Slant Contents
SLANT
WRITING ESSAYS YOU WANT TO READ
CONTENTS
About this Book
Author’s Note: Attention Writers!
How to Use this Book
1: Creating a Topic
Approach
1. Chasing Excitement
2. Exploring the Unknown
3. Collaboration
4. Following the Fear: Narrowing
Rehearse
1. Starting with a Question
2. Blowing Bubbles
3. Paraphrasing
4. Writing a Dialogue
5. Playing the Detective
6. “Help! I don’t know what the
heck I want to write about!”
7. Crescendo Analysis
Create
1. Writing a Sentence
2. Condensing
3. Narrow NOW! Crescendo NOW!
4. Testing Your Topic Idea
5. Using Slant
2: Writing the Thesis
Approach
1. Pride, Belief and Curiosity
2. Packing to Unpack
Rehearse
1. Retesting
2. Using Your Own Language
3. Subordinate Clauses or “Teasers”
4. Doing Research
Create
1. Writing the Opposing Statement
2. Combining Slant with Opposition
3. Writing the “Supported By” Statements
4. Revising Your “Although” and
“Supported By” Statements
3: Constructing the Outline
Approach
1. “Just Do It”: The Outline Method
2. Think Complete Sentences
3. Understanding the Outline’s Place
Rehearse
1. Compiling Support
2. Writing Pilot Topic Sentences
Create
1. The Structure
2. Breaking it Up
3. The Opposition: Number 1
4. Slant/Thesis: Number 2
5. The “Supported Bys”: Numbers 3, 4, 5…
6. Two Sample Outlines
4: Beginning Your Draft:
Writing the “Trifecta”
Approach
1. Undoing It
2. Unpacking the Opposition and
Slant into the Trifecta
3. Flexibility
4. Writing Out Loud
Rehearse
1. Impressing Someone at a Party
Create
1. Writing Order
2. Writing the Opening Paragraph
3. The Opposition Paragraph
4. The Thesis Paragraph
5. Sample Trifectas
5: Constructing Body Paragraphs
Approach
1. Using the Outline
2. Writing Out of Order
Rehearse
1. Topic Sentences
2. Research on Demand
3. Paraphrasing
4. Quote and Support Variation
Create
1. SSS: Slant, Support, Synthesis
2. Slant
3. Support
4. Synthesis
4.5. A Note about Analysis
5. Sample SSS Paragraphs
6. Transitioning
6: Revising
Approach
1. Multiple Revisions
2. Writing Out Loud
3. Writing for the Reader
Rehearse
1. Only Connect: Writing Thesis Reminders
Create
1. The Reverse Outline
2. First Revision Based on Reverse Outline:
Structure and Content
3. Second Revision: Style and Language
4. Peer Review
7: Writing the Conclusion
Approach
1. Forgetting Everything You Ever Learned
About Conclusions
2. Provocation
Rehearse
1. Writing the Next Essay
2. So What?
Create
1. Evoking Curiosity
2. The Solution
3. Slant
8: Sample Essays
1. Sample Essay Project 1
“Being Innately Woman”
by Jennifer Tang
Outline
Essay
2. Sample Essay Project 2
“Picking Up the Heavy Nozzle—
Scary, Right?” by Jennifer Tang
Outline
Essay
Slant Essay Grading Rubric