reminded me of the importance of writing about one idea, having a central focus. I thought next of an experience I had while working at the BYU-Idaho writing center.
Sean, as I shall refer to him, came into the center for his first time. He hesitantly approached the check in desk and announced it was his first semester here and he wasn’t really sure how this was supposed to work. I hesitated too. I hadn’t completely finished my training, but we were busy. So, familiar with the Socratic Method or not, it was time for me to tutor a patron, alone.
I was horrible in that session. I couldn’t see a theme to his paper, anywhere, but I didn’t know what questions to ask to help him see that. I couldn’t just tell him what his theme could be; it’s against the center’s policy. Rather, he attempted to show me where his theme really came through in his writing. I regretfully informed him that his paper really didn’t start till the third page and that writers can improve their work by referring back to their theme in every paragraph. A narrow, reoccurring focus helps guide the readers.
He said unbelievingly, “Do you really think it’s possible to add your theme in every paragraph?”
“Well,” I said, unsure how to answer this because I had already breached communication by my un-Socratic ways, “If you do not rephrase the theme, the details you present should at least support and be relevant to the topic you have chosen to write about.”
This is true for every type of writing. A well-thought-out topic, threaded throughout the speech will simply reinforce the idea that a speech giver tries to portray to his audience. Repetition works.
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