What I’m Thinking Now

(Writing UnleashedChapter 2)

The third chapter of Writing Unleashed describes and explains a variety of strategies that can be used in writing an essay. It is amazing how many strategies there really are for writing. I have used many of these strategies in previous writing and plan to use other types in the future.

My favorite strategies are Illustration and Compare and Contrast. I use both of these strategies all the time, and I will most likely use them again in my issue report. When talking about the Illustration strategy, the author stated, “We use examples to help us understand by giving us a piece of information that is representative of the whole.” (Writing Unleashed 52). This is very accurate, as we often use examples to explain something when someone does not understand. The author also stated claimed that “it’s key to consider the audience.” (Writing Unleashed 54). I agree with this as the audience must be able to understand the example. This strategy will assist me in explaining why my issue is a problem. I will also use the Compare and Contrast strategy to reveal the different sides of the issue.

Another strategy I really like is Narration. While I will probably not use this strategy in my issue report, I have used it in the past. This strategy as well as the Description strategy make a story really come to life and draws the reader in. I used these strategies when writing a Common Application Essay. I told the story of when I first started going to public school in this essay, and instead of saying I was nervous, I said that the butterflies in my stomach would not settle down. This gives the reader the ability to truly understand how I was feeling. When speaking on description, the author states that “To show, not to tell means to allow the reader to experience or feel the moment rather than be fed information.” (Writing Unleashed 48). I really want to practice using this strategy more, so I can truly make the scene come to life for the reader.

Source: Priebe, Sybil, et al. “Writing Unleashed.” OER Commons, North Dakota State College of Science, 25 Oct. 2017, http://www.oercommons.org/courseware/module/18115.