Strategies for the WSA
You must have a plan
Saves time
 Keeps writing focused
 Makes writing more thorough

Pre-writing for Position Essay
Framework
 Stance
 Opposition
 Rebuttal

Framework

Define what the prompt means—
and what it doesn’t mean

This creates the framework for
your stance
Stance = Position
 You
don’t have to actually believe
the stance you take, just argue it well!
 Explain why you agree, don’t agree,
or would agree if certain changes
were made
Give examples
 Illustrate
your reasons with
examples
Real-world
Personal
Concrete
events
experiences
scenarios
Opposition: What would an
opponent say?
 For
every point you raise in support of
your stance, consider a well-reasoned
opposition to it
 Don’t
create straw-man
counterarguments: use realistic
opposition
Rebuttal
 Well-reasoned
responses against
opposition
 Add further argument in favor of
your stance
Writing

Not quantity—valued most is Quality

Well-structured paragraphs
 Topic
sentence
 Concrete
 Arrive
 Each

illustrative examples
at a conclusion
new paragraph relates to the one before it
Complete sentences
 Sentence
variety: Subordinate clause, Main Subject Verb.
Subject Verb. Subject, Parenthetical, Verb. . . .
Revise
 Make
sure your thesis and topic
sentences relate logically and lead to
your conclusion.
Proofread

Know your weaknesses to prioritize your focus

In general, make sure sentences start with capital
letters and end with periods.

Make sure “he” refers to a male-identified
person, and “she” to a female-identified person,
and “they” to two or more people or things.

Make sure the verb following “which” or “that”
fits the noun giving the pronoun its meaning.
Persuasion Task

Scan the text for
 the problem
 your audience
 your role and
task
The problem
 Look
for what the characters want and
the obstacles to their goals—make a
note of them
 Look for direct questions posed—circle
or note
Your Role—typical phrases
 You
have been hired as . . .
 Taking the role of . . .
 In the role of [Name] . . .
 As the [job title] of Company B,
write
Your Task
 “write
a letter” = more personable
 “write a memo” = more businesslike
Your Audience—some phrases
 Write
a letter to [Name]
 Write [Name] a letter
 Write a memo to [job title of a person]
Read thoroughly
 Use
this reading to gather argument fuel
 Note
or underline specific elements that
may support and/or counter your
arguments
Outline solution and opposition
 For
every point for your argument,
have an illustration
 For
each question your reader could
have, prepare a response
Write Persuasively

Even though letter or memo, no greeting

Your reader needs to trust your persona: you are a
good sibling, an ethical employee, a reasonable
manager, etc. Establish trust with something concrete.
 “Remember
when I steered you away from buying that car,
and two weeks later it was the subject of a nationwide
recall? This situation is very similar in that . . .
 In
my years at Company B, I’ve resolved conflicts that
threatened to impact . . .
Address Skepticism with Solutions

“You might think you have no experience in this
arena, but look at everything you’ve done so far
that is preparation . . .”

“While it’s true that other departments are
cutting their staffing and reducing their services,
our department can afford to hire one new person
and open one hour earlier by ending the
unprofitable practice of . . .”
Invent, but fit the story

If the prompt only says you’re a brother or sister
asked for advice, then invent a qualification that
can help your credibility or solve the problem

If the scenario mentions Boss X’s niece, but not
the kind of relationship they have, you could
invent their family dynamic to help your
argument.
Review and Proofread
 Make
sure all your paragraphs match your
argument
 Scan
first and last sentences for logical
progression of ideas
 Conclude
 Proofread
with a statement
for varied sentence structures,
subject-verb agreement, plural and singular
clearly marked, and periods end sentences.
Manage your time
Have
a timepiece other than your
phone
The more time you spend preparing,
the less you should spend on
proofing, and vice versa