Thesis Statements: Why Use Them and How to Get Them Right

Try writing 10 sentences (not really) on what your post is about, and every single one will be lame. So, forget all your preconceptions about them, and let's start from the beginning with a graphic.

A thesis statement captures the essence of a piece of writing by revealing the topic, point of view, and plan in a single sentence. Topic Thesis statements are that easy. Just like a math problem, if you plug in the right pieces, you'll get the right answer. You start with the topic, which is your specific subject, not the general area. For example, here I am writing about thesis statement for blog posts, not about good writing. Good writing is too general, and you could slap it on any paper about writing. So, the specific topic is key. Point of view The angle the you take to write about the topic is your point of view. This should be unique to your blog post, or it's not worth writing. You want to add an individual perspective to the subject you address, your personal touch. For example, here I am claiming that thesis statements are essential for blog posts and that they are easy. Plan The outline of how you are going to get your reader to see your point of view on the topic is your plan. By outline, I'm not referring to a detailed map, but just a phrase or two about where you are headed. For example, I am planning to show you how to easily put a thesis together by talking about the basic elements and how they fit. Thesis Statement These are all the pieces, now we need to just build the damn thing. In this post, I've already done the work as I have guided you through each step. When you combine the elements, make sure that the sentence flows nicely for the reader. So, here is what the thesis for this post looks like in graphic form (compare it to the graphic above).

Example for this blog post: Thesis statements are essential and easy for blog posts because they guide the reader using the topic, point of view, and plan. There you have it, a solid, specific thesis that guides the reader through this blog post and helps to keep them focused. As I remind my students, you have to intentionally write a thesis statement, rather than just picking a sentence that looks good. http://www.zipminis.com