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Writing ■ Developing the First Draft
Carefully develop each part of your essay, following these guidelines.
Beginning ■ The beginning should grab your reader’s attention and state your thesis. Begin your essay with one of the attention-getting ideas that follow. Then write your thesis statement using the formula below as a guide.
- Start with an amazing fact:
The first record of the northern lights comes in a 30,000-year-old cave painting in France.
- Start with a powerful anecdote:
Imagine being a Viking warrior after battle and seeing the Valkyries sweep down to carry your fallen friends away. . . .
- Start with an intriguing question:
Have you ever seen the glowing curtain of our planetary defense?