A THESIS STATEMENT

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A THESIS STATEMENT

• A CONTROLLING FORCEAND NOTHING TO FEAR!

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A Thesis

• What Is It?
• How Do You, Your Thesis, and Your Essay
  Relate? How Do You Build on Each Other?
• Why Do You Care? And Yes, You REALLY Do!

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A Thesis . . .

• Is a Controlling Force
• States the Main Idea of Your Essay.
• Answers Why Are You Telling Me This?
• Is Your ONE Thing Your ONE Focus.
• May List Your Three Topics.
• Always Provides Unity and Direction.
• An Example When I am a writer, I will write
  books, articles, and people profiles.

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How Do You, Your Thesis, and Your Essay
Relate? 

• Brain Dump 1 Find Your Focus
• Brain Dump 2 Find Your Three Points
• Write Your Thesis Again, Again, Again
• Let It Drive Your Essay - Anything in Your Essay
  That Doesnt Relate to Your Thesis Must GO

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Brain Dump 1 Find Your Focus 

• Start with any concept or question. For this
  example, Why are you here? or What is your
  dream job?
• Put this in the middle of the page.
• Doodle words wildly around it anything goes.
  Anything.
• When youve totally dumped your brain, pick your
  favorite focus. Be strong and focused here, and
  your essay will be, too.

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Brain Dump 1 

• Put WHAT IS MY DREAM JOB IN THE MIDDLE and the
  rest might look like pick your favorite focus. Be
  strong and focused here, and your essay will be,
  too.

PRESIDENT
COMPUTER PROGRAMMER
HORSE TRAINER
DREAM JOB
DOG WALKER
STAY-AT HOME PARENT
TEACHER
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Brain Dump 2 Find Your Points 

• Start with the newly found focus Lets say you
  decided (just for this essay) youd like to be a
  teacher.
• Again, doodle and write wildly around it.
  ANYTHING that pops into your head, dump it on the
  paper. WHY do you want to be a teacher? What will
  it be like? Etc

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Brain Dump 2 Find Your Points 

• When youve exhausted all ideas, pick your
  favorite three as long as they SUPPORT your
  thesis.
• These are your three points. Circle them.
• Youre nearly there . . .

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Brain Dump 2 

• Put MY DREAM JOB IS BEING A TEACHER (or
  whatever your focus turned out to be!) and it
  might look like this

DREAM JOB AS A TEACHER
More time with my family due to summers off
Serve Others
Change lives
Teach my favorite subject all day
Get to be in charge of my classroom
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Write Your Thesis 

• Write at least three versions of your thesis.
  Name your focus and clearly state your three
  points.
• You can write a thesis without the three points
  but carefully cover them, in order, as you write
  your essay.
• Pick the most coherent, directive version of your
  thesis.

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Write Your Thesis 

• Maybe you wrote, My dream job is to be a
  teacher so that I can have summers off to spend
  more time with my family, change lives, and serve
  others. Done!It has your focus (Dream job
  teacher) and the three reasons why. PERFECT.

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Keep Your Focus as You Go 

• FIRST - Before you write, make your outline. It
  will serve as a map for you as you write.
  Highlight your THESIS and POINTS 1 through 3.
• LATER As you write, carefully stick to your
  focus. If in doubt, throw extras out.
• FINALLY As you edit, carve out any ideas that
  dont stick to your thesis.

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Why Do You Care?

• Rambling essays annoy.
• You dont want to annoy the lady with a red pen
  in her hand.
• Your reader doesnt need a new sleep aid.
• Encouraging your reader to snooze and drool are
  to be avoided.
• A thesis will bring you closer to an A that
  thing you crave faster than your reader can
  say, Why are you telling me this?

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One More Time . . .

• Find Your Focus
• Find Your Favorite Three Points
• Twist and Twirl Your Thesis Until It Points the
  Way to an A
• Write an Outline
• You Can Do This And Your Clear Effort to Make a
  Solid Point and Stick to It Will Soothe and
  Entertain Your Reader

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A THESIS STATEMENT

• A CONTROLLING FORCEAND NOTHING TO FEAR!