Can You Persuade Your Audience Like a Jedi? Appealing to the Forces of Rhetoric
As I was brainstorming this article, my husband David peeked over my shoulder and asked what I was up to. I explained that I was writing a blog post about the rhetorical triangle. His eyes glazed over and he looked at me with a blank stare. “Oh sure, sure” he replied.
It was clear he did not know what I was talking about. Lucky for him, I was happy to geek out and breakdown the rhetorical triangle—a visual diagram that organizes Aristotle’s three types of appeals for persuading an audience. These appeals are:
Ethos (ethics) - By using ethos, a writer or speaker builds credibility and authority with the audience through the inclusion of evidence that supports their argument.
Logos (logic) - Arguments that use logos rely on reason to persuade the reader. Logical arguments are built on facts and use clear and concise language.
Pathos (emotion) - A speaker or writer uses pathos to appeal to a reader’s emotions. These types of arguments may draw passion, anger, or sympathy from the reader, thus persuading them to use their feelings to guide their decisions.
David nodded along as I explained the three appeals, and when I asked if the triangle made sense, he replied nonchalantly, “Yeah, it’s like Star Wars.”
Now it was my turn to give him a blank state. “Go on,” I told him.
He proceeded to breakdown how the three main characters in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: Luke, Han, and Leia, provide excellent examples of ethos, pathos, and logos. In the film, the trio journeys through the galaxy to destroy the evil Empire’s Death Star, a massive spaceship that can detonate a planet with one shot.
Luke as Ethos
As they overcome many obstacles in trying to complete their mission, Luke relies on ethos, or ethics, to establish his credibility as a moral expert and persuade his friends and guide his actions. As a Jedi,—a “type of peace keeping space monk” according to David—Luke ‘s decisions are based on what he views as right or ethically sound for the good of others. Throughout the film, Han, Leia, and other characters fighting the Dark Side come to believe in Luke and value him as a leader because of his trustworthy character and moral actions.
While you may not be able to use your moral code to save the galaxy, you can provide examples of yourself as an ethical writer and researcher in your scholarship, in order to best appeal to an academic audience. When you’re writing an academic paper, citing research shows the audience that you value the work of other researchers and that you also care about the accuracy of your own content. In turn, the audience trusts the claims you make because they know you are a trustworthy source.
Han and Pathos
Han is the opposite of Luke. Whenever a dangerous scenario begins to unfold, Han acts on his feelings with passion and anger, rather than trying to justify an argument with reason or a moral code. He is also an expert at appealing to others’ emotions and throughout the film he flirts and flatters his way out of a many risky situations. What you can learn from Han is what not to do in scholarly writing.
Emotional appeals of anger or approval convey to an audience that you have not critically considered peer-reviewed research. These types of appeals usually rely on biased language and emotional reactions, depending on the type of audience, rather than concision and clarity to relay facts. While you shouldn’t rely on pathos to support an academic argument, you could effectively use pathos in marketing copy or fundraising to reach an audience more open to emotional appeals.
Leia’s Logos
Leia would never rely on emotions to make an argument. Han’s reactions and Luke’s moral code are illogical to the analytical Leia, who uses facts and possible outcomes when making decisions. Leia is a high-ranking official in the resistance to the Empire because she can present organized facts to the other officers. While her logic doesn’t always persuade Luke and Han, she is able to analyze the facts in front of her and make logical appeals to the appropriate audience such as generals and commanders.
Making a logical argument may not work in arguments with a friend or partner, but in an academic or professional context, the audience will be more receptive to factual evidence you can provide in support of your argument.
At different points in the movie, Luke, Han, and Leia find success when their rhetorical choices appeal to the right audience. When writing a paper, the arguments you make must also convey your ethical choices and appeal to your reader through logic, while avoiding emotional and possibly biased claims. In persuading me that Star Wars was an excellent example of Aristotle’s triangle, David used logic to present evidence from the film; ethos, because he is a self-proclaimed expert and Star Wars nerd; and pathos to appeal to my love of the franchise.
David, on the other hand, just claims he used the force.
Tasha Sookochoff is a writing instructor in the Walden University Writing Center. Along with earning degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Stout and Depaul University, Tasha has written documentation for the U.S. House of Representatives that increases government transparency, blogged for DePaul University, copy-edited the Journal of Second Language Writing, tutored immigrants and refugees at literacy centers, and taught academic writing to college students.
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It was clear he did not know what I was talking about. Lucky for him, I was happy to geek out and breakdown the rhetorical triangle—a visual diagram that organizes Aristotle’s three types of appeals for persuading an audience. These appeals are:
Ethos (ethics) - By using ethos, a writer or speaker builds credibility and authority with the audience through the inclusion of evidence that supports their argument.
Logos (logic) - Arguments that use logos rely on reason to persuade the reader. Logical arguments are built on facts and use clear and concise language.
Pathos (emotion) - A speaker or writer uses pathos to appeal to a reader’s emotions. These types of arguments may draw passion, anger, or sympathy from the reader, thus persuading them to use their feelings to guide their decisions.
David nodded along as I explained the three appeals, and when I asked if the triangle made sense, he replied nonchalantly, “Yeah, it’s like Star Wars.”
Now it was my turn to give him a blank state. “Go on,” I told him.
He proceeded to breakdown how the three main characters in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: Luke, Han, and Leia, provide excellent examples of ethos, pathos, and logos. In the film, the trio journeys through the galaxy to destroy the evil Empire’s Death Star, a massive spaceship that can detonate a planet with one shot.
Luke as Ethos
As they overcome many obstacles in trying to complete their mission, Luke relies on ethos, or ethics, to establish his credibility as a moral expert and persuade his friends and guide his actions. As a Jedi,—a “type of peace keeping space monk” according to David—Luke ‘s decisions are based on what he views as right or ethically sound for the good of others. Throughout the film, Han, Leia, and other characters fighting the Dark Side come to believe in Luke and value him as a leader because of his trustworthy character and moral actions.
While you may not be able to use your moral code to save the galaxy, you can provide examples of yourself as an ethical writer and researcher in your scholarship, in order to best appeal to an academic audience. When you’re writing an academic paper, citing research shows the audience that you value the work of other researchers and that you also care about the accuracy of your own content. In turn, the audience trusts the claims you make because they know you are a trustworthy source.
Han and Pathos
Han is the opposite of Luke. Whenever a dangerous scenario begins to unfold, Han acts on his feelings with passion and anger, rather than trying to justify an argument with reason or a moral code. He is also an expert at appealing to others’ emotions and throughout the film he flirts and flatters his way out of a many risky situations. What you can learn from Han is what not to do in scholarly writing.
Emotional appeals of anger or approval convey to an audience that you have not critically considered peer-reviewed research. These types of appeals usually rely on biased language and emotional reactions, depending on the type of audience, rather than concision and clarity to relay facts. While you shouldn’t rely on pathos to support an academic argument, you could effectively use pathos in marketing copy or fundraising to reach an audience more open to emotional appeals.
Leia’s Logos
Leia would never rely on emotions to make an argument. Han’s reactions and Luke’s moral code are illogical to the analytical Leia, who uses facts and possible outcomes when making decisions. Leia is a high-ranking official in the resistance to the Empire because she can present organized facts to the other officers. While her logic doesn’t always persuade Luke and Han, she is able to analyze the facts in front of her and make logical appeals to the appropriate audience such as generals and commanders.
Making a logical argument may not work in arguments with a friend or partner, but in an academic or professional context, the audience will be more receptive to factual evidence you can provide in support of your argument.
At different points in the movie, Luke, Han, and Leia find success when their rhetorical choices appeal to the right audience. When writing a paper, the arguments you make must also convey your ethical choices and appeal to your reader through logic, while avoiding emotional and possibly biased claims. In persuading me that Star Wars was an excellent example of Aristotle’s triangle, David used logic to present evidence from the film; ethos, because he is a self-proclaimed expert and Star Wars nerd; and pathos to appeal to my love of the franchise.
David, on the other hand, just claims he used the force.
Tasha Sookochoff is a writing instructor in the Walden University Writing Center. Along with earning degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Stout and Depaul University, Tasha has written documentation for the U.S. House of Representatives that increases government transparency, blogged for DePaul University, copy-edited the Journal of Second Language Writing, tutored immigrants and refugees at literacy centers, and taught academic writing to college students.
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Point of View Matters
I was nearing the end of my undergraduate program when an instructor recommended that I add a sentence to an analysis that said what my goal was. With those exact words: “My goal is…” I was floored. Throughout my entire academic career, I had it repeated over and over that academic writing is always done in the third person, which means I would never say I will do this, or my goal is that. But here was this type of document that allowed for use of first person, and I had an instructor who preferred it. I shrugged my shoulders and added it in.
Later, feeling comfortable using first person in my writing, I tried the same thing in a different course and was met with a fury of red pen: NO FIRST PERSON! Whoops. I guess not every instructor feels the same. This is why it is important to consider the points of view available to us as writers and the process in choosing which to use and when. So how do we consider which point of view is best to use in scholarly writing? Let’s walk through them each to learn more.
First Person Singular (I, me, my, mine)
As the writer, if you choose to use first person singular, you are referring to yourself and only yourself. But in scholarly writing, if you use first person in “I think” or “I believe” statements, you are actually weakening your writing. It is better to present your opinions without the use of first person. Take this for example:
Before: I think that legislation banning specific dog breeds is unethical.
After: Banning specific dog breeds is unethical
With the simple removal of the “I think” phrase, this sentence says the same thing but comes across with more power. Why is that? When a sentence begins with “I think” the subject and action of the sentence are you thinking. That means the main idea is just that you have an opinion. However, when a sentence begins with the actual main idea, banning specific dog breeds, that means the main idea is your actual topic and not yourself.
Walden has an official statement on the use of first person, and when it comes to choosing when to use first person or not, I recommend reserving it for times when you (and the actions you take) are the subject. For example, if you are conducting original research, we would want to see I will do A, B, and C. Additionally, if you are writing about your personal work and academic experiences, first person is required.
First Person Plural (we, our)
First person plural is less of a gray area. As we know, first person means you are referring to yourself, but the plural here means you are referring to yourself plus other people. In most academic writing situations, I advise against using first person plural because it assumes that your reader is in the same group as you, and we can’t guarantee that. For this reason, it is better to name who you mean.
Before: We must implement these leadership changes.
After: Organizations in transition must implement these leadership changes.
In the original version, the writer assumed every reader was part of a transitional organization. The edited version names who must implement the changes, and it is much clearer for that. As you can’t know the specifics of all your readers, it is best to always avoid first person plural in academic writing. Other forms of writing that are more casual, like blogs, or audience-specific, like an email to your team, benefit from first person plural.
Second Person (You, yours)
Using second person means you are speaking directly to your reader/s as if they were there in front of you. This can be powerful when giving a speech to an audience or proposing an idea to your supervisor, but it is trickier in academic writing when your audience isn’t in front of you. Second person, like first person plural, assumes things about your reader which might not be accurate.
Before: When conducting rounds, you should assess the care environment.
After: When conducting rounds, a nurse should assess the care environment.
In the original sentence, the writer assumed that all of their readers are nurses who conduct rounds. That can’t be guaranteed, so it is preferred to name who you are writing about. The revised sentence accurately identifies who should assess the care environment.
As we want to avoid assuming things about our reader, it is best to avoid second person in most formal forms of academic writing like course papers, major assessments, and any capstone document. However, you will probably find it useful to use second person when responding to a discussion post. If you know exactly who your “you” is, then it is appropriate to use it, which tends to be the case for a lot of writing outside of academia.
Third Person (it, he, she, they, them, their, theirs)
Third person singular and plural is the most preferred point of view in academic writing. This is because it is the most specific and accurate point of view. As we looked at, first person plural and second person can be unclear, so readers may wonder who is the “we” or “you” if it doesn’t refer directly to them. Clarity and accuracy are key in academic writing, and third person requires these things as writers must name the groups of people they are referring to. Third person also removes any assumptions a writer may make about their audience. As scholars, you should be striving for objective and research-based conclusions. While choosing a third person point of view should be your starting point for all academic writing, do note the times and situations where first person singular or second person may fit in.
As each assignment and situation differs, it is important that you think through your choice behind point of view. If you have any questions about what point of view would be most appropriate, ask your instructor for clarification and their preferences. Before you leave, consider going through this blog post to see what points of view I used throughout and why I may have chosen to use those.
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Later, feeling comfortable using first person in my writing, I tried the same thing in a different course and was met with a fury of red pen: NO FIRST PERSON! Whoops. I guess not every instructor feels the same. This is why it is important to consider the points of view available to us as writers and the process in choosing which to use and when. So how do we consider which point of view is best to use in scholarly writing? Let’s walk through them each to learn more.
First Person Singular (I, me, my, mine)
As the writer, if you choose to use first person singular, you are referring to yourself and only yourself. But in scholarly writing, if you use first person in “I think” or “I believe” statements, you are actually weakening your writing. It is better to present your opinions without the use of first person. Take this for example:
Before: I think that legislation banning specific dog breeds is unethical.
After: Banning specific dog breeds is unethical
With the simple removal of the “I think” phrase, this sentence says the same thing but comes across with more power. Why is that? When a sentence begins with “I think” the subject and action of the sentence are you thinking. That means the main idea is just that you have an opinion. However, when a sentence begins with the actual main idea, banning specific dog breeds, that means the main idea is your actual topic and not yourself.
Walden has an official statement on the use of first person, and when it comes to choosing when to use first person or not, I recommend reserving it for times when you (and the actions you take) are the subject. For example, if you are conducting original research, we would want to see I will do A, B, and C. Additionally, if you are writing about your personal work and academic experiences, first person is required.
First Person Plural (we, our)
First person plural is less of a gray area. As we know, first person means you are referring to yourself, but the plural here means you are referring to yourself plus other people. In most academic writing situations, I advise against using first person plural because it assumes that your reader is in the same group as you, and we can’t guarantee that. For this reason, it is better to name who you mean.
Before: We must implement these leadership changes.
After: Organizations in transition must implement these leadership changes.
In the original version, the writer assumed every reader was part of a transitional organization. The edited version names who must implement the changes, and it is much clearer for that. As you can’t know the specifics of all your readers, it is best to always avoid first person plural in academic writing. Other forms of writing that are more casual, like blogs, or audience-specific, like an email to your team, benefit from first person plural.
Second Person (You, yours)
Using second person means you are speaking directly to your reader/s as if they were there in front of you. This can be powerful when giving a speech to an audience or proposing an idea to your supervisor, but it is trickier in academic writing when your audience isn’t in front of you. Second person, like first person plural, assumes things about your reader which might not be accurate.
Before: When conducting rounds, you should assess the care environment.
After: When conducting rounds, a nurse should assess the care environment.
In the original sentence, the writer assumed that all of their readers are nurses who conduct rounds. That can’t be guaranteed, so it is preferred to name who you are writing about. The revised sentence accurately identifies who should assess the care environment.
As we want to avoid assuming things about our reader, it is best to avoid second person in most formal forms of academic writing like course papers, major assessments, and any capstone document. However, you will probably find it useful to use second person when responding to a discussion post. If you know exactly who your “you” is, then it is appropriate to use it, which tends to be the case for a lot of writing outside of academia.
Third Person (it, he, she, they, them, their, theirs)
Third person singular and plural is the most preferred point of view in academic writing. This is because it is the most specific and accurate point of view. As we looked at, first person plural and second person can be unclear, so readers may wonder who is the “we” or “you” if it doesn’t refer directly to them. Clarity and accuracy are key in academic writing, and third person requires these things as writers must name the groups of people they are referring to. Third person also removes any assumptions a writer may make about their audience. As scholars, you should be striving for objective and research-based conclusions. While choosing a third person point of view should be your starting point for all academic writing, do note the times and situations where first person singular or second person may fit in.
As each assignment and situation differs, it is important that you think through your choice behind point of view. If you have any questions about what point of view would be most appropriate, ask your instructor for clarification and their preferences. Before you leave, consider going through this blog post to see what points of view I used throughout and why I may have chosen to use those.
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August Live Webinar Events from the Writing Center
Starting tomorrow, August 6th, the Walden University Writing Center has an entire month of exciting live webinar events planned. Our webinars are created and presented by Writing Instructors and Dissertation Editors who work closely with Walden U scholarly writers of all degrees, programs, and levels. We know what you're going through, and we create our live webinar sessions to deliver the most learning impact possible.
Live webinars are a great way to learn about a specific or general writing concept. But what makes these events even more enjoyable is that you are learning, in real-time, with a group of like-minded individuals who are also eager to further their writing skills. Writing and learning within a community of people can increase your motivation, your enjoyment, and your skills, all at the same time.
If you're unable to join us for any of the live sessions below, don't worry! We record all of our sessions and you can access them from our Webinar Archive any time. Click here to access previous recordings of live webinar sessions.
Here's the menu of our live webinar sessions offered this month from the Walden University Writing Center. Enjoy!
The Walden University Writing Center supports undergraduate and graduate students throughout their programs with paper reviews, webinars, modules, a podcast, and a comprehensive website.
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Live webinars are a great way to learn about a specific or general writing concept. But what makes these events even more enjoyable is that you are learning, in real-time, with a group of like-minded individuals who are also eager to further their writing skills. Writing and learning within a community of people can increase your motivation, your enjoyment, and your skills, all at the same time.
If you're unable to join us for any of the live sessions below, don't worry! We record all of our sessions and you can access them from our Webinar Archive any time. Click here to access previous recordings of live webinar sessions.
Here's the menu of our live webinar sessions offered this month from the Walden University Writing Center. Enjoy!
| Title: | Citations Part 1: Methods to the Madness |
| Date: | Tuesday, August 6, 2019 |
| Time: | 1:00PM - 2:00PM EST |
| Audience: | All Students |
| Title: | Grammar for Academic Writers: Identifying Common Errors |
| Date: | Wednesday, August 14, 2019 |
| Time: | 7:00PM - 8:00PM EST |
| Audience: | All Students |
| Title: | What About Me? Using Personal Experience in Academic Writing |
| Date: | Monday, August 19, 2019 |
| Time: | 3:00PM - 4:00PM EST |
| Audience: | All Students |
| Title: | Practical Writing Skills: Using and Integrating Quotes |
| Date: | Tuesday, August 27, 2019 |
| Time: | 1:30PM - 2:30PM EST |
| Audience: | All Students |
| Title: | Successfully Writing Doctoral Capstone Abstracts |
| Date: | Wednesday, August 28, 2019 |
| Time: | 12:00PM - 1:00PM EST |
| Audience: | Doctoral Students Working on Final Capstone Draft |
The Walden University Writing Center supports undergraduate and graduate students throughout their programs with paper reviews, webinars, modules, a podcast, and a comprehensive website.
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Writing Introductions for Discussion Board Posts
Problem: You have to write a discussion post, but only have a certain amount of words/characters you are able to use. You know you need an introduction, so that your reader is not confused, but you aren’t quite sure how to draft one given the limited amount of characters and space you can use to draft a discussion post. But have no fear! In this post you will learn how to draft a perfectly acceptable three-sentence introduction for this type of assignment in no time!
Solution: It is perfectly acceptable to write a 3 sentence introduction To do this, the Walden University Writing Center specialists are here to help you learn about code shifting. Code shifting is the ability to change our writing based on what we are writing.
Code Shifting
Say you have a bad day at work. Your boss was mean. Your sandwich was soggy. Your coffee was cold. Is the text you write to your best friend complaining about this the same as the text you would write to your mother? To your grandmother? To a workmate?
Doubt it. Grandma needs a little less slang, best friend can understand emojis and abbreviations, and mom prefers to speak on the phone. The point of this is that we all have different communication methods when we are communicating in different ways. Writing is no different. Sure, you need an introduction for that discussion board post you can only use 500 words in. But it doesn’t need to be a full-scale academic introduction with 7-8 sentences and a problem statement.
Last: Re-read Your Body Paragraphs
Re-read the thesis statement you drafted. See how you can add a topic sentence and even, possibly, a lead-in sentence that moves your reader from your topic sentence to your thesis statement. It is completely acceptable to have a three-sentence introduction for a discussion board post! In fact, it is advised, as it allows you to spend more time and space on the ideas that matter the most in your post, while still giving your reader the direction they need. Some people can even swing this type of introduction in two sentences. It may be something you want to play with—but I would say start with 3 sentences first, and see how that goes.
And, Voila! You now have an introduction, topic sentence and thesis statement for a discussion board post. You have saved an hour or so in your writing/drafting due to outlining first. And your reader knows exactly what your post is about and gets a lot of valuable information due to you drafting such a focused and specific discussion board introduction. Go you!
Stay tuned for a future post on how to draft a conclusion statement (instead of a full-on conclusion) for discussion board posts. I promise to save you even more time with the next set of tips! We'll update this space with a link when the post goes live in the near future.
Meghan K Barnes holds a BFA in Professional Writing & English, an MFA in Nonfiction Literature, and a MAT in Post-Secondary Adult Online Education. These degrees lead to multiple opportunities including a Fulbright Scholarship to study the nonfiction work of Sylvia Plath in England, three Pushcart Prize Nominations, and four book publications.
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Solution: It is perfectly acceptable to write a 3 sentence introduction To do this, the Walden University Writing Center specialists are here to help you learn about code shifting. Code shifting is the ability to change our writing based on what we are writing.
Code Shifting
Say you have a bad day at work. Your boss was mean. Your sandwich was soggy. Your coffee was cold. Is the text you write to your best friend complaining about this the same as the text you would write to your mother? To your grandmother? To a workmate?
Doubt it. Grandma needs a little less slang, best friend can understand emojis and abbreviations, and mom prefers to speak on the phone. The point of this is that we all have different communication methods when we are communicating in different ways. Writing is no different. Sure, you need an introduction for that discussion board post you can only use 500 words in. But it doesn’t need to be a full-scale academic introduction with 7-8 sentences and a problem statement.
This is where your code shifting comes into play. You will want to use the strong writing skills you already have to master the more concise writing that takes place on a discussion board. So How Do You Do This?
First: Outline Your Ideas
One of the biggest things we see in the Writing Center when students are working on shorter documents is that they have a lot to say! And rightfully so! However, when you write out everything and go back and edit it you end up losing a lot of time that could be spent with your family, friends, sleeping, or even on other assignments. Outlining your ideas first will make sure you understand what the most important issues are that you need to touch on, allow you to omit some of the more minor issues, and it will give you a sense of direction for this discussion board post, which means you will do less work overall. Hooray!
Second: Write Your Body Paragraphs
Say what you have to say in your first draft. This is a little bit different than how you may do some of your other writing, but allowing yourself to see the focus of the body of your post will allow you to not only have a more focused and targeted thesis statement, but it will allow you to see what is needed and what is not needed before you go into your second round of drafting: actually writing your thesis statement/introduction.
Third: Read Your Body Paragraphs TwiceFlip your paper over, cover your monitor, close your eyes (if you can write with your eyes closed) and see how you can summarize all of the wonderful things you covered in your body paragraphs in one sentence. This should give you an idea of what your thesis statement is going to be.
First: Outline Your Ideas
One of the biggest things we see in the Writing Center when students are working on shorter documents is that they have a lot to say! And rightfully so! However, when you write out everything and go back and edit it you end up losing a lot of time that could be spent with your family, friends, sleeping, or even on other assignments. Outlining your ideas first will make sure you understand what the most important issues are that you need to touch on, allow you to omit some of the more minor issues, and it will give you a sense of direction for this discussion board post, which means you will do less work overall. Hooray!
Second: Write Your Body Paragraphs
Say what you have to say in your first draft. This is a little bit different than how you may do some of your other writing, but allowing yourself to see the focus of the body of your post will allow you to not only have a more focused and targeted thesis statement, but it will allow you to see what is needed and what is not needed before you go into your second round of drafting: actually writing your thesis statement/introduction.
Third: Read Your Body Paragraphs TwiceFlip your paper over, cover your monitor, close your eyes (if you can write with your eyes closed) and see how you can summarize all of the wonderful things you covered in your body paragraphs in one sentence. This should give you an idea of what your thesis statement is going to be.
Last: Re-read Your Body Paragraphs
Re-read the thesis statement you drafted. See how you can add a topic sentence and even, possibly, a lead-in sentence that moves your reader from your topic sentence to your thesis statement. It is completely acceptable to have a three-sentence introduction for a discussion board post! In fact, it is advised, as it allows you to spend more time and space on the ideas that matter the most in your post, while still giving your reader the direction they need. Some people can even swing this type of introduction in two sentences. It may be something you want to play with—but I would say start with 3 sentences first, and see how that goes.
And, Voila! You now have an introduction, topic sentence and thesis statement for a discussion board post. You have saved an hour or so in your writing/drafting due to outlining first. And your reader knows exactly what your post is about and gets a lot of valuable information due to you drafting such a focused and specific discussion board introduction. Go you!
Stay tuned for a future post on how to draft a conclusion statement (instead of a full-on conclusion) for discussion board posts. I promise to save you even more time with the next set of tips! We'll update this space with a link when the post goes live in the near future.
Meghan K Barnes holds a BFA in Professional Writing & English, an MFA in Nonfiction Literature, and a MAT in Post-Secondary Adult Online Education. These degrees lead to multiple opportunities including a Fulbright Scholarship to study the nonfiction work of Sylvia Plath in England, three Pushcart Prize Nominations, and four book publications.
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How To Write A Lot
On WriteCast, the Walden University Writing Center's writing-focused podcast, we recently shared a “book club” episode in
which two of our writing instructors discuss the strategies in Paul J. Silvia’s How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. This is a
great book for Walden students who have to write a lot as students at an
online university! Today, I’m following up on that episode with some key points
from Silvia’s book and some questions so that you can join our conversation. You can access WriteCast episode 65 on our podcast homepage by following this link.
Make a Writing Schedule
Silvia’s primary recommendation is to schedule your writing
time. Look at your schedule, figure out when you can write, and protect that
time like you would any other appointment. There’s a romanticized idea that
writers write when they are inspired, but Silvia points out that inspiration
doesn’t really factor into academic writing. In fact, by showing up for your
scheduled writing sessions consistently, you are more likely to feel inspired
and less likely to experience “writer’s block.” (Note: I've put this term in quotes because Silvia argues that writer's block doesn't exist. We discuss this in the WriteCast episode, so if you'd like to consider this idea more, check out the episode!)
I find that I am best able to keep my commitment to my
writing time when I schedule it for first thing in the morning. Then, it’s less
likely to be interrupted by emergencies, and I won’t be tempted to schedule a
doctor’s appointment when I should be writing.
When do you like to schedule your writing time, and how do you protect it?
Shift What “Counts” as Writing
Once you’ve scheduled your writing time, think about what
you’ll do with it. If you’ve scheduled yourself for an hour every day, you
might be wondering how you can possibly spend that much time writing. The idea
of scheduled writing is much more palatable if you follow Silvia’s advice and expand
your definition of what counts as writing to include all tasks that move your
project forward: this means everything from initial research to final
formatting.
This holistic definition of writing has been really
important for me to stay consistent with my writing. Earlier this week, I
rolled out of bed after my toddler had kept me up in the middle of the night. I
convinced myself to sit down at my desk and get started, but I couldn’t seem to
focus on the revision task I had planned for that session. Rather than abandon
my writing entirely, I decided to spend the time formatting my references. This
task wasn’t what I had planned, but it still needed to get done and still moved
me closer to my goal.
What are tasks that need to get done before you can submit your work but may not feel like “real” writing?
Track your progress
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed with how far you have to
go, especially when it comes to longer writing projects. To combat these
negative feelings, Silvia recommends tracking your progress with objective data
like minutes spent working or words written. Then, when you feel like you haven’t
done enough, you can look back at your data and be proud of how far you have
come.
I find tracking progress to be incredibly motivating. I do
track the number of words I write each day, but I have found that using this
metric alone doesn’t allow me to track my productivity on research-heavy days,
when I am still working hard but may not be writing new words. In order to
account for the different kinds of productivity that take place over the course
of writing a dissertation, I also track time spent on the project each day,
writing streaks (how many days in a row I’ve shown up for my writing), and have
a calendar on my wall with a sticker for each day I’ve worked on my
dissertation.
How do you keep track of your writing progress?
If you haven’t checked it out already, How to Write a Lot is
a quick read with lots of great tips and a no-nonsense tone. Check it out, and
let us know which strategies you’re using!
Cheryl Read is a Writing Instructor and the
Coordinator of Asynchronous Course Visits in the Walden University Writing
Center. She loves finding strategies to get lots of writing done. When she’s
not helping student writers at Walden, Cheryl stays busy playing with her son
and working on her dissertation.
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