Tutor profile: Amanda B.

What is the best way to structure a narrative?

There is no good or bad or even right or wrong way to structure a narrative! The most important point to remember as you write a narrative is that your reader needs to be able to follow along with your story. If following a linear structure helps you with making your writing clear, that is great! Flashbacks and flash forwards can enhance your story, so that your reader learns more about your characters and their experiences.

How can I annotate literature as I am reading?

Annotation is a great way to decide which parts of a text are most important to you as you read. Sometimes when you annotate, you have a question in mind that you are looking to answer. Other times, you are reading just to gain an understanding of the text. As you annotate, it is important to not simply underline or highlight, but to make notes of repeated words, interesting phrases, questions you have about the text, and/or comments you think of as you read. Think of annotation as a conversation you have with the text and a method for you to understand and remember the text.

What is the best way to organize a literary analysis paper?

When writing a literary analysis paper, the main point of focus is your thesis statement. In your thesis, you want to make a claim about a feature of the text you are analyzing. Once you have your thesis stated in your introductory paragraph, the rest of your paper will be written to prove the claim you made in your thesis. In your body paragraphs, you will point to specific evidence from the text (a specific quote) that you can use to prove your thesis. Finally, the conclusion will summarize your main points and make a larger connection to a major theme of the text or an outside connection (popular culture, society, etc.).