworthy manual, such as Writers INC or the MLA Handbook.
Here are a couple of basic rules for quoting:
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