SAMPLE Quote Project Informational Essay Outline
William Sydney Porter -- Author
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
 Engaging lead
(interesting fact,
question, shocking
statement, action)
 Introduce quotation
and figure
 Thesis statement -- 3
key reasons why your
figure said the quote
Paragraph 2 – First body
paragraph
 Topic sentence –
introduce the first
reason why your
figure said the quote
 Examples and details
from your research to
support the topic
sentence
 Explain why that
reason would have
motivated the figure to
say the quote (you’ll
need to make an
inference)
What comes to mind when you hear the word
prisoner? Probably not one of the most famous
American authors of all time. It’s true. William
Sydney Porter, the famous author, got some of
his best ideas for his works of literature while
he was in prison. In fact, he once said, “Life is
made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with
sniffles predominating.” Losing the love of his
life, spending five years in prison, and his
struggles with alcohol likely prompted Porter to
say that.
A mix of smiles and sorrow set the tone in
Porter’s early life. He was born in 1862 in North
Carolina. Porter developed a love for writing at
a young age. He was imaginative, social, and
loved learning about people’s lives. Porter also
fell in love with Athol Estes and married her in
1887. She was actually ill with tuberculosis, a
lung disease, even before they got married.
They had a son, who died hours after birth, and
a daughter. Over the next ten year, Athol’s
health worsened, and she died in 1897. Between
the death of his newborn son and the death of
his young wife, Porter suffered sorrow and
probably his fair share of “sobs” and “sniffles.”
He was left to raise his daughter without the
love of his life.
SAMPLE Quote Project Informational Essay Outline
William Sydney Porter -- Author
Paragraph 3 – Second body
paragraph
 Topic sentence –
introduce the second
reason why your
figure said the quote
 Examples and details
from your research to
support the topic
sentence
 Explain why that
reason would have
motivated the figure to
say the quote (you’ll
need to make an
inference)
Paragraph 4 – Third body
paragraph
 Topic sentence –
introduce the third
reason why your
figure said the quote
(EX – Martin Luther
King placed great
importance on
education throughout
his life.
 Examples and details
from your research to
support the topic
sentence
 Explain why that
reason would have
motivated the figure to
say the quote (you’ll
need to make an
Porter hit another rough patch in his life when
he was imprisoned. Although Porter was a
licensed pharmacist, he also spent some time
working as a bookkeeper for a bank in Texas.
Porter was a careless bookkeeper. Shortages of
money in the bank were discovered, and Porter
was accused of stealing, or embezzling, money.
Even though Porter claimed he was innocent, he
was fired from the bank and arrested. Before
his court trial, Porter panicked and fled the
country. Upon return to the United States to
be with his dying wife, Porter was found guilty
of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in
an Ohio prison. While in prison, he reconnected
with his love of writing and gave himself the pen
name, O. Henry. While Porter got the ideas for
many of his most famous works of literature in
prison, it was also a difficult time for him.
Because he was imprisoned just after the death
of his wife and because he was separated from
his children, Porter likely shed many tears
mourning the losses of family and freedom.
Struggles with alcoholism also played a role in
his suffering. Later in his life, in 1902, Porter
moved to New York City where he wrote the
bulk of his works, mostly short stories. Porter
married again; however, about a year into the
marriage, his wife left him. He began drinking
heavily, which left him with an enlarged heart,
diabetes, and kidney failure. In 1910, at age 48,
Porter passed away. He was almost penniless at
the time of his passing, due mostly to his
extreme alcoholism. Porter’s last years were
dark and difficult. This probably contributed to
Porter’s “sniffles” and “sobs.”
SAMPLE Quote Project Informational Essay Outline
William Sydney Porter -- Author
inference)
Paragraph 5 – Conclusion
 Restate the thesis
statement (including
the quote)
 Final thoughts
(connect to your own
life or the world today,
explain the impact of
the quote, or come to a
conclusion about the
figure’s life)
Revered as one of the most talented, well-known
American short story authors, Porter led a
tragic life. His statement, “Life is made up of
sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles
predominating,” reflects the losses of his son
and wife, his time in prison, and his struggles
with alcoholism. Porter clearly shed far more
tears of sadness than tears of happiness in his
lifetime; however, his talent lives on in his many
works of literature.