Organizing Your Writing

1
Organizing Your Writing

• Writing Center

2
Focus

• Include a focus statement in your introduction
• This informs your reader where your paper is
  going
• Include your subtopics or key points
• Cover each point in the same order in the paper
• Remember that each sentence in the paper supports
  your focus statement

3
Outline

• Make an outline to know where you will discuss
  each point
• Know where you will fulfill all assignment
  requirements
• Make it informal if it is just for you
• Decide what order you want to discuss topics
• Your paper is a sequence of ideas you present
• Be sure it is the easiest way for your reader to
  understand the topic

4
Body

• Let the focus statement guide you
• Include background information and definitions
  that are necessary and not common information
• Each paragraph should have a clear key point and
  support
• Transition between paragraphs

5
Transition

• Use transitions to guide you from one point to
  the next
• This is more than transitional words such as
  Secondly
• Point out the common ground between these points
• The commonalities will be within your focus

6
Conclusion

• The conclusion should summarize your main
  information
• No new information should be presented in the
  conclusion