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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: What bugs you?
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Prepared
by: Carter Jefferson
Posted on: June 22, 2008
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Exercise: In less than 400 words, write an op-ed essay in which you try
to persuade readers to take your side on a controversial local issue.
Exclude religious disputes or national issues.
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The city's not keeping up with the potholes on major traffic arteries?
The parks are unkempt? The mayor's a dolt? School policies need to be
reformed? One way to get something done about these things, or whatever
else you might want to change, is to write an op-ed article for your
local newspaper. Writing this kind of essay can help you learn to write
paying non-fiction for magazines as well.
Writing to persuade is not easy. Calling the mayor an idiot is not
enough; you need to *show* your readers that his or her policies are
not working. If you want the park system expanded, you must show how
this will make life better for taxpayers. A rant seldom persuades--a
reasoned argument can make a difference. This is your opportunity
to write the first draft of an essay that will promote your cause.
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Exercise: In less than 400 words, write an op-ed essay in which you try
to persuade readers to take your side on a controversial local issue.
Exclude religious disputes or national issues.
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In critiquing, suggest anything that will help the writer improve the
argument, and comment on things that may hurt rather than help. If you
find yourself hotly disagreeing with the writer, consider whether
that's a failure on the part of the writer; if it's simply a conflict
with your basic philosophy, perhaps you should not critique that
submission. Remember--in this workshop, we're all to critique the
writing, not the writer.
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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