Read Keys For Writers, pp. 18-24

(stop at "Overcoming Writer's Block"-- unless you

need it!)

To begin:

It’s very important that you form a thesis statement early on. A good thesis statement lets the readers know where you are taking them, and it helps you focus and outline your paper.

All of this is straightforward, but thesis statements are still one of the most difficult aspects of writing. First, let me define a couple of things: an implicit thesis statement cannot be underlined in an essay. The reader knows what the writer’s thesis is by the structure and presentation of ideas—the thesis is implied. An explicit thesis statement is a direct statement you can underline in the essay. For the purposes of this course, all thesis statements in your essays should be explicit. If I ask you what your thesis is, you should be able to highlight the single sentence and say “There it is.”

Let’s talk a moment about goals. Look at this statement:

“I want to buy a car.”

Is this a goal?

It might seem so, at first. But let’s look at what makes a good goal.

A good goal must be specific. Otherwise, it’s only an idea, not a

goal.

In the earlier statement I say I want to buy a car. What kind? How old? Purchase or lease? So, I revise my goal to be more specific:

“I want to buy a 2009 Mazda 3.”

Ok! Much more specific. However, we’re not done. A good goal must also be measurable. When will I buy this car?

“I want to buy a 2009 Mazda 3 by the end of this year.”

Why is it so important to be measurable? Because if I plan to buy a new Mazda 3 within the next few months, I must ask

myself if my goal is realistic. It’s realistic to say I want to buy a new Mazda 3, and that I want to buy it before the end of the

year.

However, I am a teacher with two kids, a mortgage, and Christmas bills from 2007 AND 2008. So, it may not be too realistic to measure my goal in this manner. How

about:

(the demands on my life)

“I want to buy a new Mazda 3 after my youngest daughter graduates in 2011.”

Ok, this is a specific goal—it will be a new car, I have a couple of years to plan and save, and it is much more realistic that I can operate in this time frame than in the short one I set for myself earlier. So, now my very vague idea, that I want to buy a

car, has become a goal that is specific, measurable, and realistic.

So, what does a goal have to do with a thesis statement? Well, a thesis IS the goal of your essay. When you formulate a specific, measurable, and realistic thesis, your paper will flow naturally. It’s hard to get sidetracked into buying a Ford F150 when your goal says you’re buying a Mazda 3.