Starting Points: Writing a Profile

Printed Page 88

Detailed Information about the Subject

How do I come up with an appropriate subject to profile?

  • Consider possible topics. (pp. 74, 80–81, 86)
  • Choose a subject to profile. (p. 90)
  • Test Your Choice (pp. 90–91)
  • Conduct your field research. (pp. 91–95)

How can I gather information on my subject?

  • Conduct your field research. (pp. 91–95)
  • Chapter 24, “Finding Sources and Conducting Field Research”

How can I make my subject come to life?

  • Assess the genre’s basic features: Detailed information about the subject. (pp. 61–62)
  • Detailed Information about the Subject: Describing the Place and People (p. 72)
  • Detailed Information about the Subject: Using Anecdotes (p. 78)
  • Detailed Information about the Subject: Using Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary (pp. 84–85)
  • Integrate quotations from your interviews. (pp. 95–96)
  • A Troubleshooting Guide: Detailed Information about the Subject (p. 104)
Table 3.9: STARTING POINTS: WRITING A PROFILE
A Clear, Logical Organization

How should I organize my profile?

  • Assess the genre’s basic features: A clear, logical organization. (pp. 62–63)
  • A Clear, Logical Organization: Taking Readers on a Tour (pp. 72–73)
  • A Clear, Logical Organization: Narrating a Day in the Life (p. 79)
  • A Clear, Logical Organization: Narrating an Extended Period (p. 85)
  • Create an outline that will organize your profile effectively for your readers. (pp. 96–97)
  • A Troubleshooting Guide: A Clear, Logical Organization (p. 105)
The Writer’s Role

What role should I adopt in researching and presenting my subject?

  • Assess the genre’s basic features: The writer’s role. (p. 63)
  • The Writer’s Role: Acting as a Spectator (p. 73)
  • The Writer’s Role: Alternating Participant and Spectator Roles (pp. 79–80)
  • The Writer’s Role: Participating in a Group (pp. 85–86)
  • Determine your role in the profile. (pp. 97–98)
  • A Troubleshooting Guide: The Writer’s Role (p. 106)
A Perspective on the Subject

How do I develop and express a clear perspective on the subject?

  • Determine the writer’s purpose and audience. (p. 61)
  • Assess the genre’s basic features: A perspective on the subject. (p. 63)
  • A Perspective on the Subject: Showing and Telling (pp. 73–74)
  • A Perspective on the Subject: Using Contrast and Juxtaposition (p. 80)
  • A Perspective on the Subject: Profiling a Controversial Subject (p. 86)
  • Develop your perspective on the subject. (pp. 98–100)
  • A Troubleshooting Guide: A Perspective on the Subject (p. 106)