Activity

Chopping up your draft

The technique* - Ordering your paragraphs**

Step 1

Go through your essay (or if your essay is longer than 2000 words then take a section at a time) and press RETURN at the end of each 'point' you have made so each point can be seen as a separate entity
By point, we mean each idea, so this includes your supporting evidence and interpretation. Press return when you move on to a new idea
This will take some time and you will need to make decisions - don't worry about this, as you can always change your mind later

Step 2

Print out your essay/section on single sides of A4 and cut it up so that each point is on a separate little piece of paper

Step 3

Colour code each point with highlighters or coloured pens***
- GREEN if this point is important
- BLUE if this point is subsidiary to one of your green points - in any way
- RED if this point is interesting, but you are not sure where it goes
Take time over this stage too - thinking time is highly under-rated!

Step 4

Try to order the GREEN points into a logical order to create an outline of your argument
Take a note of any repetition, or missing points -
- have you got too many?
- would you like to demote any to another colour?
- or promote any of your other points to red?
If possible, explain your reasoning behind the choices you have made to a willing 'critical friend'

Step 5

Then do the same for your other points - try to slot them in under the green points and see what's missing / repeated / or unnecessary
Again, if possible, explain your reasoning behind the choices you have made to a willing 'critical friend'

Key points
KEY POINTS
Your reader can follow your argument more easily if it is chunked up into sections that gradually build on each other to reach your final goal - your conclusion. Each section could be headed in GREEN Within each section, you will need to include supporting detail, how you will build up to your green point.these are the BLUE points RED points may be interesting, but not relevant! Save them for another day

*Adapted from a workshop designed by Professor Nick Adams (Philosophy, Theology and Religion)

**This can easily work just as well if you haven't yet written a first draft, and just have a set of notes! Please see the previous unit for more ideas on ordering your points

***Feel free to choose your own colour code!

Moving on

Step 2