The following is a supplement for Eugene Lang (liberal arts school):
You have been elected the leader of a new populace. The future is in your hands. Outline a platform on environmental issues, education, and race and ethnicity.Be wise and be creative. (maximum 500 words)
I have my platform, but it's far from organized. What I really need is a concise introduction and thesis to guide my essay. Every time I think about where to start...I delve way too deep. (I'm practically having an existential crisis). Would anybody be SO SO kind as to (vaguely/sloppily) outline one for me? Or ideas...anything! ANY input would be such an appreciated act of selflessness
ha ha, you are just procrastinating. Get inspired, you can do it! I know it is hard to get the ideas to come.
This has to be a 5 paragraph essay with 100 words per paragraph, and each paragraph should start with a topic sentence.
The way to get started is to look at examples:
Read about colonists or some other developing societies, and write a little about your strategy. Do it accordin to their prompt. I'll get you started:
environmental issues
education
race
ethnicity
thank you. i do have my platform though. (ex. recycling opportunities, legistlation, etc.)
i was really looking for like, a sample introduction sentence, because i don't know where to start. philosophically? (with a thoreau or wilde quote?) or practically? (as the leader of a new populace...)
Only you can decide which would be better for you. Personally, I like using quotes in my writing. I find one that best fits the amorphous blob of thoughts I'd like to get across and then use the quote to help me zero in on the tone of the paper. Once I have that, I can put the rest into words. You can use the quote as a starting point, and see how you feel about it afterward. You can always rewrite your intro to fit the tone of the rest of your paper after you've written it - I certainly do it often enough! Right now, you just have to get writing. You've got the hard part - the content! - down already. You just have to trust yourself enough to put the platform down on paper.
Here is what I think about the question of a thesis to guide the essay: write it last.
Start by doing some reading, and after each item you read, write a little paragraph. Make sure you only express one main idea with each paragraph.
When you have a collection of ideas starting to form, go back and add an intro paragraph with a thesis statement that captures the theme that has started to emerge in your paragraphs.
You have to start by just expressing one idea after another, one para at a time, and have faith that a theme/thesis will emerge as you work.
Write the intro last! :-) I really hope that helps; it's what I often do.
