I just submitted my final paper for English 101!
The assignment was to write a 500 - 1000 word process analysis about some point of the writing process and I chose the beginning of a paper, the introduction!
In the spirit of celebration, I've decided to post the paper for all you writers or other students entering in to college English classes.
Introductions can be daunting. Throughout
life meeting new people and keeping to social etiquette can be awkward. In the
same way, writing an introduction for your paper can be daunting. It has its
awkward moments and periods of writers block during rough drafts. We’re all
beginners at some point; all needing encouragement and guidance to start off.
So to help you start, here is some writing wisdom to assist in your introductions.
To
start off, for any piece of writing you need something to write about. To get
started, know your topic. If you have an assigned prompt and are unfamiliar with
the topic you’ve been given, do research to be more comfortable writing about it.
Make sure you understand the topic and know how it is you’re going to present
it. For example, if you paper is an argument, are you arguing for or against
your topic? Or if it’s persuasive, are you persuading people to take a stand
for or against it? Whatever the case may be, make sure you’re knowledgeable in
your topic and aware of your approach.
Once
you have a good grasp on your topic, it’s time to develop your thesis. When
writing a paper your thesis is one of the most important things you’ll be graded
on. It’s the declaration of what your paper is all about, the essence of your
piece of writing. As ‘The Little Seagull’ handbook puts it, the thesis is “a
statement that identifies the topic and main point of a piece of writing,
giving readers an idea of what the text will cover”. Take care in developing
your thesis, for without it, what is your paper about?
Now
that the topic and thesis are taken care of, it’s time to cover vocabulary.
Wording is important in an introduction, both on paper and in life. If you were
to have the opportunity to meet the Queen of England you wouldn’t greet her
with an “oh my gosh! It’s great to see you!!!” but rather a formal and polite
greeting appropriate for the circumstance. In the same way, you wouldn’t greet
your best friend upon seeing them for the first time in two years with a reserved,
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Your Highness.” So when you’re
writing your introduction, make sure you’re using the correct wording. It needs
to be appropriate for the circumstance: meaning your audience and your topic.
Something else to
keep in mind is that the wording of your introduction also needs to pique the
readers’ interest. To catch their eye try making a statement your audience can
relate to. For example, at the beginning of this paper the statement
“Introductions can be daunting.” is something a student could empathize with.
But, as the introduction continues, the parallels between introductions in life
and on paper can help those with less writing experience relate to the topic as
well. To engage your readers right away, try asking a question pertaining to
your topic. ‘The Norton Sampler’ gives the example that “In an essay about the
physical benefits of laughter, a writer might open with this question: “Is laughter
really the best medicine?”
Since the
introduction of your paper is the beginning, it needs to have continuation
value. It’s the first impression your paper gives to the audience and should to
entice them to continue reading. Make sure your introduction is apt in explaining
to the reader what your paper is about, that way successfully leads into the
body of your piece.
The
introduction is a crucial part of any piece of writing. The first words read are
integral to how your audience will respond to the piece as a whole. As the
first impression in writing is so important, we all need some encouragement and
guidance when we first start off. Each of these guidelines – topic, thesis,
wording, and continuation value – is important to any introduction. Follow them,
add your own flare and there’s no introduction you can’t conquer. So get out
there and write!
Works
Cited
Cooley, Thomas. The Norton Sampler
Seventh Edition: Short Stories for Composition. New York: Norton, 2010.
Print.
Bullock, Richard, Francine Weinberg, The
Little Seagull Handbook. New York, Norton, 2011. Print.
