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