Nuts and Bolts: Writing the Paper

"If words are to enter men’s minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped cunningly to pass men’s defenses and explode silently and effectually within their minds." ~J.B. Phillips

Now that you’ve read your required reading, understood the assignment, and found a suitable topic, you are prepared to move on and begin to write the paper.

Developing a Thesis

It is no overstatement to say that the thesis is the single most important aspect of any essay. The thesis is the lifeblood of the work, its idea running through the paper’s veins, making it alive and exciting to the reader. Everyone writes better about topics that interest him or her, so try to choose an idea that you really believe in and that motivates you to write. Your own interest, though, is not enough—issues of style and structure must be attended to. Readers are used to finding thesis statements at the end of your first paragraph or at the beginning of your second paragraph, so the safe bet is to place it there. Since it is the central idea of your paper, make sure it is easily recognizable to the reader. If you are having difficulty, a Writing Center tutor can help you to find a thesis for your paper.

Regarding style, keep in mind that a thesis statement must be:

Original
Remember that a thesis is the main idea of YOUR paper, so your main argument needs to be your own.

Arguable
The central idea of your paper must be something that people can debate over and disagree with. If your thesis merely states an obvious truth, you are suggesting to the reader that your paper will be just a bland recitation of facts.

Defendable
Do temper this desire for ambition in your topic, though, with the knowledge that you must actually be able to prove what you say you will prove. You must be able to defend the argument in your thesis with examples from the class text or outside research. Be aware that your thesis must be well supported in order to withstand the numerous counterarguments your audience will have.

Specific
You can help to ground your thesis in defensible facts by focusing on the need to make it specific. Stay away from grand, universal statements, clichés, and abstract ideas. For example, "Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are classic tragic figures" should be replaced with "Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet each embody the tragic figure as the love that distinguishes their characters also leads to their downfall."

It is also important to note that a thesis statement is never a list and it is never a question. It is solely the goal and direction of your paper.

Developing an Argument

The main point of any is persuasion. The structure of your argument and the strength of your supporting details, therefore, play a vital role in the persuasiveness of your paper. Listed below are a few ways to begin to create your argument.

Why do YOU believe your thesis?
In creating your argument, you must address the issue of why you believe what you state in your thesis. Begin by writing your thesis on the top of a piece of paper and then writing a list of all of the reasons why you believe it. Include supporting details and quotes that you may already have found in this list. Then, after you complete this list, cross out all of those supporting details that may not be completely relevant to your paper and concentrate on those that you haven’t crossed out in your paper when you begin to actually write.

Evidence and Analysis
The two most important parts of an argument are evidence and analysis. You will need to find evidence for your thesis in the research that you are doing or in the works of literature that you are writing about. The analysis for your argument comes from YOU. You can apply the list above of why you believe your thesis, to enhance your analysis. Also read what others have written about your topic and then see how you feel about their stances. This will help you to best analyze your thesis and your supporting details for your paper.

Counter-Arguments
When you write an academic essay, you make an argument: you propose a thesis and offer some reasoning, using evidence, that suggests why the thesis is true. When you counter-argue, you consider a possible argument against your thesis or some aspect of your reasoning. This is a good way to test your ideas when drafting, while you still have time to revise them. And in the finished essay, it can be a persuasive and (in both senses of the word) disarming tactic. It allows you to anticipate doubts and pre-empt objections that a skeptical reader might have; it presents you as the kind of person who weighs alternatives before arguing for one, who confronts difficulties instead of sweeping them under the rug, who is more interested in discovering the truth than winning a point…As you consider possible [arguments] and begin to work on your draft, ask yourself how an intelligent person might plausibly disagree with you or see matters differently. When you can imagine an intelligent disagreement, you have an arguable idea. And, of course, the disagreeing reader doesn’t need to be in your head: if, as you’re starting work on an essay, you ask a few people around what they think of topic X (or your idea about topic X) and keep alert for uncongenial remarks in class discussion and in assigned readings, you’ll encounter a useful disagreement somewhere.

(From the Harvard University Writing Center Handout "Counter-Argument")

Mastering Introductions

Many students find it difficult to begin their papers. They have a thesis statement and they have a logical outline but they cannot write the first few sentences of their paper. What makes a good opening? You can start with specific facts and information, a keynote quotation, a question, an anecdote, or an image. But whatever sort of opening you choose, it should be directly related to your focus. A snappy quotation that doesn't help establish the context for your essay or that later plays no part in your thinking will only mislead readers and blur your focus. Be as direct and specific as you can be. This means you should avoid two types of openings:

The history-of-the-world (or long-distance) opening, which aims to establish a context for the essay by getting a long running start: "Ever since the dawn of civilized life, societies have struggled to reconcile the need for change with the need for order." What are we talking about here, political revolution or a new brand of soft drink? Get to it.

The funnel opening (a variation on the same theme), which starts with something broad and general and "funnels" its way down to a specific topic. If your essay is an argument about state-mandated prayer in public schools, don't start by generalizing about religion; start with the specific topic at hand.

Remember. After working your way through the whole draft, testing your thinking against the evidence, perhaps changing direction or modifying the idea you started with, go back to your beginning and make sure it still provides a clear focus for the essay. Then clarify and sharpen your focus as needed. Clear, direct beginnings rarely present themselves ready-made; they must be written, and rewritten, into the sort of sharp-eyed clarity that engages readers and establishes your authority.

(From the Harvard University Writing Center Handout Beginning the Academic Essay)

Conclusions: The Big Bang

Besides introductions, the most difficult task for most college students in writing a paper is the conclusion. According to Villanova Writing Center Director, Mary Beth Simmons, it is best to "say what you have to say and then get off the page." This is, however, easier said than done. Students feel that they need to include a complete summary of their whole paper in their conclusion and then end with a bang. Many of the most well written conclusions, however, do not end with any climactic phrase at all, yet still they seem to finish perfectly. Below are a few useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion without causing you unnecessary stress in finding the perfect "bang" ending:

• Make a useful analogy or comparison
• Suggest specific actions that the reader should take in light of the information you’ve provided
• Speculate about what your thesis implies for the future
• Make a brief remark that sums up your feelings

Some poor conclusion ideas are:

• The unnecessary summary: only lengthy, complex papers need a conclusion that summarizes the material covered in the paper
• The empty cliché: "So ends the analysis of myself and the question of who am I has been answered in a brief form"
• The trite truism: "And in conclusion, let me say..."
• The waste basket ending: do not try in the final paragraph to say everything you didn’t have room for in the body of the paper

(From George Mason University Writing Center’s Handout "The Writing Center Guide to Introductions, Conclusions and Titles")