1) Read the story carefully. You should be able to recreate the narrative line, identify the essential conflict, and distinguish between major elements of plot which influence the movement of the story.

2) Select an element in the story to explore (examples: theme, point of view, time, foreshadowing, image/symbol patterns). Perhaps you may want to examine the story from a particular critical perspective or approach.

3) Read the story again, identifying and marking passages that relate to that element.

4) Write a "working thesis," making a claim about the element you have chosen to analyze. The purpose of your essay will be to support, explore, demonstrate, or illustrate the validity of the claim you have made about that element.

5) Compose topic sentences (four or five, perhaps) that support, explore, demonstrate, or illustrate your thesis. Always begin with the topic sentence (a claim); never begin a paragraph in the body of your paper with a quotation or summary sentence.

6) Select specific passages in the text of the story that help you to develop each topic sentence. These passages offer the reader evidence of your claim. Avoid quoting passages longer than a single paragraph, but rather, try to incorporate the most important phrases or brief sets of sentences into each paragraph.

7) Build your paper to a climax; save your most engaging or important topic sentence for discussion last.

8) Begin your paper with an introduction that identifies the purpose of the paper and the text you are addressing. Open the paragraph with an interest device like a quotation, startling statement, or rhetorical question that will engage the reader's reflection and interest. The title (which you may want to develop at the end of the writing process) should be provocative without being juvenile, should reflect the perspective of the paper and perhaps your point of view or attitude toward the topic.

9) Conclude your paper with a paragraph that does more than summarize your thesis and major points. You may wish to echo your opening interest device, evaluate the author's development of the motif, or identify points for further reflection.

10) Print out your paper for careful editing. Reread it for smooth transition in and out of quotations and check for adequate support of each claim or topic sentence.

11) After revising the paper, print out your essay again, proofreading it this time for elements of style and correctness. Revise it once more and print out your final copy for submission.

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This page was last modified on September 5, 2003,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey A. Grimes.