I created my method to provide a sense of organization to any type of writing. This is the method that I coach my students to be familiar with in order to provide a “roadmap” for each type of writing.
For example, if one were writing a policy memo for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on their Belt and Road Initiative, one would need to include a few paragraphs of historical context. This is an example paragraph from a paper that I wrote for this topic:
Dating back to 207 B.C.E., China has set an example for connecting the world through trade and commercial activities. Commerce is part of China’s history, and the BRI seeks to revamp this fundamental past into our modern context. The BRI’s two components, the economic belt and the maritime silk road, are envisioned as a rebirth of the ancient Silk Road, a network of routes crossing and connecting the far and near east, which had a significant historical impact mainly “because the people who managed to travel along part or all of the Silk Road planted their cultures like seeds of exotic species carried to distant lands” (Hansen, 2013). Unlike its ancient inspiration, the BRI is a trade-oriented and economically-driven initiative. As stated in the official Belt and Road plan, released in 2015, the project will “help promote the economic prosperity of the countries along the Belt and Road and regional economic cooperation, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations, and promote world peace and development” (Vision and Actions... 2015). Nonetheless, the spirit of cooperation is important, and can be explained by the significant impact of the 2008 financial crisis, an event from which the global economy, and many BRI participating countries, are still recovering from.
Or, a student may be writing a literary analysis essay, where each body paragraph needs to include a claim, context for evidence, the evidence itself (often direct quotes), and a synthesis of all three. Here is an example of an effective body paragraph that I wrote for a paper about role of colonialism, debt, and dispossession in the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl”:
Caribbean piracy emerged from looting and smuggling goods in the Bermuda Triangle. The globalization of trade and the expansion of capitalistic measures by the British, Spanish, French, and Dutch seeped into local life in the Caribbean, and the need for more labor in Caribbean industries resulted in the shipment of enslaved Africans to places like Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti. Most pirates were failed sailors or privateers who were disenfranchised by their own nations and sought other sources of income. In “Pirates of the Caribbean”, the crew of the Black Pearl is depicted to be greedy for wealth, always searching for treasures to make them rich. Their greed leads them to their downfall, which is the film’s criticism of capitalistic systems and their vestiges. Of course, Disney prioritized adventure above all else, but the critique still holds. It is also interesting to note the clear class divide between a blacksmith like Will Turner and pirates; as Karl Marx talks about, class consciousness stems from the realization that one shares a lifestyle and spending habits with others of the same class. The main distinction is heavy alcohol consumption, which, ironically, was probably purchased through the very capitalistic system the pirates are trying to free themselves from.
Sometimes, only a summary of a work is required. My method provides guidance for each type of writing, from emails, to creative original work, to essays. I have created the Anishative method by synthesizing years of writing experience and determining what the commonalities and differences are between various forms of writing. Here is an example of a summary of an article on Tutoring techniques:
The article “Tutoring Techniques” by TASC delves into effective tutoring methods, the difference between tutoring and teaching, and the boundaries that the tutor needs to establish. The overall goal of tutoring is for the tutee to “[learn] to think critically and [become] more independent” (TASC). The article talks about how setting goals at the beginning of each term and session will make sessions more productive and directed toward what the tutee wants to achieve. The best way for tutors to help the tutee achieve this goal is not by lecturing about the topic, but by asking purposeful insightful questions that can assist the tutee in gaining an understanding of the topic on their own. In these inquiries, it is okay for long periods of silence to occur so that the tutee can think of a thorough response to the tutor’s questions. It is important not to assume that the tutee already knows a certain concept. To help solidify the tutee’s understanding of a concept, the tutor should as the tutee to explain the concept in their own words. Good tutors should practice positive reinforcement and let the tutee take charge of their own learning. Keeping track of the time will help the session be as productive as possible. The article also advises tutors to tune into the tutee’s learning style to help the tutor evaluate the tutee’s study methods. Finally, it is important to note that tutors are not expected to help with or complete assignments for the tutees and that all tutoring stops after the session is over, even in the case of good friends.