One Way In

I have to admit that I was really surprised at the results of today's in-class activity. I had one source that I really that put a lot of time and effort into. It had a quotation, it was well explained, properly cited and everything. Compared to the other two leads I wrote, this one was truly well-written. 

My second lead was this far-fetched illustration that worked to discover a main point without the guise of confusing context. The other was just a retelling of some of my personal experience that helped to explain why the topic was so important to me.  

What really surprised me was that my first lead, the one I thought would capture the most interest, didn't capture the interest of either of the people who looked over my leads. It really confused me because I thought that it was pretty good. I thought that I made an excellent connection.

What I see after the in-class activity is that the first lead is one that I would write on a typical research paper, one that takes a much more logical approach. The other two leads were more narrative in nature, and it is not surprising to me that the readers preferred them. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that this activity was really able to cement the concept that Dr. Ballenger keeps referring to, this concept of a more narrative research essay versus the typical research paper. In some ways, this opens so any new paths for me to take with my essay. On the other hand, the subject of my paper is conceptual and abstract; in other words, really hard to grasp at times. I sincerely hope that taking a narrative approach to my paper will allow me to communicate my message effectively.