There are 2 ways to begin a paper

1. Start with the thesis (or organizing idea), and come up with evidence and analysis to support it.

2. Start with ideas—and then find a thesis or argument within all your different thoughts.

Neither way is right, but different students often find they prefer different strategies.

First, we’ll discuss paper-writers who like to start with a thesis

statement.

Writing a thesis

• First, think of a subject. How about frogs?

Writing a thesis

• Next, narrow your subject by asking this: what about my subject interests me most? For example, let’s say we’re particularly interested in frogs that turn into princes.

Thesis Statement

Now—put an argumentative edge on the topic. For example: Frogs turn into princes not only in fairy tales,

but also in Ohio.

Testing your thesis

• Now test your thesis by asking the following: what evidence supports your argument?

Testing your thesis

There are many well-worded theses that would not make good papers because they have little evidence to support them. For example:

•  

• a.      "George Washington wore false teeth" is an argument, but probably too specific to provide much more than a paragraph.

• b.      "Dharma Bums is really a reaction to WWII" is a difficult thesis if you can find no evidence to support it.

• "Dharma Bums is really a book about aliens invading HMI" will be a difficult thesis because upon investigation, it will likely turn out to be patently false.

Testing your thesis

• Next, ask this: is the proposition worth supporting?

• There are many well-worded theses which are self-evident or simply overused statements like "grass is green." While theses need not be blatantly controversial, a less-than-exciting composition will likely result from arguing that the grass is green when no one has ever proposed otherwise.

Implicit in a good thesis is the notion that someone could argue

against it.

Another way to start a paper

• But sometimes, a thesis statement doesn’t immediately come to mind.

Another way to start a paper

• In that case, you want to start with brainstorming. Basically, instead of starting with the thesis—you’re starting with the evidence and working back to the thesis.

Types of Brainstorming

• There are lots of different kinds of brainstorming.

Types of Brainstorming

• Freewriting: If you don't have a topic at all, freewrite to help you figure out what you want to write about.

• Once you've finished freewriting, read over what you've written. Underline, circle, or highlight ideas you think are worth pursuing. Then ask yourself:

• -What is the most interesting idea here?-Is there anything like a general principle here that ties my ideas together?

Types of brainstorming

• Listing and inventorying ideas.

• a.       As with brainstorming, the goal is to get ideas down on paper. This time, however, make a list of ideas. Once you have an inventory, play with them: relate them to each other, parallel them, subordinate one to another, and form categories until a pattern begins to emerge.

Types of brainstorming

• Cubing• When cubing, the writer

considers the topic as if it were a cube—holding it up and examining all six sides:

• describing itcomparing it

• associating it (with other ideas)

• analyzing it• applying it• arguing for and against it

Wrap-up

• Make sense? Good.• But if it doesn’t—

Watch this presentation again—or come see Katie or Reynolds for help.