LSC: Writing

Global writing concerns are those which shape the design and development of the text—how writing is made, organized, and supported—in order to be understood and read by others. Global writing concerns include:

• Purpose & audience
  • Why and who of the text
• Inquiry and thesis 
  • Central questions and claims of the text 
• Development 
  • How elements of the text (i.e. thesis statements, introductions & conclusions, evidence, analysis) are connected 
• Organization
  • How elements of the text are structured

Global writing concerns are also represented by the "rhetorical triangle," a graphic tool that can be used to examine one's rhetorical context for writing: the writer, audience, and purpose of the text. Other important elements of one's rhetorical context, such as genre, will shape one's text and global writing concerns. (Click the link below to view the "rhetorical triangle.")

When examining audience, remember that for a first draft, the audience is you, the writer. Consider:

• What message/s do you want to communicate?
• What would you like your audience to understand and/or do?
• Which elements (i.e. concepts, arguments, analyses, etc.) are easier or more difficult to communicate?
  • What re-/reading or supplemental research do you need to complete this draft?

For all subsequent drafts, consider your audience/s:

• Who is your specific audience or audiences, and what do they know and/or not know?
  • What do they need and/or want to know, or be able to do?
  • What is your audience/s background (i.e. literacy, language, professional, etc.)?
• What are your audience/s' expectations of you, the writer, and the text?

Ultimately, your audience/s' background and expectations will shape your text and its purpose - and vice versa. These questions will guide you, the writer, to make important choices about global writing concerns (i.e. the order of knowledge, evidence, and genre) and local writing concerns (i.e. style, tone, and diction) as you revise. 

"Development" refers to how writers use key elements such as a thesis, topic sentences, evidence, and analysis to support the purpose of the text. These elements are re-iterated throughout the text in each paragraph. Typically, a paragraph include three features:  

1. A claim, thesis, and/or topic sentence that you will expand on in each paragraph, 
2. Evidence of the claim or topic sentence,
3. Discussion or analysis that connects evidence to claim/s and thesis.  

Below are interactive resources for essay and paragraph development, including introductions and conclusions, thesis building, source integration and/or evidence, and analysis.

"Organization" refers to the structure of the text: How does each paragraph in the text function (i.e. introduction, paragraphs, conclusion), and how does each paragraph connect with one another?

Broadly, there are nine functions of academic paragraphs one may use:

1. Narrative: A storytelling function,
2. Description: A descriptive, summative, or informational function,
3. Compare and Contrast: Examines elements that are similar and different,
4. Classification: A categorical function (i.e. 2+ elements),
5. Division: A de-constructive function (i.e. 1 element in composite parts),
6. Cause & Effect: Examines cause and/or effect,
7. Problem & Solution: An evaluative and problem-solving function,
8. Illustration: An illustrative or representational function ,
9. Process: An explanatory function (i.e. of a method or practice).

Below are a series of interactive resources (bingo) that can be used to practice organization & paragraph functions.