Dear
Master’s Programs Student,
In a previous tip, we
looked the steps of the writing
process. This week we’ll explore how one
step—organizing—can actually help with another phase—brainstorming. [For those who don’t practice the steps of
writing, be sure to check this post and this post first to review the
writing process.]
Usually
when organizing the ideas of a paper, a writer will select the most logical
order for his paragraphs and draw on clear connections between ideas. Of course there’s nothing wrong with this,
but the “most logical order” is also typically the most obvious. Sequencing paragraphs in this way has the
benefit of providing easy connections; the downside is that it doesn’t add to
one’s content.
The next
time you’re not writing a
paper last minute, try the following exercise:
·
Print
out the points you intend to make in your essay.
·
Cut
out each point so that it’s on its own strip of paper.
·
Throw
the strips into the air!
·
Pick
them up randomly, and affix the strips to a new piece of paper.
Expect
that some of connections and transitions will simply not make sense. At other times, however, you’ll end up with a
juxtaposition you never anticipated—one that enhances your paper. This “random” ordering can help you see
connections you hadn’t thought of; it can also challenge some of your own ideas
and force you to include a needed counter-argument or concession. Sometimes the new arrangement will even spawn
novel ideas you hadn’t generated in the brainstorming stage. This exercise provides new perspectives on
the topic under consideration.
Remember
that instructors like to see original thought in papers—it demonstrates that
you care about the material and have engaged with it thoughtfully. And “form,”
NYU writing instructor Laura H. DeSena (2007) tells us, “as much as content,
can offer [your] papers the distinction of originality.”
Happy
creative, original writing!
James
James
-----
DeSena,
Laura H. (2007). Preventing Plagiarism. p. 18.
East Peoria, IL: Versa Press, Inc.
