1. Strategies for the WSA

2. You must have a plan  Saves time  Keeps writing focused  Makes writing more thorough

3. Pre-writing for Position Essay  Framework  Stance  Opposition  Rebuttal

4. Framework  Define what the prompt means— and what it doesn’t mean  This creates the framework for your stance

5. Stance = Position  You don’t have to actually believe the stance you take, just argue it well!  Explain why you agree, don’t agree, or would agree if certain changes were made

6. Give examples  Illustrate your reasons with examples  Real-world events  Personal experiences  Concrete scenarios

7. Opposition: What would an opponent say?  For every point you raise in support of your stance, consider a well-reasoned opposition to it  Don’t create straw-man counterarguments: use realistic opposition

8. Rebuttal  Well-reasoned responses against opposition  Add further argument in favor of your stance

9. Writing  Not quantity—valued most is Quality  Well-structured paragraphs  Topic sentence  Concrete illustrative examples  Arrive at a conclusion  Each new paragraph relates to the one before it  Complete sentences  Sentence variety: Subordinate clause, Main Subject Verb. Subject Verb. Subject, Parenthetical, Verb....

10. Revise  Make sure your thesis and topic sentences relate logically and lead to your conclusion.

11. Proofread  Know your weaknesses to prioritize your focus  In general, make sure sentences start with capital letters and end with periods.  Make sure “he” refers to a male-identified person, and “she” to a female-identified person, and “they” to two or more people or things.  Make sure the verb following “which” or “that” fits the noun giving the pronoun its meaning.

12. Persuasion Task  Scan the text for  the problem  your audience  your role and task

13. The problem  Look for what the characters want and the obstacles to their goals—make a note of them  Look for direct questions posed—circle or note

14. Your Role—typical phrases  You have been hired as...  Taking the role of...  In the role of [Name]...  As the [job title] of Company B, write

15. Your Task  “write a letter” = more personable  “write a memo” = more businesslike

16. Your Audience—some phrases  Write a letter to [Name]  Write [Name] a letter  Write a memo to [job title of a person]

17. Read thoroughly  Use this reading to gather argument fuel  Note or underline specific elements that may support and/or counter your arguments

18. Outline solution and opposition  For every point for your argument, have an illustration  For each question your reader could have, prepare a response

19. Write Persuasively  Even though letter or memo, no greeting  Your reader needs to trust your persona: you are a good sibling, an ethical employee, a reasonable manager, etc. Establish trust with something concrete.  “Remember when I steered you away from buying that car, and two weeks later it was the subject of a nationwide recall? This situation is very similar in that...  In my years at Company B, I’ve resolved conflicts that threatened to impact...

20. Address Skepticism with Solutions  “You might think you have no experience in this arena, but look at everything you’ve done so far that is preparation...”  “While it’s true that other departments are cutting their staffing and reducing their services, our department can afford to hire one new person and open one hour earlier by ending the unprofitable practice of...”

21. Invent, but fit the story  If the prompt only says you’re a brother or sister asked for advice, then invent a qualification that can help your credibility or solve the problem  If the scenario mentions Boss X’s niece, but not the kind of relationship they have, you could invent their family dynamic to help your argument.

22. Review and Proofread  Make sure all your paragraphs match your argument  Scan first and last sentences for logical progression of ideas  Conclude with a statement  Proofread for varied sentence structures, subject-verb agreement, plural and singular clearly marked, and periods end sentences.

23. Manage your time  Have a timepiece other than your phone  The more time you spend preparing, the less you should spend on proofing, and vice versa