Comp. & Circumstance

There is no possible way to write about every thought you've had about your topic. Essays require focus and analysis, not surface-level thought. Gather your freewriting, journaling, and listing pages, and listen to this episode.

Listing is the second part of Active Thinking. And it's my favorite because nothing makes me happier than a list. I can map out tasks, and then feel incredibly accomplished when each one of those items is completed. The Listing step in The Writing Process motivates me. I hope it works for you!

I don't like to use the word Brainstorm when it comes to all of the work you put into thinking about your essay. Instead, I say "active thinking." Active Thinking has three parts. Freewriting and/or Journaling are the first part. (If you're a student in my class, you probably have to keep a journal. This episode will help you remember the purpose of that journal.)

You've been given the topic for your first essay. Now what? Should you cut and run? Certainly not! Especially since you haven't even done enough work to be intimidated by the topic. In this episode, I'll share how to break down your topic so you can begin the Active Thinking process. You'll need a few things: your topic, something to write with, and your course textbook or handbook.

Have you ever gotten the feeling that your English professor hates you? Do you think that your poor performance on an essay is rooted in that hatred? If so, this Ranticle is for you.

When I think about the future of the world, I can't help but think about my students. I want you to be passionate. I want you to do something with your life that you love. I try to foster that passion by allowing you to nerd out with your topics. You should do the same.

There is a litany of things that bother me and other instructors once we've given our students their writing topics, but at the top of the list is procrastination. This ranticle covers exactly how much time you need to write an essay. And why you need that much time.

If a thesis statement suddenly took human form, what would it look like? According to my students, it would look like a person you've seen before.

If you've ever lived in a house with a cracked or sagging foundation, you know that the rest of the house will suffer. The foundation of an essay is the thesis, and if it's not strong, your essay will suffer. So how do you assure your thesis is a strong foundation? I'll give you two tips for creating a strong, tentative thesis for your essay.

In Freshman Writing courses, there is not a single grade that "doesn't matter," especially if you think you're an A-Level student.