Five Elements of Writing

Jennifer Margulis’ ideas on the five most important elements of a written work has stuck with me for several days (ah heck, I guess it’s weeks at this point). Last term in Composition, Dr. Battistella discussed the importance of having a clear character (not just in the fictional sense) and ensuring that the character appears first in each thought, sentence or idea. Well Jennifer’s thoughts on those five elements just expanded this idea for me.

I won’t lie; it was hard for me to imagine my topic as a character. I think of characters as fictional beings, a product of my imagination. But I realize in a research paper the character is my topic. So when Jennifer suggested that the character should: 1) be strong, 2) be at the center of some tension and 3) grow, I gained a little more perspective how to utilize my character to full effect.

Why shouldn’t I think of my topic as a character? A topic isn’t flat and stagnate, unless I let it be, so why shouldn’t there be tension and growth? Now I just have to figure out how to apply this in my writing…wish me luck!

About Ed Battistella

Edwin Battistella’s latest book Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels was released by Oxford University Press in March of 2020.
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