Patty Tymon's Outline to First Draft

1. EXPANDABLE OUTLINE
TO PAPER
A Step-by-Step Approach

2. IT’S A PROCESS . . .
Creating a first draft is a process beginning with
the pre-abstract and the expandable outline.
This presentation describes that process step-by
step.
Move forward for Step One.

3. THE PRE-ABSTRACT
 The pre-abstract is a brainstorming technique.
 Write the thesis on a sheet of paper and ask, “how do I know?”
 Generate a sentence to answer the question.
 Ask after that sentence, “How else do I know?” and create another
sentence.
 Continue this process until you have about 7-8 sentences.
 These will be working topic sentences for body paragraphs.

4. UNDERSTANDING A BODY
PARAGRAPH
 Your outline at each level should have everything you need to
begin crafting body paragraphs for the research paper.
 As always, the body paragraph has three purposes: introduce the
topic for the paragraph (support the thesis), prove the topic sentence’s
validity with your ideas and primary and secondary support, and close
the paragraph effectively.
 The following slides demonstrate this process . . .

5. THESIS
 Note: This thesis is an example not dealing with our anti-hero
theme and is a student example from a previous semester.
In Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, money represents great
power, a power that remains even after death. Abuse of this
power creates strongholds over many relationships; moreover,
this power creates fear throughout the book’s characters.

6. FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH
LEVEL FROM OUTLINE:
 Topic Sentence: The narrator begins as an innocent character; this innocence
appears early in the novel and gives others power over her.
 Primary source support:
A. Mrs. Van Hooper is the first character to exploit the narrator’s innocence,
primarily because the narrator has no family of her own.
B. The narrator soon realizes that Mrs. Van Hooper has a strong power over her
because of Van Hopper’s experience as it contrasts with the narrator’s naiveté:
“Funny to think that the course of my existence hung like a thread upon that quality
of hers [Mrs. Van Hooper]” (Du Maurier 12).

7. CONTINUED . . .
C. Although the narrator recognizes Van Hopper’s manipulation, the
younger woman admits powerlessness in the face of Van Hopper’s
domination as the narrator notes the financial hold the other woman has
on her.
Note: These three examples from the primary source establish the
balance of power predicated on the narrator’s innocence: they
support the topic sentence, which in turn supports the thesis.

8. SECONDARY SOURCES . . .
Note: Now we bring in the outside sources.
a. Elaine Showalter observes that “innocence in female characters often becomes
a basis for other characters’ immediate power sources” (235).
b. One critic points out, “nothing allows the predators to swoop like the naïve
damsel in distress” (Gilbert 45).
c. According to Susan Gubar, “the line between innocence and helplessness has
always been a narrative dilemma for female characters” (129).
Note: Sources must be worked grammatically into your own sentences. See
http://www.bergen.edu/faculty/ljonaitis/style_dropped_quotations.htm for
help.

9. LET’S MAKE A PARAGRAPH!
 With a thesis, topic sentence, and sources in place, you can craft a
paragraph with only your connections and observations to add.
 Your argument is the most important element in the paper, so
everything serves to support it: primary and secondary sources.
 Once you have these sources, you will need to point out to the
reader WHY they support your argument.

10. THE PARAGRAPH:
The narrator begins as an innocent character; this innocence appears early in the novel
and gives others power over her. According to Susan Gubar, “the line between innocence and
helplessness has always been a narrative dilemma for female characters” (129). Mrs. Van Hooper is
the first character to exploit the narrator’s innocence and sets the stage for Maxim, primarily because
the narrator has no family of her own. One critic points out, “nothing allows the predators to swoop
like the naïve damsel in distress” (Gilbert 45). The narrator soon realizes that Mrs. Van Hooper has a
strong power over her because of Van Hopper’s experience as it contrasts with the narrator’s naiveté:
“Funny to think that the course of my existence hung like a thread upon that quality of hers [Mrs.
Van Hooper]” (Du Maurier 12). Further, Elaine Showalter observes that “innocence in female
characters often becomes a basis for other characters’ immediate power sources” (235). Mrs. Van
Hopper is the readers’ first glimpse into the dooming innocence of the second Mrs. De Winter and
the power others use to control her.

11. AN EFFECTIVE OUTLINE IS
CRUCIAL:
 From the previous slides, one can see clearly how the expandable
outline makes writing the drafts a more manageable task.
 Use the concepts on the previous slides to work through the draft
one paragraph at a time.
 Begin with body paragraphs based on the thesis. The introduction
and conclusion paragraphs often are best developed after the writer
knows the content of his or her own essay.

12. I AM HERE FOR YOU:
 Please reach out with preliminary paragraph drafts or full drafts so
that I can help you throughout the process.
 I will provide as much feedback as possible if you send work to
me via e-mail.