Answer the questions below as fully as you can about your chosen topic for the “Adding to a Conversation” essay. Be as reflective and detailed as possible. Remember you are trying, in a sense, to convince me as your potential “editor” both that your topic is worthy of your and others’ time, and that you’ve sufficiently researched what others have said to be prepared to contribute to the conversation.

  1. Why am I invested in this topic? Why do I care? How does it matter to me?
  2. Summarize the nature of the conversation about your topic in 2-3 paragraphs. Be sure to include the variety of positions people hold about your topic—i.e. don’t reduce it to a pro/con or argument or either/or topic—the groups which hold these different positions, and the reasons these different groups might take the positions they do.
  3. What is your purpose in “adding to this conversation”? What do you want to communicate with your paper? (e.g., inform, persuade, argue, shoot down another position, propose a solution, etc.)
  4. Who do you want to address your paper to? Why this group given your purpose and your reading of the conversation?
  5. What do you think this audience needs to know or consider that they don’t already know?
  6. What kind of reaction do you want to get from your readers? What do you hope they’ll do as a result of reading? (e.g. take a specific action, change their opinions, get angry, etc.)
  7. What kinds of written sources will you need to help you accomplish your purpose?
  8. What kinds of written sources will be most convincing or needed by your audience? Why?
  9. What other kinds of information can you draw off of in this paper (personal experience, surveys, etc.)?
  10. If you could imagine publishing this paper in a public venue, where would you like it to appear?
  11. What questions do you have about writing this paper? What do you think will be most difficult about what you plan to do?