ESSAY #1 Workshop Day, 2.3.09

Essay #1 is now due February 10, 2009 @ the beginning of class! That's in one week!
We will be meeting in the Computer lab, Tuesday, February 3 @ 8 AM.

What are we doing in the lab?

Most of your lab time will be letting you have time to think and to write!

In the first half of class, however, I will go over

• how to quote from a story when writing your essay
  
• MLA format
• creating a turnitin.com account or adding this class
  

To create a new turnitin.com account you will need

• a valid email address (please use an MGC email address),
  
• the class identification number: 2601145
  
• and the enrollment password: writing

If you already have an account you will need

• the class identification number: 2601145
  
• and the enrollment password: writing

What else will we be doing in class?

Thinking and writing. If you haven't guessed from the previous class meeting lesson, essay writing at the college level is a multiple-step process.

What do I write? How do I put an essay together?

Assignment-You will be writing an analysis based on one of the stories we read for class, except do not write on "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

For topic ideas, review the assignment list, the stories, class notes, blog posts, and your own writing.

Approaches to Assignment-

Approach A: Create character sketches (what do they look like, what are their motivations, what do they do, etc.) of two characters within a story. In creating your sketch see how these characters may oppose each other and come up with an argument based on their opposition, e.g. Who is right? How does the characters' conflict lead to the conclusion? What theme can we draw from the characters' relationship with one another?

(See class notes and blog questions, especially on "The Rich Brother" and Thursday's class notes for an example of this approach.)

A basic working outline and draft may follow simple comparison-contrast essay structure:

I. Introduction
a. Teaser
b. Story information--title & author's full name
c. thesis
II. Body
a. Characteristics & Motivations of Character A
b. Characteristics & Motivations of Character B
c. Comparison-contrast--common ground shared and contrasting motivations and qualities
III Conclusion
a.Discussion of how the previous essay body points lead to the story's theme
b. Thesis developed/reinforced
c. Reference teaser opening

[Note this essay model depends upon strong transitions between points!]

Approach B-
Analyze how your understanding of a character develops through the characteristics of the character and other related literary elements within the story (e.g. symbolism, plot).

Following the above three-point model you can replace one of the character points (say, b. in the Body) and the motivation point (c.) for other literary elements in the selected story.

For example:
I. Introduction
a. Teaser
b. Story information--title & author's full name
c. Thesis
II. Body
a. Characteristics & Motivations of Character A
b. Setting and relation to character or characters
c. Symbolism that highlights qualities of the character or changes experienced by the character in the course of the plot
III Conclusion
a. Discussion of how the previous essay points lead to the story's theme
b. Develop/reinforce thesis
c. Reference teaser opening

[Note you have to show a progression in this essay, one point builds on the ideas of the previous point. This essay should not be three body paragraphs on different things about the story--character, symbols, plot . All points should relate in some way and lead to your conclusion about the story.]

What do I need to bring to the lab?

• Flash drive to save work*
• Essay draft work*
• Literature book
• Writing, Part 4
  
• Little, Brown Handbook
  

*If you have been writing at home on your computer and do not have Microsoft Word 2007, save your work as an rtf. file (rich text file); all the computers in the lab are MS 2007 and are not compatible with earlier version of Word or WordPerfect.

Here's to good thinking and writing!