| Essay #3, like Essay #2, builds on
the research you have already done this semester, even as the writing
of
the project
itself will demonstrate why additional research will surely
need to be done. The difference here is that you know your audience
better than any other, probably, because you're writing to a group
here at ECU. You might write to students in general about an issue
that concerns them, a specific group of students (college freshmen,
females in dorms, the group you did research on,
etc.), or administrative personnel on campus. Your goal is to educate
them about your topic, thus using your research, and to make recommendations
to that group.
The following parts seem crucial to writing
for for an ECU audience:
- kairos: the writer demonstrates through reference to culture/society
and to ECU specifically why this topic is
relevant now,
but unlike the academic essay (which tends to be more formulaic), the
piece tends to choose examples locally, noting that the issue
is relevant on THIS campus at THIS time.
- ethos: the writer demonstrates his/her credibility by choosing
effective and persuasive sources or examples to include in the essay
(and does so with enough contextual information that a 'Works Cited'
pay
isn't
necessarily needed), using only those sources most suited to the current
argument, bridging the
gaps
between
the
reader's broad/basic knowledge of the topic (and the campus) and writer's advanced (i.e.,
researched) knowledge of the topic; the writer also chooses examples
and details that demonstrate his/her good will toward the audience
and/or
the issue, thus making the writer's "character" part of
the argument.
- logos: the writer uses the most logical arguments available
to him/her and attempts to convince the reader that these arguments/suggestions/plans/etc.
are likewise the most logical course for the reader to follow.
- pathos: since non-academic audiences are not necessarily
constrained by the logics of disciplinary affiliations, writers trying
to connect their work to non-academic audience will often find ways
to engage the empathies, sympathies, concerns (i.e., the emotions)
of this audience; ethical writers do not attempt to manipulate
the audience by "hyped" stories or "over-wrought" examples,
but since your audience (especially if students) may be apathetic to
your issue, you need to show them realistic examples of why this would
matter to them.
- genre: different kinds of expository writing work in different
genre conventions (those codes and formats that readers expect), so
a speech has a different structure from a magazine editorial, which
has a different structure and voice from a news story; effective writers
think of the genre conventions their working with so that they do not
violate to radically their audiences expectations, which might make
readers distrust the writing/writer.
These five "traits" will be central to the evaluation
of Essay #3.
Cover Memo: Essay #3
For the Writer's Memo, I want you to demonstrate your abilities as the
type of writer who knows his/her choices, makes decisions carefully and
effectively. If we spend two weeks (or more, sometimes) inventing information,
drafting possible versions of a text, responding to each other, revising
our texts, etc., then you should be able to talk about the processes
you went through to get to this finished draft. To that end, please draft
a memo to me, as teacher-evaluator, to help me see your particular processes
and what vision you have for this text (that I might have a context in
which to read). Below is a template you can use for your memo:
Student Name
Course # & Section
Teacher Name
Date
Writer's Memo
Paragraph #1: Trace the evolution of this project. When did
you decide on this topic? What topics did you reject in favor
of this one? How did your topic evolve from what you knew at
first to what you know now? (Other comment relevant to topic
evolution)
Paragraph #2: Discuss the specific revisions you've made to
the project. What revision suggestions did you get? from whom?
Which did you choose to use? Why? Which did you reject? Why?
Where in the project did you make these changes? What effects
do these choices have on your project/your readers? Why? Be specific
about who helped you and what the reviewers suggested!
Paragraph #3: Purpose/Audience. Explain in one sentence what
the purpose of your project is: are you trying to argue something?
persuade a reader about something? tell as story to illustrate
a point about the world? explore pertinent issues? etc . . .
Then, tell me who your primary audience is (those you
most want to write to) and why you chose them. (For your academic
paper, you might explain which major/discipline would be most
interested in your research and why.)
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You should be able to produce this memo in one single-spaced page. If
you can't say it in one page, cut cut cut. Sometimes, to write reflective/analytical
pieces like these, we start by rambling, trying to figure out what we
have to say. Fine, but go back and get rid of the "fluff." I
won't accept them if they're not typed and single-spaced in Times New
Roman 12 pt. font.
Essay #3 Packet For
your third essay packet, you'll need to turn in all the materials you've
used/created as part of the process of creating the essay itself. In
a folder (like your research packets), you should turn in the following
materails:
- Cover Memo
- Essay (preferably in the appropriate genre format, e.g., columns
and short paragraphs for a news article)
- Draft 1 with Peer Review from class
- Audience Analysis Worksheet
Items 1 & 2 should be on the left-hand side, stapled together; items
3 & 4 should be on the right-hand side, included as "evidence" of
your process.
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