Posts Tagged ‘transition from high school

03
Apr
11

The Five-paragraph Fix: Why it’s needed.

By shawnpatrickdoyle 2 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: ,

A few days ago, my site stats showed that someone found my blog by searching for “how to write a non five paragraph essay.” Yesterday, someone came here after searching for “why is the five paragraph essay bad?” These searches evoked feelings of both satisfaction and guilt.  I was happy to see the gremlins who run such search engines would send those types of questions my way: those questions are why this blog exists. My guilt came from the fact that I’ve not yet covered this topic. However, given the fact that I did the same Google search and found it didn’t yield many successful results, I suppose it’s time to get on with it. So Anonymous Googlers, this one is for you.

Welcome to the first post in a series that I’m calling the “Five-Paragraph Fix.” To kick things off, let’s answer the second Googler’s question first. Why do we need a five-paragraph fix? Continue reading ‘The Five-paragraph Fix: Why it’s needed.’

Good Writer, Bad Writer

Good writer, bad writer reflects the philosophy behind the first writing lesson I attempt to teach students. Too many of them come into college believing that their writing abilities are set in stone. The bad writers continue to struggle, and the good writers don't take enough risks in their writing, figuring that any misstep will throw them back into the "bad writer" category.

Good writer, bad writer is my attempt to break the power of that dichotomy. On here, I share the lessons and attitudes that I teach, but I also talk about the attitudes I have towards my own writing since many of those have informed my own teaching. Thanks for visiting.