Proposals and Final Papers for 3703 Literary Nonfiction

 Winter 2008

Paper can be either an academic essay or a non-fiction essay.   Either must be supported by substantial research.

Non-fiction submissions must be accompanied by a two page explanation of authorial intent.

Proposals should establish the following:

1. Subject. What is your topic?—not your thesis.   A focused topic will lead to a focused paper.
2. Your interest. Explain your interest in your topic. Chances are that if you are not keenly interested the paper will fall flat.
3. Thesis. What is the thesis or purpose of the paper? What are you arguing
4. Evidence. How will you do the research? What are your primary and secondary sources?
5. Approach. How will you organize your information? What will be your style? How will the organization and style support your thesis? (Remember all our style as argument discussions.)
6. Intended audience. Try to imagine that your writing will be read by a wide audience (if it's good enough, it might be). Who is that audience? How will you tailor your writing for that audience?
7. Works Cited. Non-fiction pieces must also include a list of primary and secondary sources in the final draft, even if these sources are not cited in the body of the text. For academic papers, only MLA citation form will be accepted.