Engaging Your Audience

1
Engaging Your Audience

• Adapted from pages 30-37 in your textbook.

2
Good Titles

• You need to motivate your reader right from the
  start. Give them a reason to want to continue.
• Good titles
• suggest or state the point of the essay
• Are concise but informative
• Catch the readers attention
• Stir thought (Well, how can that be?)

3
Titles to Avoid

• Dont be overly general. Dont title your essay
  An interesting idea, etc
• Dont rename the assignment i.e. Essay 1,
  Persuasive Essay, etc
• There is no rule regarding when to develop the
  title. You may know from the start, or you may
  come up with one after writing the essay.

4
Introductions

• Much like titles, these need to grab the readers
  attention.
• THE main point of an introduction is to present
  the thesis statement announcing what the essay is
  going to illustrate. The thesis typically goes at
  the end of the first paragraph.
• Your writers voice should come through right
  away. (are you serious or friendly etc

5
Introduction Strategies

• Start with a dramatic incident (graphic detail)
• Start with a story relevant to the subject
• Start with a question or problem
• Start with surprising facts
• Start with an idea to be refuted (myth,
  stereotype, etc.

6
Introductions to Avoid

• Dont start with empty claims. (Ex on p. 33)
• No one-sentence introductions in formal, academic
  writing
• Dont In this paper I will, or the purpose of
  this paper is to .
• Dont apologize by saying youre not an expert.
  You immediately disqualify yourself if you do
  this.

7
Body Paragraphs

• Your body paragraphs are largely up to you, you
  just need to be sure that you write with
  variation and consistency (paradox?).
• Obviously, everything in your body paragraphs
  needs to be expanding on and directly relevant to
  your thesis.
• In longer research paper, the body becomes much
  less formulaic.

8
The Conclusion

• Always brings a sense of closure to the essay.
• Reminds the readers of the thesis and answers the
  question So what?
• Provides a brief, well-worded analysis of the
  point of the paper
• Memorable.save something for the end
• Ends with a distinctive sentence (could be
  powerfully short, etc)

9
Concluding Strategies

• Reflect on the importance or implications of your
  thesis
• End with a call to action
• End with a hook, referring back to the image or
  idea you began with.
• End with a question (not too fond of this one)
• End with surprising facts
• End with a solution
• End with a logical prediction or warning

10
Conclusions to Avoid

• No one-sentence conclusions
• Avoid merely summarizing your paper. Restating
  your thesis is cliché and was just used to get
  you through high school!
• Dont use overused phrases (in conclusion, or
  to sum up. Be original.
• Draw attention to your work, not yourself
• Dont raise any new subjects in your conclusion