Conscious Writer

A roadmap to simplicity

Ever get a writing assignment that asked you to do too many things? Ever drafted an argument that confused even *you*, the person who developed it? When you look over your notes or your draft, and what you’ve got feels like a jumbled mess, maybe it’s time to “map” out your work.

There are lots of ways to visualize the argument you’re making in a paper, but here are a couple that are useful in specific writing situations.  If you’re taking notes or drafting passages at a computer, create a new document, and copy/paste sentences (or even just phrases) into groups of related ideas. When you’ve got, say, three groups, work on each group separately: speculate [in writing, of course!] about how two of the phrases are connected, or come up with an example that helps you explain the differences between two of your ideas. Looking at your ideas *as* ideas can help you generate material that more directly responds to the writing prompt your instructor has given to you.

Sometimes you’ve got a draft that you’re committed to—but it’s hard to navigate. In a situation like this, use transitional phrases and sentences as “signposts” that help readers see the relationships between your paragraphs. Does your argument take a major turn midway through the draft? Prepare your reader for it. Does your evidence lead you to two possible conclusions? Let your reader know that a choice is coming, and help him/her “see” why *you* argue for one interpretation over another.