Student Writing Handbook Fifth+Edition

104 / Methods of Development

Poor example: The Freedom Festival attracts more visitors to Kingston than

any other activity the city sponsors.

Counting visitors can prove or disprove that.

Better example: The Freedom Festival is more enjoyable than any other activ-

ity sponsored by the City of Kingston.

More enjoyable is a matter of opinion that cannot be proven or disproven.

STEP 3: Prewriting—Determining Your Audience

Knowing your audience helps you know what you need to include. Do you expect
strongly antagonistic readers? Or are they apt to read without really reacting one
way or the other? If you anticipate antagonism, you should approach the organiza-
tional plan differently than if you anticipate idle interest.

Likewise, think about the readers’ personal interest in your subject. Does the subject
affect their pocketbook, eating habits, health, family, lifestyle, job, ability to work,
recreation, or hobbies? Capitalize on whatever personal involvement may develop.

STEP 4: Prewriting—Selecting Details

Select details appropriate for your audience. Referring to Step 3, select details that
matter. You do not want the reader to finish your paper and say, “So what?”

Make a list of possible supporting details. Consider the following:

Radio stations should be prevented from airing local sports events.

Interferes with gate receipts

Interferes with simultaneous out-of-town broadcasts

Intensifies feelings of ill will when two local events occur simultaneously

Causes added confusion in the announcers’ booth

Causes traffic congestion when radio truck must park near stadium

Ties sports events to commercial sponsors

Interferes unnecessarily with regular radio programming

Antagonizes regular listeners who are not sports enthusiasts

Develop your own list of details now. List anything that will help you explain or sup-
port your opinion.

STEP 5: Prewriting—Organizing the Details

You will decide that not every detail on your list merits equal attention and eliminate
some. For instance, cut details that represent different points of view. In the preced-
ing list, some details express the view of the sports fan (interferes with gate receipts;