Key Idea: Planning turns your annotations into an essay shape: a thesis and 3–4 paragraphs. About five minutes of planning makes the writing faster and more focused, and it helps Criterion C.
From annotations to a thesis and plan
- Thesis — One sentence answering your focus. The whole essay proves it.
- Cluster — Group your margin notes by effect or idea into 3–4 paragraphs.
- Order to build — Put them in an order that builds, for example opening, turn, ending.
| Plan by | Result |
|---|---|
| Device type (all imagery, then all lists) | A tour of features with no argument |
| Effect or idea | Each paragraph is one sub-point of the thesis, using any devices |
Group notes by what they do to the reader, then order the groups so the argument grows.
How long should planning take? About five minutes.
Is one paragraph per device a good plan? No. One paragraph per effect or idea.
What must the thesis do? Answer your focus in a single sentence.
Why not put paragraphs in any order? A random order does not build an argument.