Developing a Subject Chapter 2

Clustering A form of brainstorming used to organize and generate ideas Begin with a word or phrase Quickly jot down words or phrases that come to mind from the original word and the other words

Understanding the Rhetorical Situation Rhetorical Stance Who is your audience (readers) What is your purpose for writing

“Base” Audience: education community at large “intelligent nonspecialists” they have no special knowledge or training in the topic about which you are writing

Establishing a Reader-Writer Relationship Identity as a writer How do you see yourself in relationship to the reader and the subject? Identity of your audience Age group, education, economic level Read passage on page 33

Context or Occasion for a given piece of writing For what event am I writing this The Purpose for a piece of writing What am I trying to achieve?

A few purposes are: to entertain to persuade to instruct to encourage to take action to encourage to take a side

Organizing a subject

Natural Order Self organizing first this, then this (chronological) left to right, right to left (description) part one, part two

Logical Order Must make a conscious decision about its structure Should you analyze X as a whole then Y as a whole or should you do it in parts What seems to be the most logical way to write your paper

Intuitive Order Following feelings and setting them down as felt Note: certain subjects and informal types of writing lend themselves to the intuitive order; most do not

Working Outline Committing to paper specific allusion Read White’s allusion (p. 38) Allusion (Rhetorical Device) Reference to a person, place, thing, work of literature, or a work of art Remember outline is a working outline; not a final. It can and should change