Organization

I look back and forth and see potential endings and title and leads. I’m looking for a trail through the material I have…
- Donald Murray

Without a clear trail, your ideas collapse or crash into each other. It is the organization that gives your writing direction and it helps the reader move through the ideas in a purposeful way.

Begin with a strong lead so you hook the reader right off the bat. Don’t settle for “Once upon a time” or “My paper is all about dogs.” Think about your lead working like a fishing lure or fly that dangles right in front of the nose of a fish until it just can’t resist and take a big, committed bite. Ahhh, gottcha!

If you take a look at your whole piece of writing,  it should carefully build to the most important moment or point you are trying to make. Toss your reader interesting details that work like stepping stones – each getting the reader closer and closer to the key idea or event.

The order of your details is really important too. Ideas shouldn’t dive-bomb the reader out of the blue; they should come together with a strong connecting line back to the main idea.

Watch out for getting bogged down in trivial details (what color the hero’s socks were, or whether she had milk on her cereal). Keep moving right along. And when you reach the end of a story or make your last point, STOP! Make that last sentence count by leaving the reader with something to think about. Good endings are tough, but don’t fall into the pit with “And I woke up and it was only a dream,” or “Now you know the three reasons why Americans should car pool.” Readers won’t feel satisfied with these ending and neither will you.

Organization

5.    Paper-Clear and Compelling Direction
I’ve chosen an order that works well and makes the reader want to find out what’s coming next.

•    My beginning gets the reader’s attention and gives clues about what is coming.
•    Every detail adds a little more to the main idea or story
•    All my details are in the right place; everything fits like a puzzle
•    I ended at a good spot and didn’t drag on too long. I left my reader with something to think about.

3.    Paper-Some Really Smooth Parts, Others Need Work
The order of my story/paper makes sense most of the time.

•    I have a beginning, but it really doesn’t grab you or give you clues about what is coming.
•    Sometimes it is not clear how the details I have used connect to the main idea or story.
•    Some of my details are in the right spot, but some should come earlier or later.
•    I’ve lingered too long in some places, and sped through others.
•    I have a conclusion, it just isn’t the way I want it yet. I may have gone on too long or just tried to sum up in a ho hum way.

1.    Paper-Not Shaped Yet
The order in my paper is jumbled and confused. I’m feeling dizzy!

•    There isn’t really a beginning or ending to my paper. It just kind of “takes off…”
•    I’m confused about how the details fit with the main idea or story.
•    My ideas seem scrambled, jumbled and disconnected. It’s confusing.
•    Conclusion? Oops, I forgot.
 

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