ABAC Writing Center Elements of Writing Workshop

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ABAC Writing CenterElements of Writing Workshop

• Narrowing a Topic
• The Importance of Audience

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Selecting a Topic

• Help! I don't know what to write about!
• You are not alone. Even professional writers
  sometimes have difficulty coming up with topics.

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What is a Topic?

• It is not just the subject
• Hot air balloons War on Terror
• Campus Parking Death Penalty
• It is a specific idea ABOUT the subject
• The safety considerations for hot air balloons
• The adequacy of campus parking at ABAC

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Work with the Assignment

• Even with an assigned topic, you may need to
  narrow your topic.
• With no assigned topic, there are a lot of
  possibilities.
• Sometimes that seems to make the task of starting
  even more intimidating.
• Selecting your own topic allows you to choose a
  topic of interest to you which can make your
  essay a stronger one.

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When the Topic Has Been Assigned

• The type of paper affects the approach to the
  topic
• Explain Describe Discuss
• Compare Argue Analyze
• Define Classify
• You will probably need to narrow the assigned
  topic to be able to approach it within the limits
  of the assignment

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When the Topic Has Not Been Assigned

• Brainstorm Subjects of Interest and what to say
  about them (the topic)
• Evaluate Each Potential Topic
• Think about the type of paper you are expected to
  produce.
• Explain Describe Discuss
• Compare Argue Analyze
• Define Classify
• Narrow the chosen topic to fit the limits of the
  assignment

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Narrow the Topic

• Make it specific enough to fit the purpose of the
  assignment
• Subject sports
• Topic Sports in America (too general)
• Narrowed topic The impact of college football on
  fans in Georgia
• Give yourself a focus element

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Audience

• Understanding how Audience can affect what and
  how your write

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The Role of Audience in Writing

• Who we are writing to will affect
• the word choices
• the tone
• the style
• the approach
• And maybe even the subject itself

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Example of Audience Influence

• If you were asked to write a paper about the
  planets in our solar system, what would you write
  if that paper was targeted at a group of fifth
  graders?
• Now, instead of fifth graders, imagine you were
  writing about the same topic to the science
  admissions board at Harvard.

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Who IS my Audience?

• Here are some things to know about your audience
  
• Age range
• Ratio between women and men
• Region of the country or nationality
• Average educational level
• Ethnic background and cultural experience
• Economic and social level
• Moral and political orientation

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Why do I need to know about my audience?

• It will let you know the following
• What they already know about the topic
• What they need to know about the topic
• What ideas might need defining
• What details they will find most helpful
• How they feel about the topic
• What examples and types of evidence will work best

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Tailor YOUR audience to YOUR topic

• Not all of the specific information about the
  audience mentioned earlier will necessarily be
  relevant to each topic
• Still define the audience fully some details
  about the audience come in very handy at various
  stages of the writing process
• Knowing the information may prove helpful in
  surprising ways