Outlines are visual. They are a visual representation—a picture—of what is going on inside a whole composition. In this article, we are going to discuss nine important concepts in writing. Interestingly, in writing, the use of these concepts is often not clearly...
An outline is defined in two ways: A preliminary or general indication of a plan, system, or course of thought. The line marking the outer limits of an object or figure; for example, a silhouette profile portrait depicts the outline of a person’s head and shoulders....
Do you read? If so, what do you think about paragraphs? Do the paragraphs you read in your daily reading match what you have been taught about paragraphs? Chances are, they don’t. As discussed in Before the Rules: How Paragraphs Actually Developed, writers were using...
Writers were using paragraphs long before anyone could explain how they worked. This may sound strange. How can something be widely used, yet not clearly understood? But that is exactly what happened with the paragraph. For centuries, writers broke up their writing...
What’s a paragraph? You know what one is, don’t you? If you are not sure, just look down this page, and if necessary, the next page. What do you see? Do you see chunks of text surrounded by whitespace? If so, you are seeing paragraphs. (If not, please rush to a doctor...
Introduction: The Problem and the Paradox of Digression Writing requires unity. At the same time, writers are naturally drawn to digressions. We think of something interesting, something important, something worth saying—and we want to include it. That’s the problem....
Strong writing skills begin with understanding one key idea: great writing is shaped by decisions. Strong writing is not an accident. It is the result of decisions—decisions about what to include, what to emphasize, how much space to devote to ideas, and how to guide...
Why Do Some Well-Structured Essays Still Feel Weak? Students can follow a clear structure and still produce ineffective writing. The reality is that structure alone is not sufficient. Students must understand the purpose of their writing. This is where the four main...
Want Students to Write Clear Essays—Fast? Most students struggle with writing for one simple reason: They don’t understand structure. Give them the right structure, however, and everything changes—quickly. That’s where the Tell Them Model comes in. It’s simple,...
Why Students Struggle With Essays (and How to Fix It) Most students don’t struggle with writing because they lack ideas—they struggle because they lack structure. If your students’ writing feels unfocused, repetitive, or unclear, the problem may not be effort—it may...
Beginning, Middle, and Ending (BME) is one of the most essential concepts in writing—and it has been for over two thousand years. “A whole is that which has a beginning, a middle, and an end.” — Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC) This is not just a writing principle. It is a...
Why is the term Unity Statements ™ so valuable in teaching writing? Well, students will not understand topic sentences, thesis statements, or even organization in writing until they understand Unity Statements ™. To understand Unity Statements ™, students need to...
Unity may be the most crucial concept in writing. Unity directly relates to this question: What’s your point? We must ask that question at multiple levels of thinking: What’s your point in that sentence? What’s your point in that paragraph? What’s your point in that...
Have you heard of the Six Traits of Writing? The truth of teaching writing is that it’s not as simple as just six traits. Although the Six Traits of Writing is a practical and effective assessment and evaluation tool, it falls short as an instructional tool. Put...
Teach students to stop worrying and instead harness the power of reflective thinking and unconscious processing to come up with great and powerful ideas for writing, decision making, problem solving, achieving goals, and creating a great life. Have you ever told...
