Obviously you will not be able to cover everything you discuss in your review of lit. Pick a specific, interesting, relevant thread.
Interesting, apt headline and deck
Deck does not repeat language from the headline.
Begins with an engaging tactic designed to capture the audiences attention
Advances a clear, logical and specific argument
Appeals to the audience
Recall: ethos, pathos, logos and the rhetorical triangle
Recall the spectrum of allies; who specifically are you trying to reach and how can you move them one step closer to your position?
Recall: respecting your reader means not overestimating their information nor underestimating their intelligence. Are you providing enough background information for the reader to understand you? Are you providing enough complexity and novelty to stimulate the readers intellect?
Recall: exigence. Why does this topic matter NOW.
Uses conversational English that pulls reader along
e.g., do NOT reuse an academic thesis
do NOT use heady quotes from academic sources
Uses evidence to back up claims
evidence is integrated into your own sentences, in plain language and in your own voice
uses hyperlinks to direct the reader to sources for your evidence
provides a hyperlink for every factual claim or piece of data
Uses topic sentences to build the the skeleton of the essay and direct the reader through the argument
Recall: the skeletal reading exercise
Includes an image
Includes a pull-quote (imagine what the writer would tweet, to draw attention to the article)
Uses lean, purposeful syntax with no unnecessary verbiage or jargon
Concludes meaningfully (reveals an interesting conclusion, leaves the audience with a question, makes a call to action, etc)
