[00:00.00]Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.
[00:04.37]Professor: Oh. there you are.
[00:05.86]Student: I'm sorry, I'm late. [00:07.05]I was having printer problems.
[00:08.68]Professor: Printers do sometimes have a mind of their own.
[00:11.14]Student: Anyway, I finally got this thing printed.
[00:13.56]Professor: Okay, Let's have a look. [00:15.31]Good. That's exactly the kind of detailed outline I wanted you to work on before starting on the Paper itself. [00:22.94]But where's your title? [00:24.70]You'll need a title.
[00:25.99]Student: Um, how about the surrogate life? [00:28.44]The lady in waiting in 18th century French comedy?
[00:31.74]Professor: The surrogate life. Not bad.
[00:34.53]Student: You know, I've never really liked working with an outline. [00:37.35]but I think I'm beginning to get it.
[00:38.97]Professor: Well, they do help as a rule. [00:41.28]They force you to consider the structure of your paper and the logic of your argument. [00:46.22]I find them very useful.
[00:47.75]Student: Like a roadmap for getting from point A to point B.
[00:50.65]Professor: Road Map? Well, yes, in the sense of showing where your destination is, but remember, road maps often show lots of different ways to get from here to there. [01:01.87]What you have to do is make some choices.
[01:04.43]Student: Well, yes. But writing up an outline before I begin as always seemed so limiting. [01:11.46]Doesn't an argument actually evolve as you're writing it? [01:15.16]Kind of like finding your way as you go along?
[01:17.85]Professor: Absolutely. The outline isn't meant to be set in stone. [01:22.24]It's it's a kind of guideline to provide general direction. [01:26.22]And also it helps you to remember what you want to include in the paper along the way.
[01:30.93]Student: So as long as everything that's in the outline gets into the paper, I'm free to push the argument as far as it will take me?
[01:37.56]Professor: Well, yes, within space limitations. [01:40.82]I don't want 25-page essays, but I think a that's a good rule of thumb. [01:45.73]You have to cover the main points. [01:47.55]Well. But to write paper that's more than just okay, well, you can take your discussion in an unexpected direction and be convincing enough to bring your reader along in the process, then your papers likely to be more than just good enough. [02:03.99]In fact, those are the essays I love to get. [02:06.87]But let's take things one step at a time, shall we?
[02:10.50]Student: I never heard anyone say that before.
[02:12.71]Professor: One step at a time?
[02:14.30]Student: No, sorry, that it's good thing to take a risk.
[02:17.64]Professor: Well, remember, it has to be justified by the material, and the main point still have to be covered. [02:24.28]Now for the next meeting, I'd like to discuss your bibliography. [02:28.24]You'll have to be judicious, you know selective. [02:31.07]An awful lot has been Written about the plays of this period, so choose carefully. [02:36.20]And at this stage, I'd like you to keep it small. [02:39.13]Say, a dozen entries at most.
[02:41.56]Student: Can I use suggested readings from the syllabus?
[02:43.85]Professor: I would expect you to. [02:45.92]So, I'll see you next Wednesday.
[02:48.05]Student: Sure, thing. And I’ll try to be on time from now on.
[02:51.48]Professor: oh, I know just how uncooperative printers can be.
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