Ask the Center Staff

How am I ever going to get this project done if I keep changing my mind???   A couple of weeks ago, I finally figured out a claim for my sustained writing project.  But after reading more and talking to people, I’m not sure I think about this issue the same way I did when I started.  NOW what do I do?    – A worried ITW student 

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Dear ITW student,

What you describe sounds like you are digging into your own education by thinking, writing, talking, and rethinking.   Believe it or not, this is a good thing.   It may seem like you are losing focus when you are learning so much, but the tutors say that rethinking and rewriting is entirely normal, and an important learning process.  Here’s their advice:

 
“Come up with a thesis early, but be prepared to edit and change it later, sometimes multiple times.”  — Jenn Kant

“Research will help lead to a claim.”  — John Vespa

“When it comes to formulating a claim, don’t force it; it may change many times throughout your writing and it may not even come to you until the end of the process.”  — Ellen Estabrook

“Take your claim and re-write it three or four times in different ways.  Keep what you like and get rid of what you don’t.”  — Alex Candee

“Explore and develop your ideas through discussion with peers, teachers, and anyone willing to give you their thoughts.   Through discussion, your ideas will develop which will add depth to your writing.” –- Josh Starkey

“Do not be afraid of revision.  Think of your first draft as a tabletop of puzzle pieces that you will toy with, rearranging and finding new shapes and forms through your own exploration.”  – Erin Stewart

A previous post on pyramid structures generated some discussion about ways to support a claim in academic argumentation — and ways that interfere.   Beth Stickney remarked:

“Part of critical thinking involves being able to spot the logical contradictions that weaken or even invalidate an argument.”

Here’s a compilation of common rhetorical fallacies put together by the University of Texas Undergraduate Writing Center.   These strategies can undermine the credibility of arguments — yet they are so pervasive in everyday texts such as advertising, political campaigning, and even ordinary talk that it can be startling to become critically aware of even a handful of these fallacies.

Although the examples in the UTexas link clearly violate principled argumentation, it’s important to note that there are legitimate ways to use emotional and ethical appeals in addition to sound logic.  Helping readers care about an issue, for instance, may involve vividly written examples that draw on emotional appeal for their effect.  And when a writer enhances his or her credibility by referring knowledgably to other writers’ perspectives, that’s an honorable use of classical ethical appeal.

The lines between “good” and “bad” argument strategies may not always be crystal clear, but it is helpful to have a sense of what applications definitely cross the line.

Ask the Center Staff

My students were asking about a “pyramid” structure to use to help set up their paragraphs and to connect each section back to their claims. I am unfamiliar with this–do you have any information about it?

Thank you!        — Kirsti Sandy

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Great question, Kirsti.  Pyramids are used as writing structures in two main ways. The first, and the one I think you are asking about, is a concept for thinking about argumentation and other kinds of essay writing. The second, an inverted pyramid, is a structure sometimes used in journalism. Although both are pyramids, they differ in emphasis because both the purposes of each genre and the expectations of their readers differ. I’ll focus this post on ways to think about academic writing. Another post, Pyramids, Part 2 , discusses the structure’s uses in journalism.

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PYRAMIDS, Part 1: ESSAY WRITING

THE POINT: Think of the point of the pyramid as the main point of your essay. It need not necessarily be positioned at the very beginning, but it is the central point the essay makes: the claim, the thesis, the focus, or the big idea you want readers to come away understanding. Every other part of the essay is chosen and developed to create a strong foundation for that main point.

THE FOUNDATION: Form the corners of the pyramid’s foundation using compelling evidence to provide a sound basis for your argument. This can be flexible rather than formulaic. The number and order of sections is up to you, as is how many different kinds of evidence you choose. The main thing is to make sure the cornerstones of your essay are powerful enough to hold up the all-important main point.

THE CORNERSTONES: These are the major structural supports for the essay.  Here are some options:

– An anecdote or other relevant narrative can illustrate or introduce the issue or provide important background information in an engaging way.

– Relevant findings from credible sources such as scholarly articles, books, and newspapers can substantiate the points you make.

– Results of interviews, a survey, or other first-hand research can substantiate your point with information you’ve personally gathered.

– Including naysayer positions can strengthen your argument if you address why your main point remains valid despite reasonable alternative perspectives.

THE MORTAR: Connections between these cornerstones and that main point are the mortar of the pyramid. Every part needs to relate to the next part as well as to the main point. Connections, mortar, transitions — whatever you call this, it’s what holds the structure together for your readers. A wonderful guide to crafting transitions comes from our colleagues at the UNC Writing Center:  Transitions

REVISING WITH YOUR READERS IN MIND: As you read each section of a draft, imagine interested but skeptical readers who expect your point to be clear and the evidence supporting it to be compelling. Anticipating their questions and where they might get lost or bored can help you revise your writing well, section by section.   Sharing your draft with another writer is a good way to learn how your main point is coming across, where you need to add more stones and mortar to your pyramid, or whether some of those stones might fit better in a different project.  Our handout, How to Give and Get Good Feedback, suggests constructive ways to share work with a peer.