Good writing has good ideas

1
Good writing has good ideas

• Writing begins with an idea that you want to
  explore.
• There are many sources of ideas our experience,
  our ability to question the world around us, our
  desire to persuade others of opinions, our need
  to try and sort out a problem or make sense of
  an experience.

2
Close reading

• One way of developing our ideas is by reading
  carefully and closely someone elses work.
• When we read we respond to a text in a number of
  ways emotional, analytical, personal.
• We can distinguish between active or interactive
  reading and passive reading.

3
Features of Active Reading1. Attention to detail

• Reader works to identify the thesis.
• Reader considers how the argument is structured.
• Reader identifies key terms concepts.
• Reader considers the audience.

4
Features of Active Reading 2. Questioning the
text.

• How does the author support the thesis?
• Are any of the authors assumptions questionable?
• Does the author consider opposing arguments and
  refute them persuasively?

5
A little more on questioning the text

• What is the authors reputation?
• Does the writer display any political leanings or
  religious views that could affect objectivity?
• Does the authors language show signs of bias?
• (For more see Hacker, R2-b)

6
Writing Involves Reading

• Writing and reading are the two sides of the coin
  we call research!
• To write well, you need to learn how to read
  other peoples arguments carefully.
• By being critical of other peoples work, you
  learn how to be critical of your own.
• Criticism is not, in itself, disrespectful.