I’ve noticed that when I write a blog post, I usually title it first. Everything else I write, though, the title comes last. This is something to think about.
About Michael J. Faris
Assistant Professor of English with research areas in digital literacy, privacy and social media, and queering rhetorics.
This blog serves as a place to think through things, record thoughts, share interesting stuff, and hold conversations. Welcome!
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Hi Michael, it’s my first time commenting here, though I’ve been lurking for a few weeks. Nice place you’ve got here!
The title-first idea interests me–are you a “figure out the thesis and then write the paper” kind of writer? Or are you noticing this about your blogging because you aren’t?
Thanks for visiting!
I tend to have a general idea of some kind of thesis statement, write a lot, and then figure it out for sure and fix it on a later draft. It kind of depends on the paper, though. Mostly, I’m a huge fan of freewriting and writing that might not necessarily go into the final paper, so I guess I’m more of a “write and then get the thesis statement or guiding purpose” type of writer.
Titles: What They Can Do for Your Argument! Or Not.
Undergraduate students often title their work blandly (or unimaginatively), such as “Essay #1,” so I work to help them see the real work that a title can do for their whole argument. This includes boosting the prominence of the two part title with colon, a favorite in the humanities..
I would argue that long and clever titles – especially as in the humanities those with a colon – can sum up / introduce the argument and do a lot of work for getting the reader situated. Our own title — “A Compass for the Classroom: Conversing and Consuming in Cyberspace” — does this.
That’s funny, Sara. I see you’re referencing the Action Action (a post-punk-esque pop band) lyrics I quote on my other blog.
I think just as they claim, “long and clever titles don’t bring the song,” that a long and clever title doesn’t make an essay. I agree with you that it can set up the context or set up the audience for the essay. I am a fan of long and clever titles (look at my post on my presentation for Classical Drama), but often in a postmodern, hip ironic way.