SERIAL QUESTIONING
Once a writer has a reasonable idea of his or topic, then the next step is typically to try to understand that topic better. One method of gaining better understanding is to ask questions about the topic and then to find answers to those questions.
Overview:
One of the difficult things about writing for others is trying to understand what those others need to know. As a consequence, many writers find themselves developing tricks to get outside of their own perspective. Serial questioning, or asking a series of questions about the topic at each stage of the drafting process, can sometimes help writers to shake loose new ideas.
Sometimes, the questions are set—for example, journalists used to be encouraged to look for the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a story. Sometimes, the questions need to vary from topic to topic. However, the important thing is that the writer develops the habit of stepping back from a draft and evaluating what is missing from the work as it is presented.
Application:
For college writers, serial questioning can be an effective means of content generation. When writing a paper to a minimum word count (or page length), student writers frequently struggle to add content. However, serial questioning can give students ideas about new information to add or new places to look for ideas.
If you are fortunate enough to have someone around (a classmate, a roommate, or a family member), you might want to ask your companion for questions about the topic—“what do you still want or need to know after reading my paper?” Remember that most of the people who are going to be working with you are going to be inclined to be gentle with your paper and with your feelings, so use outside questions as a place to get started, not as an excuse to believe that you have now thought of everything.
What to Avoid:
Don’t assume that all questions are created equal, and don’t leave the answers to questions unchanged when incorporating them into the text of the essay. Serial questioning generates ideas, but the writer still has to make the effort to integrate these ideas into the whole.
Avoid thinking of questions as something bad. Curiosity is a powerful force, and curiosity about an academic subject almost always provides the opportunity to learn something (see writing to learn).
Once a writer has a reasonable idea of his or topic, then the next step is typically to try to understand that topic better. One method of gaining better understanding is to ask questions about the topic and then to find answers to those questions.
Overview:
One of the difficult things about writing for others is trying to understand what those others need to know. As a consequence, many writers find themselves developing tricks to get outside of their own perspective. Serial questioning, or asking a series of questions about the topic at each stage of the drafting process, can sometimes help writers to shake loose new ideas.
Sometimes, the questions are set—for example, journalists used to be encouraged to look for the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a story. Sometimes, the questions need to vary from topic to topic. However, the important thing is that the writer develops the habit of stepping back from a draft and evaluating what is missing from the work as it is presented.
Application:
For college writers, serial questioning can be an effective means of content generation. When writing a paper to a minimum word count (or page length), student writers frequently struggle to add content. However, serial questioning can give students ideas about new information to add or new places to look for ideas.
If you are fortunate enough to have someone around (a classmate, a roommate, or a family member), you might want to ask your companion for questions about the topic—“what do you still want or need to know after reading my paper?” Remember that most of the people who are going to be working with you are going to be inclined to be gentle with your paper and with your feelings, so use outside questions as a place to get started, not as an excuse to believe that you have now thought of everything.
What to Avoid:
Don’t assume that all questions are created equal, and don’t leave the answers to questions unchanged when incorporating them into the text of the essay. Serial questioning generates ideas, but the writer still has to make the effort to integrate these ideas into the whole.
Avoid thinking of questions as something bad. Curiosity is a powerful force, and curiosity about an academic subject almost always provides the opportunity to learn something (see writing to learn).
