All You Need to Know

1. All You Need to Know Writing Research and Literary Analysis Papers

2. The Basics I • Your goal: to infect the mind of your reader with your idea, like a virus • The greatest ideas are (literally) worthless if you keep them to yourself

3. The Basics II • Don’t be intimidated • Writing the paper is how you develop the idea in the first place • Purpose of Writing • To convey your idea • From your head to your reader’s head • Everything serves this purpose • Ask yourself, how do I get my audience to believe and trust what I’m thinking.

4. Introduction Overview • Never have a second chance to make a first impression on readers • Serves as a road map for the rest of your paper • Outlines argument and the importance of your main points

5. Introduction • Myth: I write my introduction first and then it is done. • Many writers don’t even write their introductions till they are finished with their whole paper! • For now, compose what you think will be the introduction, but I bet you will change it after your past page 2 or 3.

6. Introduction: Format Outline • Attention-grabber (1-2 sentences) • Elaboration/Clarification (1-2 sentences) • Detail/Connection to thesis (1-3 sentences) • Thesis (1-3 sentences)

7. Attention-grabber • General to Specific • Provocative Quote • Anecdote • Opposite Effect • Combo-attacks

8. General to Specific • Start with a broad, general discussion of your topic and narrow it down as you approach your thesis. • Example: Social Acceptance • Social acceptance is a problem that people face everyday. On some level, every person faces the trials of being accepted in a group or team everyday. Players strive to be accepted on a soccer team and students strive to be accepted in their peer groups. Wicked, a hit Broadway musical, contains characters facing the problems of social acceptance as well. [Insert thesis here]

9. Provocative Quote • Implement a quote from a person or piece of literature (book, music, movie). The quote should spark a question or interesting idea in the reader’s mind. • Also, it is important to use quotes from the audience’s interested media. • Writing a paper to adults about the impact of music on children, I wouldn’t use Lil’ Wayne or Biggy

10. Provocative Quote • Rule 1: Must connect quote. Do not live it hanging at the top. Discuss it. • Example: Social Acceptance • “If you're holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time” (Rowling). Author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling understands every person’s need to be accepted; however, she also understands that not everyone can be popular for what society dubs the right reasons. Just like Rowling’s popular series, Wicked, a popular Broadway musical, contains a vibrant plot that depicts the strive for social acceptance and the inability to achieve it. [Insert Thesis here]

11. Anecdote • All audiences enjoy a story, particularly those with human interest. • In this instance, you are putting a face (or faces) to your composition by drawing upon an incident containing a moral center, one that you can then use in leading your audience to the thesis statement. • Here again, the best anecdotes are those coming from popular culture: from stories and events that people are aware of and talking about. • You can use shortened versions from the story you are analyzing, but it never hurts to include a shortened story from another source.

12. Anecdote • Example: Social Acceptance • The Wicked Witch is dead and several members of society gather to celebrate the death of such a horrid evil force. They sing and dance, not knowing that the Wicked Witch was once a young, innocent and caring girl named Elphaba, who passionately fought racism to free the enslaved of her country. However, Elphaba’s weakness was caring for others who only sought the popularity of Ozians. Wicked, a popular Broadway musical, depicts the common drive for social acceptance and the often negative outcomes that follow. [Insert thesis here]

13. Opposite Effect • Use the opposite of what you plan to write about • Plan: Social acceptance is negative • Intro: Social acceptance can be positive • Use this to bridge gaps between author (you) and readers • Sometimes you are trying to infect someone who is completely opposite

14. Opposite Effect • Example: Social Acceptance • Glinda has achieved her dreams of becoming the single most popular Ozian alive at the end of Wicked. Her popularity led to Dorothy’s return home and the overturn of a corrupt government. It would be easy to assume that popularity is always the right choice. However, close examination proves that seeking popularity hurts the individuals involved. [Insert thesis here]

15. Combo-Attack • This style is the most complex and is utilized by the highest-skilled writers. It combines two or more of the above concepts.

16. Thesis Sentence • The most important sentence of the entire paper. • The thesis is the general statement of the paper and is what will be proven. In a research paper, the thesis should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph(s). All supporting paragraphs must relate to the thesis statement.

17. Thesis Sentence • A thesis sentence is… • At least one full sentence • A statement that you will prove • Unified and specific

18. Thesis Sentence: Warranting the E • A thesis sentence is NOT… • Your title • A fact or unarguable point • Wicked is about witches. (Duh.) • Dracula describes vampires. (Again, duh.) • An announcement • My paper is about popularity in Wicked. • I will show you how Wicked is about popularity.

19. Thesis Sentence • A thesis sentence is NOT…. • Covers too much • Wicked is about popularity • Ask yourself, what does Wicked say about popularity. When you answer it, then change your thesis. • Wicked depicts the everyday consequences of choosing to be accepted over being an individual.

20. Additional Information • All of the below must be included in this introduction paragraph • Attention-getter with explanation/elaboration • Bridge between AG and Thesis • Well-structured thesis • Author and title • Paper’s organization of ideas • I should know your structure from the intro. • Chronological? Most to least? Least to most?

21. Body Paragraphs: Intro. • A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you as a writer stay on track during your drafting and revision stages. Good paragraphing also greatly assists your readers in following a piece of writing. You can have fantastic ideas, but if those ideas aren't presented in an organized fashion, you will lose your readers (and fail to achieve your goals in writing).

22. BP: The Basics • The basic rule of thumb with paragraphing is to keep one idea to one paragraph. • If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a new paragraph.

23. BP: Focus, Daniel Son • Thesis: Social Acceptance • BP Topic: Glinda getting popular. (No! No! Too general) • BP Topic: Glinda’s use of Boq to increase popularity. • BP Topic: Outcomes of Ozian focus on a single idea of beauty

24. Body Paragraph: Order • Follow this order while writing • 1. Topic sentence • 2. Lead-in to concrete detail • 3. Concrete detail • 4. Commentary • 5. Transition and lead-in to next concrete detail • 6. Concrete detail • 7. Commentary • 8. Concluding/Clincher Sentence

25. Topic Sentence • Topic sentences are the first sentence of every paragraph. • Provides one reason why your paper’s thesis is true. • Essentially, it is a mini-thesis. • Follow same rules • It should be very, very specific

26. Topic Sentence: Example At the beginning of the musical, the cast portray the outcome of popularity.

27. Concrete Detail • A specific example from the primary text (Literature you are analyzing) or secondary source (researched material). • Sampled lyric or event from the literature

28. Concrete Detail: Example In the opening song, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” a group of chaotic Ozians shout out, “Good news! She’s [Elphaba] dead” (Schwartz).

29. Lead-in • Phrase or sentence that prepares the reader for a concrete detail by introducing the speaker, setting, and/or situation • When is this happening? What characters are involved?

30. Lead-in: Example In the opening song, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” a group of chaotic Ozians shout out, “Good news! She’s [Elphaba] dead” (Schwartz).

31. Commentary • Your explanation and interpretation of the concrete detail. • Tells the reader of your paper what the author of the text means or how the concrete detail proves your topic sentence. • Includes: interpretation, analysis, argument, insight, and/or reflection

32. Commentary • Without this, the paragraph is worthless • BPs have twice as much commentary as concrete detail • 1:2 sentence ratio • (1 concrete detail needs 2 commentary)

33. Commentary: Example Citizens of Oz learn an important lesson, that evil people die; as learned later, evil people are often those who rebel against what the popular crowd decide. It is also important to note that the lyrics include an exclamation point, which depicts that the still alive popular crowd is happy that the evil, independent person is dead.

34. Concluding/Clincher Sentence • Last sentence of the body paragraph • Ties the concrete details and commentary back to the paper’s thesis • Repeat key words from your thesis

35. Concluding/Clincher Sentence: Ex. Through these lyrics, both the audience and Ozians, are taught to follow accepted social rules or perish while knowing that the popular crowd will cheer for your death.

36. Finished Paragraph At the beginning of the musical, the cast portray the outcome of popularity. In the opening song, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” a group of chaotic Ozians shout out, “Good news! She’s [Elphaba] dead” (Schwartz). Citizens of Oz learn an important lesson, that evil people die; as learned later, evil people are often those who rebel against what the popular crowd decide. It is also important to note that the lyrics include an exclamation point, which depicts that the still alive popular crowd is happy that the evil, independent person is dead. Through these lyrics, both the audience and Ozians, are taught to follow accepted social rules or perish while knowing that the popular crowd will cheer for your death. While the Ozians shout, Galinda approaches adorned in a glittery dress with bubbles.