The Secrets to Writing an Effective Essay

According to the website "International Student", the standard college or university essay is constructed as follows:

1.  Introduction
2.  Paragraph 1
3.  Paragraph 2
4.  Paragraph 3
5.  Conclusion

Writer's Digest reminds us that, just as a rider wants to know where the bus is taking him, the reader wants to know where the writer is taking him (https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20write%20an%20effective%20essay).  Announce your intentions in your introduction.  The website also mentions that the writer should never settle for the surface layer, but should lift the surface layer to find the deeper meaning.

Present a strong thesis statement and back it up with your three points.  Cite relevant and accurate sources.  Follow proper procedure for footnotes (http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Footnotes).  Don't just use books, but look for newspaper and magazine articles as well.  Anything that you find on the Internet can be full of errors.  Be weary.  Don't forget to include a bibliography (https://www.teachervision.com/research-papers/teaching-methods/1767.html).

Engage your reader right off the bat.  Start with an quote or anecdote.  Start with the familiar, something that your reader can relate to, and work your way up to the unfamiliar.

Start each paragraph with a sentence linking to the rest of the essay.  This gives your essay an easy flow and progression.

Use a variety of words so as not to bore the reader.  Vary your sentence length and complexity.

Adopt an educational, rather than a conversational, tone.  

Drive your point home with a strong conclusion.

For more information, read Essay Writing:  The Secrets Revealed by Cindy M. at https://www.facebook.com/essaysecrets.

http://get182.com/assignment-help/how-write-essay.phtml

Essay vs. Article: What is the Difference?

For the month of June, I am blogging about essays.  What is the difference between an article and an essay?  Here are some basic ways in which the two forms of writing differ.

1.  While articles are brief, about 500 to 1500 words in length, essays are long, up to 10,000 words in length.

http://jokerific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/essay-length.jpg

2.  Essays include citations and references, both not required of an article.

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3.  The purpose of an article is to give a factual account whereas the purpose of an essay is to focus on a central argument and its supporting arguments.

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4.  Articles focus on topics like business, weight loss, health and travel, whereas essays focus on subjects such as historical events, characters or science experiments.

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5.  Articles are usually accompanied by photographs; however, essays usually do not require photographs.

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6.  Essays are usually subjective in nature whereas articles should be objective.

7.  Articles are often written in a conversational tone, but essays take on an educational tone.

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8.  Essays, critical analyses, discuss the pros and cons of an argument, whereas articles, descriptive analyses, merely describe the topic.

https://toughsledding.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/dont-let-positive-thinking-impede-critical-analysis/

9.  Essays require a conclusion, but articles do not.

http://www.wikihow.com/End-an-Essay

10.  Articles require headings and subheadings to help the reader follow along whereas essays do not.

http://line25.com/articles/15-must-read-articles-for-css-beginners

For more information, visit http://www.projectguru.in/publications/difference-between-essay-article-and-journal/.

The Interview: Being Allowed to Have a Seat at the Table

My husband used to say that when Larry King interviewed guests, he would rhyme off the questions, not waiting for the responses.  However, blogger Wendy Thomas says that:  "Some of my best interviews have happened not because of asking but because of listening." (https://nhwn.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/tips-for-writing-a-feature-or-inteview-article/).

Wendy Thomas compares an interview to "being allowed to have a seat at the table".  Pull up a chair and listen. Yes, it's important to have a list of questions ready and waiting.  It's important to research your subject and to be aware of what's already been written on the topic.  But remember to be flexible. Sometimes the best material comes from an unasked question.

Freelance writing expert Allena Tapia recommends that you let the interviewee's words, ideas and actions set the agenda.  Zero in on ideas that are mentioned twice or with great passion.  Wait for what she calls the "bottom line" quote from the interviewee and highlight it.  Use the bottom line quote as the centre of your article, making your other facts, quotes and information lead back to that quote.  For Allena's full article, visit
http://freelancewrite.about.com/od/mechanicsofwriting/ht/WriteInterview.htm.

Allena suggests finding three to five broad subjects within the interview.  Then re-read your original assignment from your editor.  did he or she ask for a certain slant on the subject's childhood?  Does the interview promote a certain service?  Is there something remarkable about the interviewee's story? Compare your research to the editor's original wishes.

Refine your original broad subjects and use them as subheadings for your article.  Pull your best quotes and examples from your interview, and put them under the appropriate subheadings.
Introduce your subject, the history of the topic and your research.  Mention why each idea is important.

Focus now on the introduction which should reflect the article and frame the interviewee.  I like to include a central quote in my introduction as a foretaste of what is to come.  Turn now to your conclusion which should refer back to the introduction, making the article come full circle.  You may also refer to the subject's future plans here.

With your first draft complete, double check your spelling of names.  Double check your dates.  Reread your quotes.  Go on to a second draft (and third if necessary), editing what you have written.  Finally, submit your article to the editor.

Note:  Here is my feature interview article "Joel & Hayley Hensen:  Bringing Christ to the Congo" which appeared in the Feb. 10, 2014 edition of the Christian Courier at http://www.christiancourier.ca/images/uploads/past-issues/14Feb10.pdf.

http://thewritepractice.com/resources/interviewing/

How to Write a Feature Newspaper Article

Feature articles are windows into the human experience, giving more detail and description than a hard news story, which typically relies on the "inverted pyramid" style of writing.  Features focus on an event or an individual, giving the reader a chance to more fully understand some interesting dimension of the world.  (http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Feature-Article)

The purpose of a feature article is to inform, entertain and persuade the reader.  Feature articles are composed of five different components.  They are:

Headline

Compose a catchy, to the point headline which attracts the reader's attention.  Remember, if the headline is boring, chances are the reader won't want to read any further.  For more information about catchy headlines, read http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2015/02/ten-tips-to-writing-irresistibly.html.

Byline

Insert the writer's name here.

Lede/Lead

This is the preview of the story.  It helps the reader decide whether or not to read the article.  Try to insert a hook here to draw the reader in.  The lede sets the writer's tone and establishes a relationship between the writer and the reader.

Story

This is where the writer includes relevant facts from his or her research.  Quotes from interviews and experts should be inserted here.  Anecdotes and stories are also valuable, helping to maintain the reader's interest.  Names, dates and places should be identified here.  Any supporting information should follow including photos, tables, diagrams and graphs.

Conclusion

The purpose of the conclusion is to leave a lasting impression.  Remind the reader of the main idea. Suggest a course of action.  Encourage a change of opinion.  Bring the article full circle by referring back to the introduction.  

Tips

Here are some suggested tips to follow when preparing, researching and writing your feature.

1.  use tight writing; features can be as short as 500 words, but some are as long as 1500 or 2000 

2.  show, don't tell

3.  use strong verbs and nouns; use adjectives sparingly

4.  use identifiable, reliable sources; if sources are weak, it's better not to use them

5.  write about a well defined topic

6.  avoid the passive voice; use the active voice whenever possible

7.  vary sentence length

8.  use an informal tone or the first person to make it more personal

9.  facts validate the writer's view

10.  exaggeration helps a humorous article

11.  use rhetorical questions to draw the reader in

12.  sprinkle the article with imagery to engage the reader's imagination

13.  include direct quotes to personalize the topic

14.  don't forget to proofread; consult The Elements of Style by Strunk & White at www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk

For a feature article scaffold, visit http://stage6.pbworks.com/f/How+To+Write+A+Great+Feature+Article.pdf.

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