Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #441 - How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Three

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #441 - How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Three

Hi Mom, Still in catch up mode. Here's the most recent entry in the persuasive essays series.

Here's the links to the previous parts:

How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part One

How to Write a Persuasive Essay Part Two

Not as much new content this time, Mom. But I do wish we were back together working on those essays of yours.

ANALYSIS

The analysis stage of the writing process consists of all the necessary planning and brainstorming.

Many writers prefer to record some thoughts on paper before constructing an outline, thesis, and topic sentences.

Others will never use any outline method, preferring to work directly with paper text as they compose.

Whatever process you prefer putting some thought into analysis of problem, solution, audience, and ultimately the content of the paper (topics to investigate) will help with the completion of the finished product. To be successfully convincing on any topic, one must perform at least some rudimentary analysis.

Let's say I want to write a paper about the problem of gasoline and future oil shortages. Thinking this issue makes me think about miles per gallon and fuel efficient vehicles. As I think about these issues, I notice many people driving big trucks, SUVs, Urban Assault Vehicles (Hummers), and they do not seem like they need these big vehicles: "it's just me and the missus."

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SOLUTION: the government should impose a licensing system for truck ownership. Potential owners would have to demonstrate a need for a large vehicle by providing documentation. "Large" vehicle would be defined by its Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating. Vehicles under a certain MPG (for instance, 20 MPG) could only be purchased if the potential owner has first obtained a license. Though these licenses may prove as easy to obtain as a handicap parking permit, the process would be enough of a hassle to deter enough people to at least make some dent in the wasting of fuel through use of gas guzzling behemoths.

Controversial? Heck, yeah. The best persuasive topics will be very controversial and require some powerful writing to persuade those in opposition that the proposed solution makes sense.

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WHO IS MY AUDIENCE? Your audience is PEOPLE WITH THE POWER to put your solution in action and/or people who need convincing to act on your solution or whom your solution will affect.

In this case that audience consists of

·         Government - people with the power to create the law

·         Truck owners

Those already driving fuel efficient vehicles do not need convincing.

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Identifying the audience is important to brainstorm objections. By brainstorming objections, one can devise ways to REFUTE these objections, how to beat them and win the argument.

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ARGUE HOW YOU ARGUE

It's really not necessary to teach persuasive strategies because you probably already know what they are and how to use them unless you have never been in argument.

If you have ever tried to convince someone of something, then you know how to use persuasive techniques to win over the other person.

For example, my wife hates eating at the Chinese buffet, which she calls "the trough." I like eating there sometime. To ever hope to convince her to go eat at "the trough," I need to anticipate her objections and refute them. She will say that the food made her sick last time. I will counter that the food quality has improved since the last time she was there. She will argue that she does not like seeing the people who frequent such places and that they depress her. I will counter that if we go between the lunch and dinner rush, we will avoid the vast majority of "the herd" that belly up to "the trough."

However, knowing my wife as I do, I am unlikely to convince her with either of these arguments. To truly win out, I have to play the guilt bomb. I have to employ emotional manipulation to persuade her. So, I trot out sympathy ("I don't feel well and Chinese food is comfort food for me"), I use urgency ("the food is ready now; we don't have to wait"), and I use guilt ("this will make me happy, and don't you want me to be happy?").

Just like in your life, the same techniques apply to persuading an audience on a topic in an academic paper.

AN EXAMPLE WITH GUNS

SUBJECT: gun control or no gun control

CHOICE OF SIDE: pro-gun ownership

SUBJECT FOCUSED: change the concealed weapons permit law

PROBLEM: Rampant crime; innocent people killed in shootings

SOLUTION: Change to concealed weapons permit law: fewer restrictions on CONCEALED WEAPON permits.

AUDIENCE: WHOM TO CONVINCE - people who want gun control & lawmakers

ANTI-GUN CONTROL PAPER - TWO TOPICS TO INVESTIGATE For such a paper, I know before I even begin, before I even formulate a thesis a couple of the topics that will surely be part of my content, such as

1.    Constitutional right to own guns

2.    Who commits gun crime?

By performing this basic analysis shown above, I have a clear direction to begin my research, form my thesis, write content, and begin to consider structure and development of ideas.

More details will be provided about this topic and others on the SUPPORT page.

 ☀  Chris Tower  ☀  The Galactic Monkey Wrench ☀  Kalamazoo, Michigan   49006 ☀  Contact me here with questions or comments.

^© All text and some of the images are the exclusive copyright of christopher tower (who purposefully avoids capitalizing his name), also known as the galactic monkey wrench, located at the Eldorado Ranch and batcave in the heart of the Great Lakes. All rights reserved. All paronomasia intentional.

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Reflect and connect.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.

I miss you so very much, Mom.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = 443 days ago

- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1609.20 - 10:10

NOTE on time: When I post late, I had been posting at 7:10 a.m. because Google is on Pacific Time, and so this is really 10:10 EDT. However, it still shows up on the blog in Pacific time. So, I am going to start posting at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time, intending this to be 10:10 Eastern time. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. But I am not going back and changing all the 7:10 a.m. times. But I will run this note for a while. Mom, you know that I am posting at 10:10 a.m. often because this is the time of your death.