iPost X: Organizing my Academic Documents

As I said in Post 7 my two favourite strategies for putting together a great piece of writing are:

1. Firstly, to throw isht at the wall and see what sticks, a few times.
2. And then use that to create an essay outline to guide my writing further.

As always I used these primary strategies in putting together my Doc2 and once again they worked wonderfully.

My final outline looks something like this...



Intro - Why you should major in business.

P1 - Unlike many other majors, it will equip you with a range of useful knowledge and skills far more likely to equate to ultimate success in the real world.

P2 - It will allow you to foster a quality network of ambitious business people, which is likely to be your greatest asset on your journey to success.

Conclusion - Summarise main points with strong ending statement.



Simple but effective right? I never would have thought about these points in the simple structure that they found themselves in. But I did it, and all because I followed my 2 main strategies. 

I am not at all a genius writer or anything like that, and I definitely cannot see the finished product in my head before I start.

If I think about it more, you could use any strategy that embraces the tactic of reevaluation over and over again while writing. An alternative method might include writing multiple introductions completed with your supporting points and all. Then choosing your favourite, fixing it up and elaborating on your points in the rest of your essay.

But however you choose to develop your essay, don't expect linear progress when writing, but instead rely on trial and error. As when corporations are pursuing more sales (or in our case, pursuing a great essay) they try many different products. Some work and some don't, and when they find what works, they then focus on that product, expand on it and produce a range of similar products, repeat, and the process continues. 

It is an intuitive process and is usually your best bet in growing a successful business as well as an excellent essay. 

As the legendary Keith Hamon once said in his third post "writing is a process that unfolds over an extended amount of time" and it is so true. You really do need to embrace this fact in order to put together a great essay. 

So there you have it. Throw your thoughts at the wall! Whatever sticks, expand and elaborate on that, and repeat. While you are doing this make sure to revise your outline of the essay to see immediately if the essay has strong points and supports itself well. And with enough time you will find your way to a fantastic essay.


All the best and good luck! 

Luke

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