In Thank You for Arguing, Jay Heinrichs explains the steps to writing an essay. The main strategies that are useful are tactical flaw, theme twist, epiphany, and narrative arc.
The tactical flaw, is often utilized by comedians. The tactical flaw is when the author makes a connection with the reader by showing an imperfection of their own. By degrading themselves, the author does not seem as perfect to the audience and the audience can see the similarities. When the audience relates to the author it makes them want to listen and are more interested in what is being said.
The next strategy mentioned is theme twist. This is when the author talks about something that could be considered common knowledge but adding something unexpected to it. Jay Heinrichs exemplifies this with "Gratitude is good for you, but my wife uses it to manipulate me." It is public knowledge that "Gratitude is good" but he adds in that his wife uses it for manipulation and that part is the twist. You could think of this as a plot twist but instead of the story taking a change, it is the idea the author is trying to get across.
The third strategy introduced is epiphany. When utilizing this strategy, the author shows the moment of them making the discovery, so the readers can make the discovery with the author. This can make the reader more invested in the story because they made the discovery too instead of just finding out the outcome right away.
The last strategy brought up is narrative arc. This is more of an a storytelling approach. The protagonist leaves their comfort zone, getting obstacles, on a quest and finally accomplishing the task. This is a common outline for stories especially fiction books.
Even though all of these strategies are very different, they all are very useful ways for the author to get the point across and persuade the audience to listen and understand their points. Next time you read a book or an article try to notice what strategy that other is using.
The techniques you presented in this post are so important in writing, and Jay Heinrichs does a fantastic job of explaining them as well. He also explains other topics aside from this that are so helpful! I am glad we read his book this semester; it has helped me become a better writer!
ReplyDeleteThank You For Arguing has been such an informational book to read over this semester. It teaches us about important skills such as rhetoric, and as u mentioned, writing an essay.
ReplyDeleteThese are some really useful tips. The third strategy has been used to captivate audiences of mystery novels for a long time. It makes you feel as though you're going through the experience with the author. Connecting to the author on a personal level is critical to the success of an essay.
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