In the chapter 8 reading the structure of a document and techniques for good organization were visited. The author began by expressing the importance of determining a genre. The first step listed was to determine what you are writing; this can be accomplished by asking questions to yourself to pinpoint what you are trying to say. These questions will also help identify the audience and lead to the general order that the document should follow. An outline is a good way to begin to organize. State the main topics to be discussed. After the all topics have been determined the information can be added to each as needed. An easy form of outlining the author pointed out, but I feel is pretty obvious to most of us, was using presentation software. An issue that the author pointed out that I had not realized was that a presentation software forces you to see what is missing. Due to being easily revised it can be seen where a topic is lacking content and what information is yet to be included. The reading made clear that the introduction should define the subject, and that it does not necessarily have to written first. The author urges to weave your web of words and that the body is where the content is, so start from there. The use of examples to support claims should always be included in the body, it is just an easy way of bring a subject area in to focus. To end the chapter the author includes suggestions for writing a good conclusion. The reading recognized the need to make an obvious transition so that the reader understands that the document is coming to an end. It also advises to restate the main points discussed and then to take a look into the future. From this reading I feel that I have brushed up on some basic writing organizing and discovered some techniques to speed up the overall process.
Outlining tools and using the body to create an introduction.
I agree with what you are saying about how using presentation software can help strengthen your writing. It is a much easier way to create an outline than using bullets or writing everything down on a piece of paper. If you use something like PowerPoint it is much easier to organize your thoughts into individual thoughts and also much easier to review these thoughts. I also like what you said in regards to not necessarily having to start with an introduction while you are writing. I find it much easier to create the body then use that as a tool to create your intro and even the conclusion.
Creating an introduction
I agree with what you and the author said about how the introduction doesn't have to be written first. In high school I used to always try and start my writing with the introduction thinking once I had that written it would give shape to the rest of my writing. But usually I would get stuck trying to decide what I wanted in my introduction because I wasn't sure what all was going to be included in my paper. In the future I think I will have a much easier time writing an introduction if it is done after my body is written. Also the moves that the reading described seem to be a big help in deciding exactly what should be included in a good introduction.
Patrick Griffin
pgriffin@purdue.edu
Writing the introduction later
I think this is exactly right. I almost never write introductions first, because it forces you to know exactly what you are going to say at the very beginning. I write the middle of a text first, because that is the part I am usually thinking about. Also, usually while I am writing, the text changes shape and I end up going in a direction that I didn't think I would at the start. This is because writing is actually a form of thinking, not just putting down wholly composed thoughts in an accessible format. Once the middle is written, I have a very focused concept of what the text is about, so I can then go back and write a specific introduction that clearly outlines what the paper is going to say. If I try to write that first, then I feel confined as to where I can go in the paper, or I run the risk of the introduction and body not syncing up.