General advice on writing papers

            Papers are an opportunity for you to say something that you want to say about what we have been reading or discussing in class. So the first thing to do is to think of something that you want to say. To write when you don’t have anything to say is a crime against our brothers and sisters, the trees. If you are writing a short paper (say, shorter than two pages), just make your point as clearly and simply as possible. If you are writing a longer paper, it is usually helpful to break it down into parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

            According to the great Roman orator, Cicero, the introduction should do three things. First, it should act as a hook, catching your readers’ attention so that they care enough to read to the end. Make them feel that this is an important question. Second, you should state your main point (your “thesis”) clearly in a single sentence. If at any point in the paper your readers should stop and ask themselves “What is this person talking about?” they should be able to look back to your thesis statement and find the answer. Finally, the introductory paragraph should prepare readers for what is coming. If I were showing you how to bake a cake, for instance, it would help if before starting I said to you “I’m going to show you how to bake a cake. The first thing we'll need to do is to gather the ingredients. After that we'll mix them together. Then we'll bake it.” If I just started doing these things without telling you what I was doing or why, my demonstration would be difficult for you to comprehend. A paper is the same way: preparing your readers for what is coming makes it easier for them to follow along. So the introduction should do three things: catch the readers’ attention, state the thesis, and prepare the them for what is coming.

            The body of the paper presents your argument. It explains all the things your readers need to know in order to understand what your thesis means and why you say it. Make sure your argument includes everything your readers need to know and nothing they don’t, since extra ideas will only confuse them. Divide your argument up into points and arrange them so that they are easy to understand, as though you were cutting up food for a small child. You need to prove both that each of your points is true, and also that they fit together to form a valid argument in support of your thesis. As you make each point, be sure to tell the readers what point you are making; i.e., summarize the point of each paragraph in a single topic sentence. And use transition sentences at the beginning and ends of paragraphs to show how your points link together. Keep reminding your readers of the general thesis so that they can understand how the individual points fit into the context of the whole paper. Ideally, the paper should feel like a unified whole, with nothing left out and nothing extra.

            A good conclusion leaves the reader with the sense of a job well done. You prepare for this in the introduction by announcing the goal of your paper (the thesis), and then by showing the readers in the conclusion that the goal has been met.

            Good ideas deserve a good presentation, so proofread your paper carefully before handing it in. Big mistakes look unprofessional, and minor grammatical and spelling mistakes build up like flies on a windshield and obscure the view. Be sure to use the right format. Note: it used to be common practice to say “man” when you meant “people,” but that’s not the way we speak any more. In order not to confuse your readers, keep it simple by saying “man” when you mean men, “woman” when you mean women, and “people” when you mean people. Confucius said, “The purpose of language is to get the meaning across” (Analects 15.41). Speak in your own words, explaining what you mean as simply and clearly as possible. Don't be too colloquial but don't feel as though you have to use big words to sound impressive, either; let your ideas speak for themselves. Whenever you have any questions, always put yourself in the place of your readers and make things as easy for them as possible. Remember, the whole point is to make yourself understood.