Brian Wasko

BEYOND FIVE PARAGRAPHSHOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY SOMEONE MIGHT WANT TO READ

WRITING WARM UP

•Write the following:• Describe: List three adjectives that come to mind when you

think of the word essay.• Simile: Complete the following sentence:

Writing an essay is like __________________• Define: What is your definition of essay? No googling!• Rules: List three rules you have learned about essay writing.

MY ANSWERS

•Describe: thought-provoking, inspiring, exploratory• Simile: Writing an essay is like spelunking. •Definition: A personal exploration of an idea in print.• Rules: There are no rules.

ESSAYS CAN BE AWESOME

• They can be awesome to read and awesome to write.• People have been writing amazing essays for

hundreds of years. • And people have read them…just because they

wanted to!• A proud literary heritage

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, 1533-1592

• The father of the essay• At the age of 38, Montaigne retired

from public service to a library in his castle tower to devote himself to meditation and writing. • He published his Essais in two

volumes in 1580 and a third volume in 1588.

A FEW GREAT ESSAYISTS

• Michel de Montaigne• John Donne• Joseph Addison• Richard Steele• Jonathan Swift • Ralph Waldo Emerson• Henry David Thoreau• Mark Twain• George Orwell• G.K. Chesterton

• Dorothy Sayers• C.S. Lewis• Joan Didion• James Baldwin• David Foster Wallace• Annie Dillard

• David Sedaris • Nora Ephron • Bloggers!

SO WHO RUINED THE ESSAY?

SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS STANDARDIZATION FOR GRADING RESULT: THE DREADED 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAY! (TELL MR. WASKO TO HAND OUT THE SAMPLES NOW)

WHAT IS AN ESSAY?

IN SCHOOLS• Persuasive or Argumentative in

Purpose• Clearly Stated Thesis• Rigid Structure• Organization over Content

IN THE REAL WORLD• From the French ESSAYER “to try,

to attempt.”

• An Exploration of an Idea

• Sometimes Just Raises Questions

• (Do Lobster Now)

WaskoLit.com/lobster

IN DEFENSE OF THE 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

• A good place to start• Parallels to other arts:

• Painters start with simple subjects• Carpenters build boxes and square tables• Crawl before we can walk

• Training wheels

The 5-Paragraph Model

• Begin with broad, interesting opening.

• Bring reader quickly to the thesis.

• Introduction ends with thesis.• Each body paragraph

addresses a single supporting point.

• Arrange points so that best is last.

• Illustrate with concrete examples.

• Transition between paragraphs.

• Conclusion restates the thesis.

• Conclusion ends broadly and memorably.

“Grabber”

Thesis

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Restated Thesis

Tidy close

Par 1

Par 2

Par 3

Conclusion

Intro

IntroRising Action

Climax

Start

Finish

Other Organization Strategies

THE NARRATIVE ESSAY

• Most common in print today• Based on personal experience/anecdotal• Meditations on life lessons• Thesis comes late• Often more emotional than rational• Less clearly argumentative

12 TIPS FOR WRITING A READABLE ESSAY

1. REMEMBER THAT ESSAYS, LIKE ANY KIND OF WRITING, ARE MEANT TO BE READ.

2. KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE IN MIND.

3. PICK A TOPIC THAT MATTERS TO YOU. (CARE ABOUT STUFF) TAYLOR MALI

4. WRITE WITH INSIGHT.

5. MAKE YOUR THESIS ARGUABLE.

6. EXPERIMENT WITH FORM.

12 TIPS FOR WRITING A READABLE ESSAY

7. EXPLORE IDEAS AS YOU WRITE

8. BE CONCRETE: DON’T TELL WHEN YOU CAN SHOW

9. FIND A VOICE AND STICK TO IT

10.WRITE WELL

11.DON’T BE CONTROVERSIAL JUST TO BE CONTROVERSIAL

12.DON’T BE AFRAID TO BREAK THE RULES

13.Read Essays

(WaskoLit.com/

glory)

THANK YOU!

WriteAtHome.com

WaskoLit.com

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