Flip to “A Collection of Good Writing” in the back of The Writer’s Way and locate the following informative essays:
- “How to Be Younger” by Laura Kate James (p. 352)
- “Scratch that Itch” by Bennett Lindsey (p. 355)
- “The Sprout Route” by Winston Bell (p. 356)
- “Why Falling in Love Feels so Good” by Judy Krause (p. 358)
Do not read the entire essay just yet. Read only the title and first paragraph of each. In your initial post, answer the following questions:
- If you had to read just one of these essays all the way through, which one would you pick? Why? Did the subject already interest you or was there something the writer did in the title and first paragraph which pulled you in?
- What does this tell you about the importance of titles and introductions? Can you identify particular strategies to use in your own writing?
Now go back and read only the last paragraph of whichever essay you selected. Answer the following questions (do this in the same initial post or add a second post; both of these will count as your “initial post” for this discussion):
- Did the conclusion fulfill some sort of “promise” set up in the introduction? Explain.
- Does the conclusion leave you with a final thought or impression? If the essay teaches you how to do something, do you feel compelled to do it? Why or why not?
- What does this tell you about the importance of conclusions? Can you identify strategies to use in your own writing?
Now feel free to read the entire essay and add any additional comments you may have.
In your responses: Compare your findings on the same essay to those of the topic starter’s. If you didn’t read the intro and conclusion of the same essay, go back and read them before you comment.