1. If you are going to write fiction, or an exciting or surprising paper, then Headlining is NOT the technique to use! The reader doesn't want to know how the story ends – at least not at the outset. If you reveal the ending, you've ruined the story, and the reader will be disappointed.
When someone reads a term paper, adventure story, detective story or novel, they fill in the unwritten parts. The reader tries to imagine the setting and plot; characters and places take on an appearance that suit the reader. Maybe no more than 10% is described in the book – the reader adds the rest!2. But if you have to write the other type of term paper – a nonfiction paper or report – then it is extremely important that the reader knows and understands what you mean without having to guess.Each reader will experience the book differently. Writers of fiction often say that they want their readers to get caught up in the story and to think on their own...
The Logical-Historical Model is perfect for this type of writing. It's OK to start with "Once upon a time ..."
The reader should not have to fill in what isn't there! And even the reader who doesn't know much about the topic should be able to understand what you mean!
presentation technique that apply to non-fiction.
For whom am I really writing?
This is not a stupid question! Too bad it isn't asked more often. At most schools, the target group for term papers is never described or defined. Don't accept this. Demand to know who will read what you write.
Do you think that you write for your teacher? No, not really! If this were the case and your teacher asked you to write about Napoleon, then you should respond:
- You know more about Napoleon than I do! Sincerely, MariaI doubt that your teacher would appreciate this. But whom are you writing for?
The bitter truth is that there is no target group!In my opinion, this is an unforgivable oversight. It means that students get no practice in adapting how they write or talk to their audience.
(To the teachers: Since they don't know any better, students leave school unaware that they have to adapt their presentations to their readers or listeners.
And since they don't know whom they are writing for, students can't prepare by writing down the target group's most probable questions.)
I've seen advice for writing term papers. Some authors recommend collecting all the facts or getting out a piece of paper and writing down everything you think should be included.
You are then supposed to check off the items on your list as you manage to include them in your paper, continuing until you've squeezed in everything on your list. This is preparing from your point of view – not your reader's! You are not likely to do a good job.
When you write a letter to the editor or respond to someone else's comments, your target group is not the editor or the author of the original letter. If this were true, you could have written directly to them.
Since what you write has the status of an "open" or "public" letter, your target group is much larger.
Don't start by contradicting what someone else claimed and you don't agree with. Neither should you try to destroy the other person's arguments. Very boring, except to a very limited number of readers.
You will find yourself automatically trapped in the Logical-Historical Model, starting with the background! Why dignify your opponent's claims and arguments which you think are wrong, by making them so important that they come first? Your response may also be unintelligible to all the readers who didn't see the original article.
Who decides the title?
In the world of journalism, reporters and journalists don't write their own titles and sometimes aren't even permitted to make suggestions. The title should be a summary of the summary, and although it comes first, it is written last!Editors think that it is too tempting to write a catchy title and then write an article to match the title. (This does happen in the tabloids – but we don't have anything worthwhile to learn from them!)
At school, the topics for our term papers and reports were already decided. And this was fine! But it usually meant that you had to use the subject as the title – and you weren't allowed to change the title. That was not so good!
The title of a term paper or your report shouldn't be the same as the subject or the topic – it should summarize what you've written. Let's look at some examples from the world of journalism.
Suppose that a journalist was given the assignment of writing about the Swedish Royal Family. The assignment would be the equivalent of the subject of a report.In the world of journalism, double titles or headlines are common. First a summary and then a second part that places the summary in a context.Regardless of what the journalist wrote, its unlikely that the subject would be the final title of the article: The Swedish royal family.
The title or headline would more likely be something like:
Popular and powerless the Swedish Royal Family
Some examples:
Using double headlines or titles shouldn't be limited to newspapers and magazines – it's a practice that should be developed in school reports and term papers.Teachers: $ 15 M reduction
School cuts upset Union
(Cincinnati Post, March 18, 1998)
.Racing in ruins
50 jockeys face cheating probe
(The Express on Sunday, Feb. 1, 1998)
.Church warns PM on moral muddle
Labour urged to boost status of marriage
(Sunday Times, Feb. 1, 1998)
Even research reports and scientific articles should use titles that reveal the content and conclusions. Most scientific reports are neutral and noncommittal and don't entice the reader to learn more.
When writing a report or manuscript, prepare for it according to the three steps described earlier.
How should I prepare for writing a term paper?
A girl studying business at a local high school was having all the normal problems faced in writing a term paper. She couldn't decide on a topic and couldn't think of anything interesting to write about.You may recognize yourself in this situation? The problem became acute as the end of the semester approached and she had to finish a special project in order to get her final grades.
The teacher had told the students to use an outline and format based on the Logical-Historical Model (with an introductory background and a closing summary). The paper was supposed to be at least 20 pages long, and each student was supposed to turn in an outline before writing the paper itself.
She started in the "usual way" – and then tried using the methods and techniques described in my book and in these pages. Her adviser suggested that she write about IKEA, the Swedish home-furnishing chain. As a target group she chose for business students about the same age as herself and living in the Stockholm metropolitan area.
I have to tell you now, she wrote a great term paper! The title was But it wasn't painless or effortless. Her adviser requested an outline, but instead received a list of 60 questions with an accompanying note:IKEA – the age of opportunity has not passed!
- These are the questions I think my classmates would like to have answered.When her adviser had read through the questions, the girl got them back with the comment:
Now I'll try to find the answers!
- What a wonderful way to prepare!It's interesting to note that even before she has begun writing, her adviser has concluded that it will be a good term paper. The questions did the trick. And now it's fun looking for the answers. Now that she knows what to look for...
I'm sure you'll do a great job!
You can read more about the IKEA-report here.
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