“The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words.”      ~Chuang-tzu

 

The five-paragraphy essay is a formula.  It does not lend itself to creative thinking.  It asks the writer to contrive thoughts on a given topic into an artificial container.  It has no real purpose after 8th grade.  So what is the purpose of writing?  I recently asked a few students “For whom are you writing that paper?”.  They answer… “Mr or Mrs ___________.”

Well THAT is the problem.  Don’t write it for HIM or for HER… write it for an interested reader!   Write like you know more than the person reading your essay.  Find out something interesting that no one else knows about your topic; become the expert.  Then tell it with excitement!  Your audience is not Mr ______; it is the world.

So… write like you mean it!  ~Carol