The Writing Continuum
While it may be tempting to think
of the writing done for paper one
as completely unrelated to any
other writing you’ll do at GT, think
of all types of prose falling onto a
“writing continuum.”
On one end of the continuum,
we have “open form” prose.
Open form
Narrative-based prose
This side of the continuum is less
concerned with getting a specific point
across as much as it is with sharing an
event or experience, conveying an
emotion, telling a story, etc.
On the other end of the
continuum, we have “closed
form” prose.
Closed form
driven prose
Open form Thesis-
This side of the continuum is more concerned with delivering a point
and proving that point through research, evidence, logical
arguments etc. All points in closed-form prose directly advance
central thesis. This prose is very rigidly structured. (Ex. “There are
three reasons why windpower is untenable: A, B, and C.” One paragraph is
dedicated to each of these three reasons.)
Most forms of writing fall
somewhere in between these two
extremes on the continuum.
Closed
Implied thesis prose
Open
Sometimes writers imply a thesis/argument. The
persuasive purpose of the paper is still there, but
the position the author is trying to convince her or
his audience of is not explicitly stated, and may
often be complex.
Authors chose their form based on
their purpose for writing, their choice
of topic/type of argument, and the
audience whom the author imagines
is going to read the text.
Closed
Delayed thesis
Implied thesis
Open
When authors employ a delayed thesis style, the
thesis statement is still made explicit for the reader,
but is not stated until after some if not all of the
evidence has been presented. Authors chose this
form for very controversial topics or if they imagine
a very skeptical audience.
Where would you place the
essays we’ve read thus far
this semester?
• Davis?
• Poole?
• Roundtable discussion?
You’ll note that what seemed
to be the defining element for
the essay type was the thesis
statement.
What is a thesis? Is it all that
different from a topic? What is a
thesis statement supposed to do?
Where should it go?
Let’s have a running definition of
a thesis statement. A thesis
statement
• is an answer to a question we know to be both
problematic and significant. (This is why paper 1 is
so important-- one long exercise in practicing the
work necessary to create a thesis statement.)
• takes risks in that people could disagree with it or
that it could be proven wrong.
• creates tension in that it surprises and
simultaneously challenges the reader with a thought
they might not have considered.
• when given early in the essay forecasts the direction
for the rest of the document and lets readers know
what to expect.
What is the difference
between a topic and a thesis?
While a topic also might forecast the direction
for the rest of the document, topics do not
take risks because they do not engender
disagreement.
Also, while topics may hint at surprising
information, they do little to create tension if
they do not show how that new info changes
how a given idea should be viewed.
How can we take these following
statements that do not take risks and
turn them in to strong thesis statements?
• The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was
an event that altered the US space program.
• The advent of locomotive technology had a
big impact on American culture.
• There are some good and bad things about
credit cards.
• There are many reasons why local
governments are deciding to add bicycle
lanes to their roads.
• Although the Challenger disaster was a horrible event
that saddened an entire nation, the lessons learned
from NASA’s mistakes in the incident have proved
valuable.
• Although many people would readily admit that the
locomotive was an invention that brought more
regions of America together in closer contact,
research suggests that it had a devastating impact
within those communities themselves.
• While seemingly everyone in the US has
demonstrated a preference for spending on credit
versus using hard currency in business transactions ,
research shows that this enthusiastic trust in credit
systems as a means of payment is unwarranted.
Note that each one of these
examples employs a
“surprising reversal” formula
• creates tension by invoking a “common
view” or “innocuous view” within itself.
• hints at how it plans on expanding that
common view
• could be proven wrong. The reader
won’t know for sure until the evidence
has been presented.