Ideas & Details A Guide to College Writing

by Bauman, M. Garrett

• ISBN13: 9781413018462
• ISBN10: 1413018467
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-13
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Taking a no-frills approach to composition, IDEAS & DETAILS offers a strong focus on student writing with detailed writing strategies that empower student-writers with options instead of prescriptions. In this brief writing guide, students will discover over 40 sample student writings, a balance of short and long assignments, over 100 brain teasers that provide students with invention strategies to stimulate creativity, and integrated coverage of visual rhetoric with 50 new photographs and works of art.

Table of Contents

Steps in Writing a Paper
Correction Symbols Your Professor May Write on Your Papers	ii
Preface	xxi
1 The Honest Writer	1	(18)
A Professional Attitude	3	(2)
The Struggle Against Silence	5	(1)
What Do You Know?	6	(3)
Putting Pictures on Trial	9	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Honesty and Creativity	11	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	11	(2)
Create Your Personal Blog	12	(1)
Student Essay: "Chicken at Wegman's," Jennifer M. Horton	13	(3)
Discussion/Writing	16	(1)
Student Personal Ads: "Personal Ads"	16	(3)
Discussion/Writing	17	(2)
2 The Two-Part Secret of Good Writing: Ideas and Details	19	(24)
Ideas	19	(1)
Details	20	(3)
What Makes a Good Idea	23	(2)
What Makes a Good Detail	25	(2)
The Difference Between a Topic and an Idea	27	(1)
Should You Start with Ideas or Details?	28	(1)
The Three-to-One Ratio	29	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	30	(3)
How to Read a Visual Composition for Ideas and Details	30	(1)
Commentary	31	(2)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	33	(4)
Student Essay: "Nosy People," Melissa Waheibi	37	(2)
Commentary	38	(1)
Student Essay: "What Disney Movies Really Teach Children," Amy Seager	39	(2)
Discussion/Writing	41	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Combine Ideas and Details	41	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	42	(1)
3 Getting Ideas: Brain Teasers to Help you Write on Almost Anything	43	(40)
Improving Your Ideas 45 Ten Brain Teasers	47	(16)
1. Use Your Senses	47	(1)
2. See the Topic from Alternative Viewpoints	48	(3)
3. Attack Stereotypes, Unquestioned Ideas, and Slogans	51	(3)
4. Classify Your Topic	54	(2)
5. Compare and Contrast Your Topic	56	(1)
6. Create Metaphors	57	(2)
7. List Examples	59	(1)
8. Make a Bug List	60	(1)
9. Use Humor and Fantasy	61	(1)
10. Anticipate Your Audience	62	(1)
Sample Brain Teasers	63	(3)
Commentary	64	(2)
Roadblocks to Good Ideas and Details	66	(1)
Fear of Risk	66	(1)
Insecurity About Your Ability to Think	66	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	67	(3)
Commentary	67	(3)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Brain Teasing	70	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	70	(3)
Student Essay: "Spring Break: Mazatlan, Mexico," Tinamarie Ciccarone	73	(4)
"Sense Brain Teaser for Spring Break: Mazatlan. Mexico"	76	(1)
Commentary	76	(1)
Student Essay: "Myths About Wicca," Bianca Guevara	77	(3)
Discussion/Writing	79	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Demonstrate Brain Teasers	80	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	81	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Brain Teasers	82	(1)
4 Paragraphs: Ideas and Details in Miniature	83	(10)
Three Ways to Build Paragraphs	84	(3)
Transitions	87	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	88	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Reading on Paragraphing and Topic Sentences	89	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	89	(1)
Student Paragraph: "Being Ghetto," Shawn'ta Brown	90	(1)
Discussion/Writing	90	(1)
Paragraph Peer Review Checklist	91	(2)
5 Order from Chaos: Thesis and Outline	93	(16)
A Working Thesis	94	(3)
Sample: Creating a Working Thesis	95	(2)
Visual Rhetoric	97	(1)
Looping	98	(1)
Outlines	99	(1)
The Scratch Outline	100	(5)
Use Brain Teasers with Built-in Outlines	101	(1)
Use Bullets to Outline Your Brain Teasers or Freewriting	102	(1)
Use Clustering, a Visual Diagram	103	(2)
Sample Draft from Outline: "The Fine Art of Dying"	105	(1)
Commentary	105	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Reading on Outlines	106	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	106	(2)
Peer Review Checklist for Thesis/Outlines	108	(1)
6 The Draft: That Frenzy Near Madness	109	(14)
The Concrete Introduction	109	(3)
Warm-ups Are for Leftovers	109	(3)
Visual Rhetoric	112	(1)
What to Focus on While Writing the Draft	113	(3)
What NOT to Focus on in the Draft	114	(1)
When You Get Stuck	115	(1)
Blocks During Drafting	116	(1)
Fear of Messiness	116	(1)
Poor Work Environment	117	(1)
Nail Your Conclusion	117	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Reading on Writing a First Draft	118	(1)
Student Essay Introduction: "Tougher Punishment for Sex Offenders," Pamela Fleming	118	(1)
Commentary	119	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	119	(2)
Peer Review Checklist for Introductions	121	(2)
7 Revising Drafts: Writing is Revising	123	(18)
Revision Myths and Realities	124	(1)
Revising on Your Own	125	(1)
1. Revise Ideas	125	(1)
Honesty, Freshness, Coherence	125	(1)
2. Revise Details	126	(1)
Visualize and Support	126	(1)
3. Revise Organization	127	(1)
Make It Easy on the Reader	127	(1)
4. Revise Word Use	127	(1)
Waxed Words Sparkle	127	(1)
5. Revise Mechanics	128	(1)
Revising with Others: Peer Editing and Teacher Conferences	128	(2)
How to Give Peer Criticism	129	(1)
How to Receive Peer Criticism	129	(1)
A Sample Revision	130	(2)
Teacher Comments	132	(1)
The Final Draft	132	(2)
Revising on a Computer	133	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	134	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Reading on How a Professional Writer Revises	135	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	135	(1)
Student Essay and Analysis: "Bastard," Miguel Martinez	136	(3)
Peer Review Checklist for Revision	139	(2)
8 Writing with Style	141	(20)
Honesty	141	(4)
Vocabulary	141	(1)
Accuracy	142	(1)
Euphemisms and Crude Language	143	(1)
Clichés	144	(1)
Sexist Language	145	(1)
Vividness	145	(5)
Concreteness	145	(2)
Verbs	147	(1)
Adjectives and Adverbs	147	(1)
Metaphors	148	(2)
Stylish Sentence Structure	150	(1)
Variety	150	(1)
Parallel Structure	150	(1)
Conciseness	151	(1)
Using a Computer to Revise Words	152	(1)
Playing with Language	153	(1)
Commentary	153	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	153	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Reading on Style	154	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	154	(3)
Three Ways to Revise Style	155	(1)
A Cyber Game for Style	156	(1)
Sample Revision for Style	156	(1)
Revised Student Essay and Analysis: "Good Intentions," Mary Updaw	157	(2)
Commentary	157	(1)
Final Draft	158	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Style	159	(2)
9 Description: Making Your Audience See	161	(22)
A Writer's Eye: Six Ways to Visualize Ideas	163	(6)
Re-experience: Don't Think in Words	163	(2)
Use Brain Teasers to Train Your Eye	165	(1)
Use the Iceberg Principle	166	(2)
Try Other Eye-Training Tricks	168	(1)
Revising for Vivid Description	169	(2)
The Sense Test	169	(1)
The Specificity Test	169	(1)
The Freshness Test	170	(1)
The Theme Test	171	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	171	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Description	172	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	173	(1)
Student Essay and Analysis: "The Model," Nell Kuitems	174	(3)
Commentary Based on Peer Review Sheet	176	(1)
Sample Student Descriptive Essay for Analysis: "Simple Life," Debbie Geen	177	(3)
Discussion/Writing	179	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Use Description	180	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	180	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Description	181	(2)
10 Narration: Telling Your Audience a Story	183	(26)
Conflict	184	(2)
Complication	186	(2)
How to Ruin a Story	188	(2)
Describing People	190	(2)
Student Essay: "The Red Heart," Lisa Neal	192	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	193	(1)
Dialogue	194	(2)
Ending a Story	196	(1)
How to Say Something Worth Saying	197	(1)
Commentary	198	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	198	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Narration	199	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	200	(1)
Sample Student Narrative Essay: "Live Abortion," Beatriz Valle	201	(2)
Commentary	203	(1)
Student Essay: "Holy Hell," Sherri White	203	(3)
Discussion/Writing	206	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Use Narration	206	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	207	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Narration	208	(1)
11 Informative Writing: Telling Your Audience What It Doesn't Know	209	(28)
Audience and Tone	209	(3)
Packing in Details	212	(1)
Surprise Value	213	(2)
Poor Informative Topics	215	(1)
Good Topics	215	(1)
Organizing Informative Writing	216	(5)
The Process or "How-To"	216	(1)
The Essentials or "What-Is"	217	(1)
Causes or "Why"	218	(1)
Effects or "What's Next?"	219	(1)
Comparison or Contrast	220	(1)
Classification	221	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	221	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Presenting Facts and Interviewing	222	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	222	(4)
Sample Student Informative Essay Using a Process Pattern: "Helping the Dead." Elizabeth Biroscak	226	(3)
Commentary	228	(1)
Sample Student Informative Essay Using an Effects Pattern: "Going to the Chair," Michele Myers	229	(4)
Discussion	232	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Convey Information	233	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	234	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Information	235	(2)
12 Persuasive Writing: Seeking Agreement from an Audience	237	(36)
Audience and Tone	237	(3)
Persuasive Topics	240	(1)
Raising Problems that Matter	241	(1)
Supporting Evidence	242	(11)
Facts	242	(3)
Appeals to the Reader's Values	245	(3)
Logic	248	(3)
An Example of Support and Logic	251	(2)
Structuring the Persuasive Essay	253	(3)
Quick Guide to Creating Persuasive Writing	256	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	257	(3)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Persuasion	260	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	261	(2)
Sample Student Persuasive Letter: "Letter to Ms. Iannuzi," Amy Meritt	263	(3)
Commentary	265	(1)
Sample Persuasive Essay: "Homosexuals Adopting Children," Kerry Burton	266	(2)
Discussion	268	(1)
Sample Persuasive Paragraph: "Battling Obesity with Cocaine," Christopher J. Nesbitt	268	(1)
Discussion/Writing	268	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Persuade	269	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	270	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Persuasion	271	(2)
13 The Literary Essay and Review	273	(36)
How Much Can You See?	274	(1)
Brain Teasers for Literature	275	(3)
Brain Teasers for Explication	278	(5)
Why don't Authors Just Say What Their Theme is?	279	(4)
Organizing Literary Essays	283	(1)
Drafting Literary Essays	284	(1)
Revising Literary Essays	285	(1)
The Review	286	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	287	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	288	(1)
Poems for Explication and Discussion	289	(3)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Poems and Fiction for Discussion	292	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	293	(1)
Sample Student Literary Essay: "Structure and Feeling in 'Childhood Is the Kingdom Where Nobody Dies'," Carrie Gaynor	294	(4)
Commentary Based on Peer Review Sheet	297	(1)
Poem and Sample Student Literary Essay: "Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God," John Donne, and "Three-Personed God," Nancy L. Galleher	298	(3)
Discussion	301	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings that Interpret Literary Work	301	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	302	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Literary Essays	302	(1)
Sample Student Critical Review Using Sources: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Devra Whitaker	303	(4)
Discussion/Writing	306	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Reviews	307	(2)
14 Research: Written with Christopher Otero-Piersante	309	(48)
Why Should I Write a Research Paper?	310	(1)
Great Research Topics	310	(1)
Create Your Key Research Questions	311	(1)
Visual Rhetoric	311	(6)
Library Resources	312	(1)
Librarians	312	(1)
The Reference Section	312	(1)
Books	313	(1)
Articles	314	(1)
Computer Indexes and Databases for Articles	315	(2)
Tips for Using Computer Indexes and Databases	317	(1)
World Wide Web	317	(2)
Reliable and Unreliable Websites	317	(1)
Searching the Web	318	(1)
E-mails to Experts, Newsgroups. and Blogs	319	(2)
Experts	319	(1)
Newsgroups	320	(1)
Blogs	320	(1)
Tips for Electronic Communication	320	(1)
Overlooked Sources	321	(1)
Your Community	321	(1)
Smart Friends	321	(1)
Tips for Personal Interviews	321	(1)
Note-taking Strategies	322	(1)
Organizing Research Papers	323	(2)
Writing Research Papers	325	(2)
Research Ethics	325	(1)
Avoiding Plagiarism	326	(1)
Citing Sources: MLA Style	327	(5)
Tag Lines	327	(1)
Paraphrase or Quotation of Sources	328	(1)
Commentary	328	(1)
Handling and Interpreting Statistics	329	(2)
Parenthetical Citations: MLA Style	331	(1)
A Quick Guide to MLA Works Cited	332	(5)
Sample MLA Works Cited List	332	(1)
Additional MLA Works Cited Formats	333	(2)
Electronic Sources	335	(2)
Missing Works Cited Information	337	(1)
Citing Sources: APA Style	337	(2)
Parenthetical Citations: APA Style	337	(2)
A Quick Guide to the APA Reference List	339	(4)
Sample APA Reference List	339	(1)
Additional APA Reference List Formats	340	(1)
Electronic Sources	341	(2)
Missing Reference List Information	343	(1)
Revising Research Writing	343	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Research	344	(1)
Writing Suggestions and Class Discussions	344	(2)
Write a Career Research Paper	345	(1)
Student Essay Using MLA Documentation: "Pigs as Pets," Annette McFarland	346	(4)
Commentary	349	(1)
Sample Student Informative Research Paper Using APA
Documentation: "Quakers: America's First Feminists," Carol Nobles	350	(4)
Discussion	354	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Professional Readings that Use Research	354	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition Discussion/Writing	355	(1)
Peer Review Checklist for Research	355	(2)
15 A Collection of Student Writings	357	(64)
Journals and Blogs	357	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Journal Writing	358	(4)
"Journal," Richard L. Shields	359	(1)
"Journal," Tina Thompson	360	(2)
Discussion	362	(1)
Narrative/Descriptive Essays	363	(16)
"Pa's Secret," Carol Nobles	363	(3)
"Bastard," Miguel Martinez (Revised: Original in Chapter 7)	366	(3)
"Midnight Diner," Michael Y. Rodgers	369	(3)
"Daddy Dearest," Christina Kennison	372	(2)
"A Night in the Life of a Bartender," Adam Stevens	374	(3)
'Autumn Escape," Brandon Littleton	377	(2)
Informative Essays	379	(10)
Contrast Essay: "Food for Thought," Yeou-jih Yang	379	(3)
Process Essay: "The Autopsy," Gregory E Matula	382	(4)
Classification Essay: "Marijuana Smokers," Jacqueline M. Mathis	386	(3)
Career Research Paper: Using the Interview and MLA-Style Documentation: "Career in Imagination," Rob Banwar	389	(3)
Discussion	392	(1)
The Professional Persuasive Letter	392	(9)
Professional E-mail	393	(1)
E-mail or Snail Mail?	393	(1)
"Letter to Brad A. Walker," Craig Lammes	394	(2)
"Letter to Shin Bonaldi," Tina Maenza	396	(2)
"Letter to John Goodman," Willie F. Nelson	398	(1)
Personal Persuasive Letter: "Dear Greg," Britni Bellwood	399	(2)
The Persuasive Essay: 'A Voice Against Needle Exchange," Raymond Santiago	401	(7)
Essay Presenting Both Sides of a Controversy: "Sterilization for Sale," Lauren Weaver	405	(2)
Discussion/Writing	407	(1)
Researched Persuasive Essay Using MLA-Style Documentation: "Genetically Modified Food," Caroline Ward	408	(8)
Literary Research Paper Using Comparison and MLA Documentation: "Responsibility and the Odyssey," John Barzelay	416	(5)
16 Handbook of English	421	(30)
Myths About the English Language	421	(1)
Myths About English Usage	422	(1)
Punctuation	423	(10)
Comma	423	(6)
Semicolon	429	(1)
Colon	430	(1)
Other Punctuation	430	(1)
Quotation Marks	431	(1)
Apostrophe	432	(1)
Capitalization	433	(3)
Sentence Structure	436	(3)
Sentence Fragment	436	(1)
Run-On Sentence (Comma Splice)	437	(1)
Misplaced Modifiers	438	(1)
Agreement	439	(1)
Tense	439	(1)
Subject–Verb Agreement	439	(1)
Noun–Pronoun Agreement	440	(1)
Spelling	440	(1)
Numbers	440	(1)
Weird Words	441	(2)
Weird Singulars and Plurals	441	(1)
Irregular Verbs	441	(2)
Odd Pairs	443	(1)
Mechanics	444	(1)
Format for College Papers	444	(1)
Dictionary of Usage	445	(5)
The 25 Most Commonly Misused Words in English	445	(5)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on Punctuation, Usage, and Grammar	450	(1)
17 Nineteen Million Sources: InfoTrac® College Edition Access	451	(10)
How to Use InfoTrac® College Edition	452	(1)
InfoTrac® College Edition: Readings on How to Write a Résumé and 21 Other Forms of Writing	453	(2)
InfoTrac® College Edition Research Projects and Assignments	455	(6)
Personal Research Projects	455	(1)
Bibliography Project	456	(1)
Debate Project	457	(1)
Informative/Persuasive Projects	458	(3)
Appendix The Real Rules for Writing Classes (and Maybe Life)	461	(2)
Index	463	(6)
Photo Credits	469
Troubleshooting Guide to Writing