“Becoming” by Michelle Obama from Chapter 5

A prospectus allows a writer to decide what her/his/their paper will look like—the writer can try out ideas, think about the ideas, and plan the writing – it should allow the writer to ponder how to support the stance and consider what others’ objections to it may be. And these guidelines and suggestions should allow you to write a prospectus for your research essay:

1. In a sentence or two, state your thesis, and write the opening paragraph (or the first page) of your research essay.

2. Write a scratch outline. List three to five reasons you will give readers to persuade them that your stance is best. Your reasons may come from Becoming, other sources, in-class writing, or personal experience.

3. Identify three important sources that support your argument. For each one, explain its importance in two or three sentences.

4. List at least one objection or reservation you would expect from readers who do not agree with your stance on this issue.

5. Identify a source that challenges your position. In one or two sentences, explain how you will argue against it convincingly.

6. Try to support your argument. Select one of the reasons you listed in item two and write a page or so supporting it with facts, examples, statistics, anecdotes, or personal experiences. Write quickly. Announce your stance in the first few sentences, and then go directly to your support for it. Your purpose should be, simply, to try and articulate at least some part of your essay before you write the first draft. ou may adopt another strategy for beginning the f’ h essay

7. You can— if you prefer—begin by writing your introduction.

8. You may generate a page of freewriting, clustering, or brainstorming.

9. You may write an outline.

10. You may draw a connection (e.g., self to text, text to text, or text to world).

11. You may just begin writing, using a talking point (or a key idea) as your source of inspiration.

12. You may think about (and discuss) how to make a substantial or deep change in 1 or Essay 2 to create your research essay.