Chapter 1- Getting Started

The section of the first chapter of The Bedford Researcher talks about how you need to write with confidence. Some people are already accustomed to their way of writing, they have their own technique that they feel comfortable with yet this isn't the case for everyone. One of the first points the writer makes is that you need to have some type of investment in your writing, which can be a challenge for many people. You also need to know what kind of paper you will be writing, it makes a big difference weather you'll be writing a persuasive essay rather than an informative essay. The new writer also needs to learn how to work with it's sources that it is provided with and they need to keep track of all the information they're collecting in a research log. One of the easiest parts for some people in the writing process is to take a position on the issue they are either discussing or arguing for or against. Another thing to be considered by the author of the paper is the audience they're reaching for because they are going to need to appeal to that audience in their writing.

The second section of this chapter deals with choosing an appropriate topic. To do so you first need to analyze your assignment and follow the guidelines that the professor has given. The writer needs to know who their readers will be and write according to them to make it appealing. The paper must also influence the readers and yourself, the topic you choose should interest you and keep you motivated. What needs to be considered early on is what kind of document they will be writing, such as an essay, a report, an article, etc. What will affect your work on the document is social context, cultural and historical contexts, disciplinary context and physical context. A very important step before you start writing is what role do I want the readers to see me in, do I want them to see me in a peer role or the role of an informer? One of the hardest things for the writer is usually choosing a topic, some steps to help with that process include brainstorming, looping, freewriting, and clustering.