Persuasive Writing - Key Concepts (Lecture Notes)

What is Persuasive Writing

  • Persuasive writing is a type of writing that aims to persuade or convince the reader to take a particular action, adopt a certain point of view, or believe in a specific idea.
  • Examples include: essays, articles, advertisements, speeches, and social media posts.

Goals and Core Idea

  • The goal is to convince the reader of a particular point of view or argument and to take action.
  • To achieve this, writers should present ideas in a clear and concise manner, using facts, statistics, and evidence to support claims.

Persuasion Strategies (Overview)

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  • Practical approach is covered in subsequent sections: audience, emotion, evidence, structure, and rhetoric.

Know Your Audience

  • Before writing, identify the audience:
    • What do they care about?
    • What is their background?
    • What are their needs and desires?
  • Core idea: tailor message to the audience to increase relevance and impact.

Use Emotion (Pathos)

  • People are often motivated by their own emotions.
  • Strategies:
    • Use emotive language to appeal to feelings.
    • Build arguments that trigger emotional responses.
  • Examples of emotive vs non-emotive language:
    • Non-emotive command: "Put that in the recycle bin." (does not provoke emotion)
    • Emotive statement: "You should recycle because it saves the planet."
    • Supporting questions to evoke emotion: "Don’t you want to save the planet? How could you choose to not recycle since it saves the planet?"
  • Outcome: emotive lines aim to elicit a reaction or action from the audience.

Examples of Emotive Persuasion

  • Emotive sentence: "You should recycle because it saves the planet."
  • Rhetorical strategy includes asking questions to provoke reflection and emotion.

Use Evidence (Logos and Support)

  • Persuasive writing is not solely emotional; it also relies on evidence to support claims.
  • Types of evidence:
    • Data and statistics
    • Anecdotes
    • Examples
  • Important practice: cite sources and use credible sources.

What Kind of Evidence Supports These Arguments? (Topic Examples)

  • Education should be funded more by governments.
  • Mental health is a growing concern for many Americans.
  • Pineapple belongs on pizza.

Evidence for Education Funding

  • Possible evidence sources:
    • Low-income school statistics
    • Graduation rates
    • Teacher salaries
    • News articles on educational policy
    • Academic journals on education

Evidence for Mental Health

  • Possible evidence sources:
    • Academic articles on mental health
    • Psychology journals
    • Statistics on mental disorders in America
    • Funding for mental health care and resources
    • Availability of mental health resources
    • Reiteration: mental health is a growing concern for many Americans

Evidence for Pineapple on Pizza

  • Possible evidence sources:
    • Health studies on pineapple
    • Articles/opinions from the culinary arts
    • Polls
    • Consideration of subjective factors (e.g., cultural tastes, Italians?)

Structuring the Argument

  • A well-structured argument is easier to follow and more persuasive.
  • Use an outline to organize ideas and ensure logical flow.
  • Use transitions to move smoothly from one point to the next.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence (MMS)

  • A $5$-step technique used for persuasive speeches and as a model for organizing an argument:
    • Attention
    • Need
    • Satisfaction
    • Visualization
    • Action
  • Note: Originally used for speeches, but serves as a useful example for structuring arguments.

Rhetorical Devices

  • Rhetorical devices enhance language effectiveness and persuasiveness.
  • Common devices: repetition, rhetorical questions, parallelism, metaphors.
  • Guidance: use these devices sparingly and strategically to avoid overuse or manipulation.

Example of Rhetorical Device: Anaphora

  • The famous excerpt from MLK Jr.:
    • "I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi … will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"
  • Source: "I Have A Dream", MLK Jr., 1966
  • The device showcased: anaphora (repetition at the beginning of successive clauses) to reinforce message and rhythm.

Anticipate Objections (Counterarguments)

  • Anticipate objections or counterarguments your audience might have.
  • Address them in your writing to show consideration of other perspectives.
  • Acknowledging opposing viewpoints and explaining why your argument is stronger demonstrates thorough consideration.

Conclusion and Call to Action (CTA)

  • Conclusion should summarize main points and restate thesis.
  • End with a CTA or a memorable statement that leaves a lasting impression.
  • Questions to consider:
    • What is the point of your writing?
    • What should the audience do?

Power Words for CTA

  • Examples of persuasive CTA words:
    • Now
    • Don't Miss Out
    • Seize
    • Grab
    • Let's Do This
    • Try
    • Aim
    • Plan

Practice and Mastery

  • Like any skill, persuasive writing takes practice to master.
  • Practice writing persuasive pieces on different topics and seek feedback from others (especially orally).
  • Revise your writing to improve persuasiveness and effectiveness.
  • Note the emphasis on revision: "Revision, Revision, Revison" (typo in original) communicates iterative refinement.

University Writing Center (UWC) Resources

  • Practice your persuasive writing and other writing needs at the University Writing Center.
  • Hours (example schedule):
    • Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
    • Friday: 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
    • Sunday: 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Services and features:
    • Brainstorming and prewriting assistance
    • Essay organization
    • Genre and audience analysis
    • Writing and revision strategies
    • Multimodal project advice (video, website, etc.)
    • APA, MLA, and Chicago style assistance
    • Group work assistance and workspace
    • Classroom workshops
    • Faculty services
    • Assistance for first-year students through PhDs
    • Online appointments available
  • Website: UWC.UTEP.EDU