A Cataclysmic Revelation! (We're moving to Tumblr)

No, you eyes do not deceive you, dear readers.  We are forsaking these lands in favor of Roosevelt-greener pastures.  Now, for a hopefully-not-limited time, insightful and interesting blog posts will Tumbl this way and that as we try to not only revolutionize the format and content of the Roosevelt Writing Center Blog, but also to improve our frequency and quality of posts.  To that end, it's off to Tumblr!

http://rooseveltwritingcenter.tumblr.com/

Don't forget, though, the Halloween Flash Fiction writing contest has not changed, and submissions are still due by October 28 at 4 PM.  We will be partying, no doubt drinking from Tumblrs, on the following day (October 29, for the calendrically uninterested).

Thank you all for your dedicated, Google-based readership!  It's been a great sojourn here, but it's time to change things up a bit!

--Peter and the Blogcrafters

STAFF TUTORS

"Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery"

Do you ever find yourself losing your own voice and unintentionally imitating your favorite or omnipresent authors?  Did you ever have to read a little too much Immanuel Kant and end up writing with a tone mirroring a bad eighteenth century translation?  There is a famous quote, which you’ve probably heard, coined by English writer and cleric, Charles Caleb Colton: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Oscar Wilde, ever the witty wordsmith, suggested the addendum: “...that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”  And it’s true; consciously or not, we try to be as good as our role models, or those to whom we are most exposed.  It’s almost a survival instinct--copy the best, and you will not only curry favor, but also be have aspirations of being just as good.

I don’t know whose style mine resembles.  At times I can be long-winded and pedantic, resembling J.R.R. Tolkien’s unattractive pedagogical tone of The Hobbit.  Then I try to be wittier and more forward thinking, a la Margaret Atwood or Kurt Vonnegut.  And yet none of these styles really suit me, in the sense that I feel I am trying to imitate “greatness.”  At my worst failures, I feel most the constant drive to imitate, and to live through the success of other authors.  As a shameless lover of pop culture, I constantly lament the fact that I feel the need to buy a bunch of books and special edition DVDs (not to mention the secret LEGO collection); I don’t want to be a dependent on someone else’s mythos; I want to be the “creator.”  Writing, whether creative or academic, is always a risky endeavor.  It’s easy to think that I will never be as successful as J.K. Rowling or...James Patterson.  And it’s true, of course I won’t be.  Yet, as tacky as it may be, we have to work hard to “be ourselves.”

What does this have to do with the Writing Center?  Well, there’s nothing wrong with first imitating our favorites.  As I said above, it seems to be a natural instinct.  But when you bring a work of writing to the Center, whatever the genre, it’s always more interesting if the world has never seen it before.  No one in the world is exactly the same, and each set of life experiences allows us to view the world (first through the eyes, then through the written word).  I’m not talking about plagiarism, here; this is much more subtle and pervasive, not to mention frustrating.  All writers should certainly acknowledge debt to other writers, even if in the case of an in-joke or dedication.  At the same time, a good exercise might be to be aware of the debt which they acknowledge.  Janet Burroway calls it “stealing like an artist.”  But even the most skilled stealth has its basis in real skill.  Simply parroting the life’s work of an intrepid author will hardly give you their renown, especially if you don’t bring your own truth to it.  Everyone has a unique truth, as I stated above, but few (myself included) ever seem to capitalize on it by writing.  It might be time for us to change that!

--Peter the Blogcrafter

Staving Off Laziness In Academic Writing: A Four-Part Rehab Program

Pure, plain, and inexcusable laziness is undoubtedly among the greatest challenges that I face as an academic writer. I love writing witty little poems, or profound commentary, but when it comes to writing an academic paper with research and sources and deliberation, I find an unnecessary burden. Unnecessary, because my primary obstacle is laziness. This laziness is closely linked with the intimidation that I feel when reading over an essay prompt for the first time. Of course, my perennial procrastination compounds this effect of feeling that I am not able to devote enough time and effort to an academic paper, and the rest, as they say, is history. As much as the Writing Center would like to encourage people to bring in any writing, be it fiction, nonfiction, or a scribbled itinerary for some obscure purpose, chances are that most students will be visiting for help on academic papers. This is the stuff that many don’t want to do, which of course means that it’s the stuff that makes you seem famous and intelligent. At any rate, what follows is a list of combating laziness and apathy when it comes to personal writing. Here are my personal tips, and believe me, I’m going to need to use them, myself; I have a thesis due at the end of the semester, and it’s kind of a big deal.

1.     Start writing. There’s a very good essay by Anne Lamott called “Shitty First Drafts,” which expounds upon the cathartic experience of writing, well, shitty first drafts. Say that: A.) you have a thesis, or B.) you are writing an exploratory essay and don’t need a thesis yet, or C.) you have no idea what the hell you’re writing, Just get words onto paper. It doesn’t matter how bad they are, which is a good thing, because they will be bad. Mine are bad. Everyone’s are bad. But "It’s the job that's never started as takes longest to finish, as my gaffer used to say,” said Sam Gamgee. To paraphrase another geeky pop culture character, "Do. There is no do not."

2.     Once more unto the databases, dear friends! Look for sources. Complete an extensive search of surrounding systems. Do not give up until you have found enough scholarly and popular information to fill a few tomes. You don’t have to use it all, nor read it all in full, but if you can avoid piling research near a project’s deadline, you will be doing yourself a favor. This might seem obvious: don’t procrastinate, but instead it is about having the willpower to start writing, to start searching, etc.

3.     Once more unto the beach, dear friends! Relax, everyone! Another way of saying this, other than paraphrasing Henry V for the second time in a row would be that old expression, “Work hard, play hard.” Not necessarily a chronological next step after research, devoting time to leisure is a necessary respite from the difficulties of the project. The only problem is that relaxation can be addictive, and you need to make sure that you return to the task at hand. Which brings me to my next point…

4.     Putting it all together Synthesis, which is my unofficial term for the coherent compilation and combination of research and one’s own opinion, is possibly the most difficult part of writing an essay. It’s not as though this is the absolute last stage of journey; writing is, of course, always an ongoing process. At the same time, this is the time when laziness is the most devious in its effort to infiltrate one’s consciousness. The best way to stave it off, for me, is to take pride in my work and find personal meaning and worth in each assignment. Once you actually have a connection to your writing, you will find that it isn’t just you giving up a weekend to write about something. Instead you are going to be enjoying what you are doing and making your time, and your writing, far more meaningful.

--Peter the Blogcrafter

Writing Contest!

“And the sound was coming from the basement.”

Yes!  It’s that time again!  Welcome back to Roosevelt University’s Writing Center’s semiannual writing contest.  The season: Halloweeeeeen [read in spooky voice]!  The theme: we decided (well, actually, Hillary decided, brilliantly, and then we all voted on it) that you can pick the the theme.  All you have to do is incorporate the blood-red, bolded sentence above as the closing of your story.  It can be fiction, poetry, or even--but hopefully not--a true story!  The rules are yours, as long as you pay heed to the ominous portent stated above.  Last spring we had a rather meager number of submissions.  This is supposed to be fun, people!  Write for a chance to win an amazing gift card, and if you don’t win, you will probably have just as much fun becoming a better and more creative writer (and eating pizza at our party).  In addition, for the first and last time ever, there will be free The Lord of the Rings Pez dispensers for the first eight entrants. Would you rather have Gimli than Gollum?  Then enter soon, but take heed that haste does not inhibit your storytelling craft.  This is it, people!  I, for one, am psyched!  I might even have to enter, myself!

Bloodchillingly yours,

Peter

Bad thoughts

There’s not a wrong thought in the Writing Center.  You may disagree.  You may only want people to see things your way.  Let’s be honest; we all want that.  But the fact is that not everyone is going to agree all the time, even at a “social justice institution.”  A feminist, an anarchist, and libertarian walk into a bar.  They wonder why they start fighting.  “We all want equality,” says the feminist.  “Equality as law is reprehensible, and I won’t have it,” says the anarchist.  “You can both have whatever you want,” says the libertarian, “but as for me, I’m going to have another drink.”  We’ve all heard this one before (or not), and we know it won’t end well.  

In our lack of agreement, we begin to realize that the other side helps us either to see more clearly the flaws in our convictions, or else to strengthen our initial beliefs.  Not many people are afraid of sharing ideas (at least I hope not), but I think some people are afraid of being “corrected” by the powers that be.  Honestly, though, we’re not powers, we’re students.  Hopefully we’re diligent and thoughtful students, but we don’t have the right or intent to down-vote your opinions.  From a purely selfish standpoint, we want to be inspired, provoked, and intellectually challenged.  Rather more altruistically, we want you to be able to express what you’re believing in the STRONGEST WAY POSSIBLE.  There’s nothing worse than a good idea imprecisely expressed, or we’ll be like:

 

Remember: Keeping an audience is just as important as gaining one!

Welcome back!

Welcome back for a new semester!  It’s been a fairly quiet year on the blog the Roosevelt University Writing Center, but we’ll try to keep the posts coming frequently and insightfully from here on out.  The Writing Center opened for student tutoring on Tuesday, September 8, but you knew that from the notice on our door.  Time for something more interesting!  You may have heard several times about why you should visit the Writing Center, but do you really believe it?  If you do, likely you have been here at least once, whether for extra credit for English 102, or for fine-tuning a speech to present at a symposium.  Or perhaps there was that impending final research paper gnawing at your peace of mind, or maybe you just wanted advice on a short story you’ve been writing for potential future use.  Whatever your purpose, we’re here to help.  Okay, that wasn’t so interesting, either.  It’s true, important, and holds the potential to great future fun and success, but nobody likes a pedagogue, which is not our intent in tutoring sessions or on the blog.  Nope.  You know what will be really interesting?  Your writing.

That’s write--(sorry, couldn’t resist)--your paper will be better if you come here.  This is a big claim to make, so let us append some fine print, which would be advantageous to read:

Even if you have the best paper in the world, which is subjectively quite possible, it will still be better for visiting the Writing Center.  We can’t guarantee you an A, it’s true.  We also are not infallible; we are not Gods, and we do our best not to pass judgment on papers.

What we can promise you is a dialogue.  You may totally disagree with us, and that’s fine.  But hopefully we won’t give you any outright statement of opinionated rubbish with which to disagree!  Regardless, this dialogue is like any other conversation; you will learn many things, whether because of a tutor’s advice or in spite of it.  In other words, you may gain keen, self-discovered inspiration based on a tutor’s comments--and wouldn’t that be just lovely?  On the other hand, our criticism (the nice kind) might lead to a strengthening conviction that you were right all along.  And that, my friends, is what the Writing Center is (somewhat) all about.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Back in business (in two hours!)

"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!"  Oh, wait, wrong reality.

Well, folks, the Roosevelt University Writing Center Blog is active once again, and nary* a moment too soon, for we open at 9 AM today, Tuesday, September 8, 2015!  So bring your friends, bring your writing, and bring your eagerness to think creatively, as a great, new semester of writing commences!

Note that our hours have changed since last semester; they are now:

Monday: 9 AM-2 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM-2 PM
Wednesday: 11 AM-4 PM
Thursday: 11 AM-4 PM

See you soon!

*We can't really recommend that you use the word "nary" in your essays.  It does have a nice, informal ring to it, though...

--The Writing Center Tutors

What's Your Spirit Animal?

As the name of the post suggests, the Writing Center Staff Tutors asked a really hard-hitting and serious question regarding the kind of animal each tutor identified with based on the animal's characteristics and their own in terms of similarities. It was a very fun and thoughtful way to pass the time when it gets lonely quiet around here!

If I can recall, it all started between Lead Tutor Jenni writing each of Staff Tutor Hillary's top 5 characteristics on the chalkboard. Hillary described herself as... It then boiled down to an elephant and horse to which Hillary decided horse because... horses are cool, I guess.

Soon, each available Staff Tutor joined in afterwards. Some of the ones I remembered was: Greg was a two-toed sloth (even though most of us thought he'd be a Labrador by just how cheerful he is), Talea was between an ostrich, because her sense of humor and silliness is a lot like how an ostrich looks, and a giraffe. I was a "rabbit riding a parakeet" only because we couldn't decide if I were a rabbit or a parakeet.

The only parameters were it had to be an animal in our world so sadly, unicorns weren't allowed. But if you wanted to be one so bad, you could always choose a narwhal, the unicorn of the sea.

;)

In a time where our lives have become inherently intertwined with technology, have our romantic relationships altered as well? Will we get engaged via text? Fall in love with the voice in our phone? Marry our tablet? The story is up to you!
Announcing our Spring Flash Fiction Contest: A Digital Age Love Story
750 words or less, the rest is up to you!
Due by noon on February 23rd by email (writingcenter@roosevelt.edu) or in person at AUD 442.
The winner will be announced on February 26th at our Flash Fiction Party in the Writing Center. The winner's story will be published on our blog and the writer will receive a gift certificate as their prize.

Our Favorite Revision Strategies

With deadlines fast approaching and drafts piling up, we thought it may be nice to share a few of our favorite revision strategies to help you out in the home stretch to the end of the semester.

Lead tutor Jenni suggests a strategy of to determine the clarity of your topic to your audience.

“Here is a revision strategy which has helped me clean up and refocus many papers. After completing a first draft, print out two copies of your paper. Take one copy, and in the margins identify the topic of each paragraph. Limit yourself to no more than three words. Ask yourself what each paragraph is really about, and jot it down. When you get to the end of your paper, go ahead and put those pages away and forget about them for the time being. Retrieve that second copy of your paper; the copy you have not jotted notes on. Hand it to a peer. Without mentioning how you’ve already done this yourself on another copy, ask your peer to read and then write in the margin next to each paragraph what they think is the topic of that paragraph. After your peer has finished, bring your copy with your notes back out. Compare papers and notes. Have a conversation about what you each came up with and why. Do you and your peer agree on what each paragraph is really about? If not, think and talk about how this miscommunication could have happened. What specifically on the page is sending mixed signals?”

Staff tutor Hillary describes a simple fix for voice and sentence clarity.

“One of the easiest and most effective ways to revise your paper is to read it aloud. Read the paper out loud, and pay attention to spots you stumble on. I find that these trouble areas usually just need a quick flip or maybe a different word choice to make them flow better. If possible, have a friend read along silently--You’d be surprised how often you will actually auto-correct your own typed words when you are speaking them.  Often you will say something clearer than you typed it, and BAM!, your brain did the revision for you. This is a tool we often use in the Writing Center, and it can really help smooth out the voice in your writing without much effort.”

Lead Tutor, Dan, has a bit of a different spin on reading your paper aloud, which he calls the “Richard Nixon.”

“Once I've written my paper, I like to read my paper aloud using a character voice, my favorite being Richard Nixon. Because I am focusing so much on the character voice, I  remove myself from my own speech patterns and can find any trouble spots in the paper”

We hope these few suggestions help in your revision process!

Please note the the Writing Center is OPEN Monday and Tuesday 9-5 and Wednesday 9-Noon during Finals week! Visit our webpage to make an appointment!

2014 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up Entry

Hope you enjoyed the winning submission by Peter Saunders.

We also want to congratulate our (very close) runner-up, Jason Witherow! Enjoy!

Maniac Inferno

My husband’s fire crew responded to an explosion at the gas station. The smoke was so dense it blots out the sun. The fire has been burning for hours; I hope Frank is ok. I pace the kitchen hoping nothing has gone wrong. I hear the front door slam shut. I walk over to see Frank in his fire gear holding an axe and covered with blood.

“Sweetie, what hap-“

“No time, grab my gun.” Frank says

Confused, I tilt my head, and stare at him.

“Now” Frank says.

I rush to the bedroom and grab Frank’s pistol from the safe, and give it to him. He nods, and hands me his axe, covered in chunks of red flesh.

“Frank, tell me what is going on?” I ask.

“A group of people went crazy and blew the gas station up. They waited for us to come and started attacking anyone who was there,” Frank says.

“Terrorists attacked us?” I ask.

“Not terrorists. They were something different. They were crazy, cackling, their eyes black. One of them smeared their blood on a cops face, and then he was cackling too. The cop pulled out his gun and started shooting into the crowd.” Frank says as he barricades the front door.  

“What,” I ask, sure this is a joke.

“They went crazy. They are savages; I don’t know how to tell you. Don’t open the door for anyone, if they come in, kill them.”

“You’re saying that people are becoming black eyed homicidal maniacs when some crazy person smears blood in their face, Frank?” I ask.

“Yes Honey, they got Steve too. He came at me.” Frank says, his hands shaking.

“Frank, I need you to sit down” I say, while I reach for the phone to call 911.

I dial EMS and I get a busy signal. I hang up and start to worry. I hear a knocking sound at the front door. Frank runs to the barricade and we hear talking.

“Frankie Boy, we saw what you did to Steve. We came to see how you were holding up” the voice from behind the door says chuckling.

Frank quietly walks towards me and puts one finger in front of his mouth. I tighten my grip on the axe. The man on the other side starts whacking the front door, and it breaks in two; I see the man and scream. His face has a bloody hand print, and a wide smile that makes his pitch black eyes seem demonic. He hops over the barricading table and points to Frank.

“You’ve been a bad bo-“

Frank shoots him in the chest. The man falls to the floor giggling, trying to catch his breath. Two other men come in through the window. Frank shoots them both.  One in the head, and the other in the arm. The wounded man tackles Frank and grabs his throat. I run over and plunge the axe into the top of the maniac’s skull. He goes limp on top of Frank. He pushes the body over, and wipes blood off his face.

“Are you ok sweetie?” I ask him

His hand moves away from his face and I see a wide smile, and black eyes look back at me. “Yes sweetheart, I’m fine.” He answers, staring at his gun, cackling.

2014 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest Winner: How to Survive an Apocalypse

HOW TO SURVIVE AN APOCALYPSE1

by Peter Saunders

A parade of Four Horsemen? a slicing scythe?

Is this how we are to meet our dooms?

The Devil himself come to claim his tithe?

Clouds of chemicals shaped like mushrooms?

Is this how we are to meet our dooms?

The test of the Antichrist, or a common blight?

Clouds of chemicals shaped like mushrooms?

A conclave of witches on Walpurgis Night?

The test of the Antichrist, or a common blight?

Everyone suffering would die to find out

A conclave of witches on Walpurgis Night?

Superstition blooms from seeds sown by doubt

Everyone suffering would die to find out

Exactly why we endure this trial

Superstition blooms from seeds sown by doubt

Hope springs eternal from those in denial

Exactly why we endure this trial

None can tell with a definite answer

Hope springs eternal from those in denial

We must make the best of this ravaging cancer

None can tell with a definite answer

What we are learning by suffering so

We must make the best of this ravaging cancer

That drives us to madness, confusion, and woe

What we are learning by suffering so

Infected with plague that kills in the gloom

That drives us to madness, confusion, and woe

We know not, nor even dare to presume

Infected with plague that kills in the gloom

As we sit in our waiting rooms unto the gloam

We know not, nor even dare to presume

Where our late family and friends go to roam

As we sit in our waiting rooms unto the gloam

Now I ask you: do you still persevere?

Where our late family and friends go to roam

You, too, may yet follow, for our ends are near

Now I ask you: do you still persevere?

Do spectres of dead ones haunt your waking dreams?

You too, may yet follow, for our ends are near

Already, I see you unravel at the seams

Do spectres of dead ones haunt your waking dreams?

Greed turns neighbors into mortal foes

Already, I see you unravel at the seams

The Reaper rejoices, here and there he goes

Greed turns neighbors into mortal foes

As buildings collapse, as hate is rebuilt

The Reaper rejoices, here and there he goes

Wilting our will and compounding our guilt

As buildings collapse, as hate is rebuilt

We run from the world but cannot escape

Wilting our will and compounding our guilt

Is the ruin of our future that begins to take shape

We run from our world but cannot escape

But worse than pandemic or mortal decay

Is the ruin of our future that begins to take shape

Rotting by night, reeking by day

But worse than pandemic or mortal decay

Is the shameless greed that drives our deeds

Rotting by night, reeking by day

We reap what was sown by those seductive seeds

Is the shameless greed that drives our deeds

Peculiar to shortcomings of the human race?

We reap what was sown by those seductive seeds

Do we truly deserve such a low, vulgar place?

Peculiar to shortcomings of the human race?

Is this what it’s come to at last?

Do we truly deserve such a low, vulgar place?

Must we die in a penitent blast?

Is this what it’s come to at last?

Alas, we find that we don’t mind

Must we die in a penitent blast?

Our fates have long since been thus resigned

Alas, we find that we don’t mind

As prejudice fuels war like books on a fire

Our fates have long since been thus resigned

Dripping with oil, we recline on the pyre

As prejudice fuels war like books in a fire

And the splinter of winter deeper delves

Dripping with oil, we recline on the pyre

DID WE BRING THIS UPON OURSELVES?

And the splinter of winter deeper delves

As you read these words with your dying breath

DID WE BRING THIS UPON OURSELVES?

This question compels you in the shadow of Death

As you read these words with your dying breath

I hope you find these useful tips

This question compels you in the shadow of Death:

HOW DO YOU SURVIVE AN APOCALYPSE?

I hope you find these useful tips

When provisions of food and water are scant

HOW DO YOU SURVIVE AN APOCALYPSE?

The answer is tragically simply: you can't.

1 N.b. Results may will vary drastically.

Congratulations, Peter! Check back next week for the runner up!

All New Online Tutoring Experience!

Look out, Roosevelt Students!  The Writing Center is taking its unique peer tutoring experience into the boundless space of the Interwebs!

Now, you can "come in" to the Writing Center from the Schaumburg Campus Library, or even the comfort of your own home.  (Please, though, no PJs in the video chat. We like to keep things professional.)

This video will give you instructions for logging on and sharing your work with our tutors through the magic of Google hangouts.  You can still make an appointment by calling our front desk at (312)341-2206, via email at writingcenter@roosevelt.edu, or online at www.roosevelt.edu/writingcenter.

Outlining: A Necessary Evil

So you have your assignment sheet. You sit down in front of your laptop with a cup of coffee and a bag of cheetos (the lunch of champions) and begin to write. Suddenly you realize it’s three hours later, your caffeine buzz has passed, your cheetos are gone, and all you have on the page are a few scrawled, disjointed sentences. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The two most common problems I see walk into the writing center are lack of organization and simply not knowing where to start! Both of these problems can almost always be solved by outlining.

I know...ewww, right?

Most of us think of outlines as that stupid step we had to complete in third grade when we were all a bit too distracted to stay on topic. (Shiny?!) Outlining has been pushed aside as unnecessary and tedious, but I have come to realize in working with my students and peers that it is often THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP of the compositional process.

Think of it this way (which your elementary teacher may have once mentioned to you, as well):

Everything needs a base on which to build.

A house needs a foundation, otherwise it will be unstable.  

A bridge needs keystone or it will collapse.

A grilled cheese needs bread, otherwise you’ll burn your tongue licking melted cheese out of a hot pan.

AND an essay needs a frame on which to be built, which is an outline!

An outline provides organization and structure to your thoughts, and can often helped the “blocked” writer get their ideas out of their head and onto the paper. So how do you begin? Outlining is kind of a personal process, but there are a few options we can explore to help you get started.

In some cases, you may already have a thesis, or the idea you are trying to argue or prove. Start with that thought and begin compiling points to support it.  These ideas will most likely be general items which continue your investigation of the main topic. The most important thing at this point is to list different ideas you would like to explore about your main idea. For example:

Main Idea: Pasta is the best food.

Support point 1: Pasta is popular.

Support Point 2: Pasta is a staple in many cultures.

Support Point 3: Pasta is nutritional.

Do not worry if these points are “in order.” As you begin to find support, you can find a way to naturally progress through your ideas and organize them in the most logical order.

If you have no idea what your main idea/thesis will be, or if your paper is more exploratory than argumentative, just start writing down some ideas. If you have read some sources start there and write about parts that struck you, ideas you found interesting, or places you had questions about. Often just getting your ideas out on the page will help you see a common theme that will become the overarching topic of your paper. One of our tutors suggests writing important passages or points on note cards and separating them by theme into piles. If you have all your notes on one page, go through and highlight similar ideas in different colors. Don’t be afraid to try different methods of organization--there are many paths to an outline.

If you cannot wait to start writing, just start writing. Once you have these rough draft paragraphs out, take a moment and read through them.  Try to determine your main idea, and then arrange the paragraphs so that they logically flow from one idea to another, essentially creating an outline with your paragraphs. (Don’t worry about the flow too much at this point. You can always refine, add details and transitions later in the drafting process).

Once you have the framework of the paper you can begin finding support for each point you have made. Find sources or even specific quotes that back up the topic of that paragraph and the main idea of the paper as a whole. To expand upon our original outline:

Main Idea: Pasta is the best food.

Support point 1: Pasta is popular.

-Oxfam reported statistics listing pasta as the favorite food across several different countries.

(Sedghi, Amy. (22 July 2011). What’s your Favorite Food? The Guardian,

<http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jun/22/global-top-foods-list-by-country>.)

Support Point 2: Pasta is a staple in many cultures.

-Italian culture, Asian culture, even Western Culture (German Spaetzle)...

Support Point 3: Pasta is nutritional.

-Low Fat

-Carbs are part of a balanced diet according to FDA food pyramid

-Certain brands of pasta adding nutrients and fiber to recipe

**Notice that each bullet point listed supports the paragraph topic, and also helps to prove my main argument.

Now you can work to expand and refine your organized ideas into a fully formed essay!

Hopefully the task of writing your paper (or at least organizing your paper) seems a little less daunting now. Remember: Writing is a process, and organization is key to constructing a strong paper. No matter which method you choose to use, or if you find another way that works better for you, outlining, in all its forms, sets you up for success.

-Hillary E.