When I give students essay assignments, I practically BEG them to use topic sentences. (Side note: I also teach this lesson using Disney’s film The Little Mermaid. Go with me.)
I emphasize topic sentences not because I’m particularly attached to the five-paragraph essay format or because I think that each paragraph needs to follow some rigid formula. Rather, it’s because a good topic sentence helps communicate the purpose of that specific paragraph.
Think about the difference between these two examples:
“In this paragraph, we will examine Ariel’s decision to sacrifice her voice in order to be with Prince Eric.”
vs.
“By portraying Ariel’s willingness to sacrifice her voice as a necessary step toward achieving romantic happiness, The Little Mermaid reinforces the expectation that women must surrender their independence and identities in pursuit of love.”
The first tells me what we’re talking about. The second, however, tells me what I’m supposed to understand about it. This is an important distinction.
This same principle applies whether we’re talking about a single paragraph, a longer section, a chapter, or an entire manuscript. Each has a particular job to do in developing the larger argument.
Which brings me to the second question on my editorial whiteboard:
What is this section meant to do? Does it actually do that?
When I’m reading a manuscript, I’m considering more than just the contents of each section. I want to understand what this section is doing. Is it establishing necessary context? Using evidence to support a claim? Expanding on an interpretation introduced earlier?
And, critically, does it actually accomplish what the author needs it to?
One exercise I recommend is to write a one-sentence summary of the purpose of each major section of your manuscript.
Try to describe what the section does, rather than simply what it’s about.
Then look at those statements together.
Are there sections doing essentially the same work? Are there gaps in the reasoning? Does each section contribute something meaningful to the larger argument?
It’s a relatively simple exercise that can reveal quite a bit about how a manuscript is organized.
And it’s one of the first things I look at when a manuscript has all the necessary pieces, but they aren’t quite working together.
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