Slides from the class writing workshop, 3/3/15

1. WRITING WORKSHOP
Melanie Tannenbaum, M.A.
SOC 463/663
Spring 2015

2. WHAT MAKES A GREAT PAPER?
Specific, clear thesis
Answers the “so what?” question
Clear topic sentences establishing the main idea of each paragraph
Succinct concluding sentences that summarize the main idea
Artful transitions that bridge one paragraph to the next
Few (or no) grammatical/typographical errors

3. WHO ISYOUR AUDIENCE?
Write for a general audience, not your instructor!
Anybody who is reasonably interested in the topic should be able
to understand what you are saying
Explain or define important concepts.
How are you using the term _____?

4. WHO ISYOUR AUDIENCE?
Your primary goal is to be clear!
Provide explanations & summaries of your points
“Sign posts” indicating your intended direction
Make linkages clear between paragraphs/sections
Imagine that you are writing for your grandparents
They are very interested in reading everything you say! But…you
have to explain every concept to them.

5. DEVELOPING STRUCTURED
PARAGRAPHS
Each paragraph is a mini essay
Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Step 1: Brainstorm
Step 2: Rough Draft
Step 3: Final Draft

6. STEP 1: BRAINSTORM
“What is the main idea of this paragraph?”
Write that idea in as short a statement as you can
Organize 3-5 points that support this main idea
Facts, examples, quotes, studies…
Re-write the main idea in different words to conclude
Try several different variations out!

7. STEP 2: ROUGH DRAFT
Write your topic sentence as you think it should appear
Write supporting sentences
These flesh out your supporting points with details
Provide evidence for what you are claiming
Summarize your main idea as the conclusion
Bridge into the next paragraph

8. STEP 3: FINAL DRAFT
“Writing is rewriting.”
Once all of your main points are on the page…
REVIEW, REFINE, REVISE
Revisit your thesis
Do your main points address it?
Was it specific enough?
RE-WRITE AS NECESSARY
Refine your transitions; smooth it over

9. BRAINSTORMING STRUCTURE

10. METHOD 1:VISUAL CLUSTER

11. METHOD 2:VERBAL OUTLINE
2nd Main Point
Supporting Point
Detail
Detail
Supporting Point
Detail
Detail
Conclusion
Thesis
1st Main Point
Supporting Point
Detail
Detail
Supporting Point
Detail
Detail

12. ACTIVITY
For the next 10 minutes, take the thesis from your last essay (or
the thesis from the sample essay provided) and fill in this visual
cluster or make an outline for the “skeleton” of this essay

13. DEVELOPING ATHESIS

14. THETHESIS
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OFYOUR PAPER.
Topic + Argument = Thesis
Your thesis…
Comes at the end of your introduction
Tells the reader your overall “so what” point
Can be a road map for the paper’s content
Establishes expectations

15. THETHESIS
Your thesis is not fixed!
It can (and should) evolve as your ideas evolve
If your paper doesn’t support your thesis, you might want to
change your thesis.
What you present in the paper should not deviate from what you
promise in the thesis

16. HOW DO I COME UP WITH
ONE?
Sit down and think about the topic you want to write about.Why
do you find it interesting? What research do you want to do?
What studies do you want to talk about? What really intrigues
you about it?
Try free-writing for 10-15 minutes about why you find your topic
interesting.
You will probably find that your reasons revolve around one
specific issue — your position on that topic should be your
thesis.

17. HOW DO I COME UP WITH
ONE?
Ex: I want to write about ability vs. effort beliefs.
Why do you find it interesting?
“I feel like I saw a lot of people who had ability beliefs dropping out of college
or losing focus because they stopped being motivated once they faced
challenges or setbacks, and I think this could have been prevented, so it
bothers me that we still focus on ability.”
The student above seems to be particularly interested in how beliefs about
intelligence impact motivation and perseverance.
THESIS: Ability beliefs are bad because they impair student motivation & lead
to lower levels of perseverance after setbacks.

18. INTROS & CONCLUSIONS

19. INTRODUCTION
Can be several paragraphs long
The more specific your thesis is, the more background you may need
HOOK the reader with a question, story, or quote
Provide the background & context for your argument
Offer a short review of what prior authors have written
Explain why this topic is relevant or important
Build up to your thesis until it seems like the “obvious” next step
Explain how you will argue your thesis

20. CONCLUSION
Summary of your main points
Confirmation of your thesis
What to include?
Re-state your thesis in a different way
Make a strong closing comment
Wrap up the paper so your thesis has been addressed and its larger
significance reinforced

21. AVOID
Personal pronouns (I,We,You)
Unless referring to personal experience
Contractions (isn’t, they’re, won’t…)
Slang
Overly personal tone
Opinions stated as fact
Vague ideas
Plagiarism

22. INCLUDE
Both sides of an argument
Citations for sources
Formal (or mostly formal) tone
Take a position
Concrete details

23. IFYOU FEEL STUCK…
Return to your thesis
Close your eyes and write without editing
Speak your ideas out loud into aVoice Memo
Set a timer and write until it goes off
GET FEEDBACK!
Peers, instructors, tutors, the Writing Center…

24. WHAT IF MY ESSAY’STOO
SHORT?
Succinct and concise explanations are good.
!
DO NOT ADD UNNECESSARY STUFF JUST TO “PUFF UP”
YOUR ESSAY.

25. WHAT IF MY ESSAY’STOO
SHORT?
An essay that is too short can be a clue that your thesis is too
narrow.
If you have truly run out of things to talk about, your thesis might
not be broad enough.
Example: Rather than saying that “extracurricular activities impact
student achievement,” you might want to expand it and say
“student achievement and student experience.”

26. WHAT IF MY ESSAY’STOO
SHORT?
Another good trick is adding in counterarguments.
If you point out the “other side” of the issue, and then rebut
those arguments or show why they aren’t as compelling as your
arguments, you can take up a lot of extra space…and your essay
will be stronger for it (it makes it harder for readers to dismiss
you with one of those arguments.)

27. STYLETIPS

28. DON’T BETOO SUBJECTIVE
Focus on the message and the points you are making. No need to
emphasize the effort and pain you went through when putting
together the paper.When you cite a paper it is assumed that you
read it: the reader is much more interested in your story.
Not so good: I read another article by Austin, Bentley and Chapin
(2004).They studied the impact of education on members of the
lower-class in Northern India.
Better:Austin, Bentley and Chapin (2004) studied the impact of
education on members of the lower-class in Northern India.

29. DON’T BETOO SUBJECTIVE
Don’t make your exam a report on your own reading
experience. If there is a point worth making, use a more objective
tone—as long as you can explain what the point is.
Not so good:“When I read the article by Miller (1998) and the
article by Jones (1999) I really felt that they contradicted each
other.”
Better:“There appears to be a contradiction between Miller
(1998) and Jones (1999).”

30. QUOTES
Use quotes sparingly
Only when something cannot be said in any other way, or cannot
be said better than the original authors
Integrate quotes into your text; they should not stand alone as if
they could substitute for a sentence from you

31. QUOTES
Not so good: Miller (1998) emphasized the idea that education
does not eliminate social inequality.“A better education provides
only a limited degree of social mobility.” (p. 48) Thus, it appears
that some of the hopes invested in education are unrealistic.
Better: Miller (1998) emphasized the idea that education does
not eliminate social inequality by pointing out that “a better
education provides only a limited degree of social mobility” (p.
48).Thus, it appears that some of the hopes invested in education
are unrealistic.

32. QUOTES
Think about The Zagat Method

33. FIGHT WORDINESS!
If the same thing can be said using fewer words, use fewer
words…
Not so good: In 2002, Dweck published an article in the journal
Social Psychology of Education which describes a research study
for she discussed different naïve theories of ability.
Better: Dweck (2002) discussed different naïve theories of ability.
When referencing a study you only need to mention the author
and the year, but do not need to mention anything else. The reader
can obtain all the relevant information from your reference section.

34. WRITING CLEARLY
What does it mean to be a “good writer”?
WRITING CLEARLY.
It’s not about fancy words, complicated sentences, or poetic turns of
phrase — especially when it comes to academic writing.
What is most important is that you communicate your points effectively,
clearly, and succinctly.
Your reader should not have to go back and read your sentence twice
(or three times) to understand it.

35. WRITING CLEARLY
Try reading your paper back to yourself — out loud.
Are there sentences that seem clunky or strange?
Are there sentences that you would never say out loud in
conversation because they’re so awkward?
If so, RE-WORD. Make them clear and simple.

36. WRITING CLEARLY
NO: There is a myriad of possible rationales for why the
individuals of the lower-class might require specialized attention
and programs when considering the nature of how they utilize
the available resources, pending access to such.
YES: There are many reasons why lower-class individuals might
not know how they can make use of available resources, even if
they have access.

37. THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE!
“Write down instructions for making a PB&J Sandwich.”
It seems easy enough…but most people will inadvertently leave
out at least one important step.
“Take the Peanut Butter out of the cabinet.Then stick the knife
into the jar to get the peanut butter onto it.”
You would have someone jamming the knife onto the lid…
because you never said to take the lid off the jar.

38. THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE!
Once we know things, we forget that other people don’t
know them. Or, at least, don’t know the exact definitions
we’re thinking of when writing our essays.
This is where Writing Center feedback can be really valuable! Ask
your tutor/mentor to tell you when you are using terms they
aren’t familiar with and forgetting to define/explain them first.

39. SUMMARY
Clear thesis
Build out from your thesis - cluster/outline!
Write clearly and succinctly
Use quotes to illustrate your points, not to make them.
Pay attention to transitions between paragraphs so your
paper flows from one part to the next.

40. PRACTICE
Forming a Thesis
“I want to write about SES & college dropout rates.”
Why does this interest you?
“It makes me really sad that the disparities in social class don’t even stop
once students get to college — it’s like, even once you get there, you
can’t win, there are even more pressures that make lower- or working-
class students more likely to drop out than upper-class students.”
Thesis: Social class disparities continue well into college, making lower-SES
students more likely to drop out because they face unique challenges.

41. PRACTICE
Outlining/The Skeleton
Thesis: Social class disparities continue well into college, making
lower-SES students more likely to drop out because they face
unique challenges.
What do you need to define to set your context?
What is social class/SES? What is working? low? middle? high?
What are the basic stats on dropping out? Do lots of students
drop out? Is it a big problem? Why should we want to fix it?

42. PRACTICE
What points do you need to prove to make your argument?
Social class disparities continue well into college
Lower-SES students are more likely to drop out
Lower-SES students face unique challenges.
These are your bare bone points. Now flesh them out.

43. PRACTICE
Social class disparities continue well into college
What disparities? Income? Cultural capital? Habitus?
What do these look like in practice?
How can we tell?
Studies on disparities within college contexts

44. PRACTICE
Lower-SES students are more likely to drop out
Data on this
Studies that show this is the case
This would probably be the shortest section, just because
it’s so factual/data-based — you can probably just address
it with statistics on dropout rates.

45. PRACTICE
Lower-SES students face unique challenges.
Challenge #1
Studies, data, research
Challenge #2
Studies, data, research
Challenge #3
Studies, data, research

46. PRACTICE
Now, you’ve stated your thesis, and you’ve built your
argument to provide all the supporting evidence.
Take a paragraph or two to synthesize everything that you
have said. Draw connections, etc.

47. PRACTICE
Conclusion
Summarize the dropout rates, why high dropout rates are a problem, the
fact that dropout rates differ by SES, and briefly list the “unique challenges”
you discussed at length.
This would also be a good time to get a little creative…
How could this problem be fixed?You can speculate.
What are the implications of this for society?
Re-state your thesis and make it clear what you are arguing.

48. THANKS &
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
UNR Writing Center
Eric Michael Johnson
Created the handout you received today, and thus also the
slides in here based on that handout
Markus Kemmelmeier
Created several of the slides in this presentation