Essay Structure & Editing

©Jessica P. Morrell

"Literary nonfiction is distinguished by three basic characteristics: It is based on actual events, characters, and places; it is written with a special concern for language; and it tends to be more informal and personal than other types of nonfiction writing." Stephen Minot, Literary Nonfiction: The Fourth Genre

1. Opening paragraphs create a hook-a device that intrigues and demands that the reader keeps reading. The best openings have a sense of immediacy and tease the reader into wondering what is going to happen next.

2. Secondary paragraphs provide the context.

Introduce the writer or the writer's world from which the topic stems.
3. Return to opening image or anecdote begun in the lead, adding on with a new small scene or anecdote. Your goal is to enhance the narrative immediacy begun in the opening.

4. Weave in statistics, background information, facts, or quotes from experts.

5. Ending is written for potency, to linger in the mind of the reader. Ending can return to the opening image or uses another powerful device such as a quote, a lingering image, or sensory details. The best endings are sensory and palpable.

TIPS for editing for coherence
First draft: Write the first draft fast. The first draft doesn't need to be good, it just needs to exist to provide the basis for the second draft. Don't worry about spelling, grammar or style. Jot down your main ideas and write more than you'll actually need.

Second draft: Before you begin, put distance between you and the first draft. 24 hours is ideal, but get away from it for at least ten minutes. Analyze your work for coverage. Have you said everything that needs to be said? Have you included enough information to support your main points? Is the order logical? Are the facts accurate?

Third draft: Strip down the writing and make certain that you"ve chosen words that are clear, rich, and precise. Find a voice and use it. Check your modifiers. Are you using adjectives and adverbs when you really need specific nouns and vivid verbs? Are intensifiers and qualifiers smothering your sentences? Is there "preposition pile-up?" If you're quoting more than a sharp sentence or two, it's a good idea to break up the quote with something visual.

Fourth draft: This draft is for adding music: analogy, metaphor, alliteration, parallelism and repetition. Print this draft, then read it out loud and listen for any awkward phrases. Finally, check spelling, proper names, numbers, capitalization, hyphens, commas and other punctuation.