HOOK EM’ AND LEAVE EM’ (wanting to read more)

What is an introduction? Acquaints the reader with the topic and purpose of the paper Generates the audience’s interest in the topic Offers a plan for the ensuing argument

Why Bother Writing a Good Introduction 1. You never get a second chance to make a first impression –Your paper provides your readers with their initial impressions of your argument, your writing style and the overall quality of your work –A poor introduction will readers uninterested in your views and creates a negative impression

2. Your introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper.  Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers  You are letting them know what your topic is, why it is important, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion (a map)  After reading your introduction, your readers should not have any major surprises in store when they read the main body of the paper

3. Ideally, your introduction should make your readers want to read your paper. –Your Introduction should capture the readers attention –They should be enticed to read the rest of your paper –Should help your reader understand why your topic matters, and invite them to learn more

Methods for Constructing an Introduction Puzzling Paradox Historical review Vivid personal anecdote Shocking statistics Famous Person

Puzzling Paradox (advanced) Example: Fredrick Douglas says of slaves that “Nothing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet, how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries”

Historical Review Example: The victory brought pure elation and joy. It was May 1954, just days after the supreme court’s landmark ruling in Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. At NAACP headquarters in New York the mood was euphoric. Telegrams of congratulations poured in from around the world; reporters and well wishers crowded the halls.

Personal Anecdote Example: Mike Cantlon remembers coming across his first auction ten years ago while cruising the back roads of Wisconsin. He parked his car and wandered into the crowd, toward the auctioneers singsong chant and wafting smell of barbequed sandwiches. Hours later, Cantlon emerged lugging a $22 beam drill-for constructing post-and-beam barns- and a passion for auctions that has clung to him like a cocklebur on an old saddle blanket. “It’s an addiction,” says Cantlon, a financial planner and one of the growing number of auction fanatics for whom Sundays will never be the same.

Shocking Statistics Example: Have a minute? Good. Because that may be all it takes to save the life of your child. Accidents kill nearly 8000 children under the age of 15 each year. And for every fatality, 42 more children are admitted to hospitals for treatment. Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided thorough these easy steps parents can take right now. You don’t have a minute to loose.

Famous Person Example: The most widely read author in America today is not Stephen King, Michael Chrichton, or John Grisham. It’s Margaret Milner Richardson, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, whose name appears on the “1040 Forms and Instructions” booklet. I doubt Margaret wrote the entire 1040 pamphlet, but the annual introductory letter, “A Note From the Commissioner” bears her signature.

Evaluating your Introduction Don’t be afraid to change your introduction –The writing process can help you organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sound argument –Many writers feel their paper changes as they move through this writing process; the introduction should reflect these changes and move with the flow of your paper Have a friend read your introduction draft –Ask them to tell you what they think the paper will discuss, what kinds of evidence the paper will use, and what the tone of the paper will be. –If they predict correctly, you have probably have a good introduction

5 Things Not To Do! 1. The Placeholder Introduction –When you don’t have much to say, it shows 2. The Restated Question Introduction –You may restate the question, but you must offer your own personal statement to add value to the writing 3. The Webster's Dictionary Introduction –DO NOT give the dictionary definition of one of the words in the assigned topic question – DO create your own interpretation of the meaning

NO, NO, NO Continued… 4. The Dawn of Man Introduction –Do not make broad sweeping statements about the relevance of the topic since the beginning of time. It is usually very general and does not connect to the thesis 5. The Book Report Introduction –Do not give a fifth grade rendition of a book report (name of author, and basic facts about the book). Details that the reader already knows are ineffective and irrelevant to the thesis

Review The topic does not control how exciting and captivating your essay is, YOU DO!