The So-What Factor

by Julia
(Milwaukee, WI, USA)

Explain why your essay/piece of work matters!

Comments for The So-What Factor

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Dec 12, 2010
Why mattering matters
by: Audrey

Hello Julia,

If the piece of work is academic, then explaining why it matters is very important. I was always grateful to a teaching assistant who taught me to begin my assignments with a statement of what I was about to say and why it was important. I had a formula I could use for every paper I wrote. I'm sure it made a difference to my grades.

On the other hand, if the piece of work is artistic, like a novel or a poem, pointing out why it matters is counterproductive.

There should be a take-away point, an answer to the so-what question, but in most cases it should not be stated. Some stories for very young children will give such statements, but most other artistic works should not.


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