Outline: Each paragraph
expresses one idea. When writing creatively, you provide details or action that
expand on the idea of the paragraph. You may use an outline to give yourself a
skeletal plan. You may also create a timeline that shows the sequence of events
in your tale. You may decide to bounce around in time with flashbacks or other
literary devices, so it is even more important that you keep track of how
things “really” occur in the story.
Expository (or academic) Writing – to
explain and describe ideas. You are transmitting knowledge that you have.
Your role: You are the teacher. You still want to make your subject interesting, if not entertaining, but your real goal is explaining or describing a set of ideas in a concise and accurate manner.
Reader’s role:
Student. Whether you are in reality the student and your teacher will read your
work, or you are the expert and your writing will be read by those want or have
to learn from you, the reader is in the position of student. They may judge
(teacher) or question (student) what you say. But while they are in the process
of reading your work, they are at your mercy. Show them some.
Your Method: You
will want to have one main idea and a limited number of supporting points. In
choosing your topic, don’t take on too big a subject. Focus. Any topic is
related to many other ideas. You can allude to some, but don’t go off exploring
in many directions; it’s too easy to lose your reader.
Writing: Free
write first on your overall topic. As you edit, research and outline, you
can free write oneach of the supporting points you want to make.
Right from the
start, tell your reader everything you are going to explain or describe. The
first paragraph should summarize your entire paper. So you may write it more
than once. You may write it last. Do NOT keep anyone in suspense about what you
are getting at. Surprises in this form of writing are a source of confusion, not
entertainment.
Be assertive,
forget the words “maybe,” “perhaps,” or “I think.” State your thesis and
support it. If you question your idea, so will your reader. Also, be brief and
to the point. Take out any unnecessary words. This is not the place for flowery
description.
Remember to keep
your prose active. If you find yourself writing in a tentative, uncertain
style, you aren’t sure enough of your ideas to write about them yet. Your
readers may have to work at understanding your topic. Any difficulty should
come from the subject matter, not from how you explain it. As my old Professor
Fred Bailey at UCSD used to say, “Be kind to your reader.”