Help! Brain fried and can't find a thesis statement

alvin123 · Nov 17, 2009

I have an 8 page investigative report due soon. I had a thesis statement but my instructor rejected it. So now I had been thrown off track.

The assignment is:

To write the investigative report on your major, which is English/creative writing.
She wants me to argue about the issues going on in my major. Can anyone help me out. What issues that writers go through, that is worth arguing about. The issue MUST have history behind it as well....

If anyone helps me out, I'll be extremely grateful.

My outline of this report starts with:

Conception and definition

Significance and feasibility

Methodology

After having research on all of that, of the issue, I'll pretty much do the other pages: Annotated Bibliography, highlights, and the outline in a breeze.

Stijn Hommes · Nov 17, 2009

It might take too much time to get all the research together, but how some books become massively popular while other people say the writing is crap has probably been the subject of research. I recently saw a rerun of a documentary that investigated why the books by Agatha Christie were still as popular as they were back then. You could delve in society issues but also go in detail about writing mechanics.

alleycat · Nov 17, 2009

Perhaps something to do with descriptive vs. prescriptive word usage? Always a "fun topic".

alvin123 · Nov 17, 2009

Wow, I like the suggestions. http://www.polysyllabic.com/?q=navigating/intro/prescriptive
http://www.agathachristie.com/ <-- 2 sources I found.

"You could delve in society issues but also go in detail about writing mechanics"

You're right about that one, due to the fact that most people in my class lack the knowledge of knowing what exactly IS writing.

Oh did I mention I gotta stand in front of the class and make a speech about the arguments of Issues within the creative writing/English major.. They can involve real-world things, which Stijn Hommes posted above. But man am I nervous. Because If I make too many mistakes, the harsh instructor and my classmates will look at me and think. "Man. Is this guy serious?"

Although I have a few years worth of experience, thank God, I'm still a little shaky about the report.

Thump · Nov 17, 2009

How about researching what books are bestsellers now and comparing them to how books which are now considered classics did when they were first published then compare that to some books now that have merit but have remained under the radar. To finish, you could venture a few guesses as to which modern books have the potential to become the classics of the future.

You can take a couple of titles from each period to base your research on and use as case studies.

alleycat · Nov 17, 2009

If you want something more "trendy" you do something on intellectual property rights. So far it's been a bigger issue for music and movies, but more-and-more it will be an issue the writing community will have to deal with as more newly-published books are released as digital versions. We've already seen the first wave in the Google case(s).

Sevvy · Nov 17, 2009

Publisher's Weekly recently posted their list of ten best books of 2009, and there's a big debate going on about how none of those ten were written by female writers. That's got history to it, as well as social issues and is a big topic in the creative writing world right now.

alvin123 · Nov 17, 2009

Thank you so much, everyone. These are great topics. I'm doing my report as we speak.

(Thanks to the suggestions, I found a topic, so no one has to post anymore if they want. I still will continue to monitor if someone else post, and I find it very interesting)

Thump · Nov 17, 2009

So what did you go with?

Lady Ice · Nov 17, 2009

I'm intrigued.

alvin123 · Nov 18, 2009

Thump said:
So what did you go with?

If you want something more "trendy" you do something on intellectual property rights. So far it's been a bigger issue for music and movies, but more-and-more it will be an issue the writing community will have to deal with as more newly-published books are released as digital versions. We've already seen the first wave in the Google case(s).

My instructor is a writer herself,(Dr. Saphia. She most likely can be found in google) so I decided based on her likings, that this was probably something she would like to hear.
Further more,

I still I have things such as methology.

"How about researching what books are bestsellers now and comparing them to how books which are now considered classics did when they were first published then compare that to some books now that have merit but have remained under the radar."

I will probably use this in the statistics when I'm doing a different section of the report. Remember, its 8 pages. Plently of room to write and discover things to be in there. It has to be an argument .

Lady Ice · Nov 18, 2009

Lots of possible areas:
Is it the job of literature to teach morality? Are there moral limits?
Book banning, etc.

ishtar'sgate · Nov 18, 2009

Stijn Hommes said:
It might take too much time to get all the research together, but how some books become massively popular while other people say the writing is crap has probably been the subject of research. I recently saw a rerun of a documentary that investigated why the books by Agatha Christie were still as popular as they were back then. You could delve in society issues but also go in detail about writing mechanics.

Not to derail the thread but I'd really be interested to know what the investigation turned up. Could you send a PM?

jinkang · Nov 18, 2009

I'd be interested in the result of your research too!

Stijn Hommes · Nov 19, 2009

The only thing I can remember clearly is that she did a lot of repeating of certain words in a short space of time to cement ideas into the reader's mind. If I ever track down the name of the production, I'll send it along.

Help! Brain fried and can't find a thesis statement

alvin123

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

alleycat

Still around

alvin123

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Thump

defying grabbity

alleycat

Still around

Sevvy

Spec Fic Writer

alvin123

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Thump

defying grabbity

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

alvin123

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

jinkang

Learning

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...