Day One: Attacking the Prompt, Brainstorming, and Writing a First Draft

 We will address the following:  How do I read the actual prompt? What’s important? What should I focus on?  How do I choose examples to use in my essay? What are the best examples? How do I know if my examples are unique or cliché? How many examples do I need?  How do I create an outline for my essay in a short amount of time? How can I get the most out of my outline?

 READ the information in the box below. The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind. -Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) THINK carefully about these statements. Gordon Gekko makes the point that greed is not just about money. Greed, in its basic definition, is an overwhelming desire for something. With this in mind, you may agree or disagree with Gekko’s view that “greed is good.” Either way, we can acknowledge that greed affects people.  WRITE an essay that explains the effects greed can have on someone’s life.

 Many students find the READ, THINK, WRITE format to be very overwhelming and confusing.  Students tend to focus on the quote (from Wall Street) rather than what they are actually supposed to be writing about.  IF YOU ARE EVER OVERWHELMED OR CONFUSED, I recommend…

 READ the information in the box below. The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind. -Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) THINK carefully about these statements. Gordon Gekko makes the point that greed is not just about money. Greed, in its basic definition, is an overwhelming desire for something. With this in mind, you may agree or disagree with Gekko’s view that “greed is good.” Either way, we can acknowledge that greed affects people.  WRITE an essay that explains the effects greed can have on someone’s life.

 Fiction Example: The Pearl. For this essay, you are required to use The Pearl as an example.  Non-fiction Example:  Using your Brainstorming handout, let’s come up with a list of options for this paragraph of the essay.

 Using the two-column notes chart provided, pre-write for your essay.  Write the thesis statement at the top  Include two effects of greed on the left  On the right, give examples of the effect from The Pearl and our brainstorming practice.

 Introduction  Gives general background information, or context, for your reader  Ends with a thesis statement that clearly explains what your essay will discuss  Body Paragraphs  Begin with a topic sentence that links back to your thesis  Include examples that support that topic sentence  Conclusion  Begins with a restatement of your thesis in different words  Ends by answering the question, “So what?” or making a connection to a bigger picture THESIS STATEMENT TOPIC SENTENCE -Example with explanation BACKGROUND INFO THESIS STATEMENT SO WHAT?

 IT IS NOT YOUR ACTUAL ESSAY  The MEAT of your essay sandwich is your examples.  YOU MUST ACTUALLY EXPLAIN THEM IN DEPTH. Never just list them like they are on your outline.