Monday, October 24, 2011

ARCS, Chapter 9

• Introduction
• Narration
• Proof
• Conclusion

Four steps that are often grossly abused by inexperienced writers. We see it in essays written in five-paragraph essays, with a neat, one-paragraph, introduction, three body paragraphs containing evidences, and a one-paragraph conclusion.

It's nice to see arrangement addressed in this book, especially with the notion in mind that perhaps, someday, the five-paragraph essay will meet its untimely death. The information contained within this chapter is comprehensive enough to walk through the most inexperienced writer (the whole book, really).

The introduction is often the place where the writer falls flat, using such convoluted openers as, "Since the beginning of time," and "When I was sitting down to write this paper..." As Cicero stated, honorable cases need no introduction (ARCS 297), but in this situation, an honorable case may appear to be less-than-honorable with a flawed introduction. The intention is to draw the reader into the issue, completely inform the reader, then leave that reader with some reason to remember you.

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