I learned how to write nonfiction from a staunch Republican — At least, that’s how my American History teach, Mr. Olson, referred to himself. I was in my junior year of high school. He’d stand proudly at his lectern, spitting out historical events in chronological order. “This is how they’ll teach in college,” he explained. It was the same educational environment where he laid out how to format our thesis papers.

A Lengthy Introduction

First, we were taught to write all our supporting arguments, along with a well-defined thesis statement, in the opening paragraph. In Mr. Olson’s class, it was common for the first paragraph to run well over a page. For years, I thought nonfiction needed a lengthy introduction to be considered "academic." 

Can you imagine reading a blog article today with an opening paragraph over 500 words? Most people would probably move along to another article, if not an entirely different publication. In print, there are visual cues to judge the length of an article. Simply flip a few pages forward and gain a quick estimation of the time it will take to read. For a blog post online, however, we must scroll down. It can be difficult to judge how many words exist. (Dunlevie, 2020, para. 15) Plus, we'll often skim the article while scrolling, preventing us from reading it entirely anyway. Even the best author today would find it difficult to keep an audience’s attention, if he or she began an essay the way Mr. Olson instructed us.

Furthermore

Mr. Olson also directed us to begin each paragraph with a transition statement. Like most classmates, my opening sentences usually began with a synonym of “furthermore.” “In addition to,” was a popular choice. We wrote like robots, and our papers lacked both humanity and warmth. (Zinsser, 2006, pg. 5) I felt elated when I was able to throw in an, “on the other hand.” Just like writing introductions, it took a long time to evolve the way I transition paragraphs.

The ensuing arguments took pages. I didn’t separate arguments with subheads, add callouts, or develop bulleted lists. We certainly weren’t encouraged to include charts, diagrams, or images. In short, I was taught how to write nonfiction the wrong way — lengthy, mechanical, and boring. 

Selling Out

Rewriting is the one practice I’ve never had to relearn. Mr. Olson made sure that I met with him weekly to revise my paper. He wasn’t nearly as concerned with sentence structure or grammar, though, as he was with altering my thesis. I wanted to write a paper about the benefits that welfare services provided families. However, I ended up with a paper about how America became a socialist economy. It received an A+, unfortunately at the cost of my personal values. I don’t believe one sentence was authentically mine. 

In some ways, I wish I could find my junior thesis today. It would be a great reference and example of how not to write. Of course, if I did ever come across that paper, I’d probably tear it to pieces… or cut out a few sentences, at the very least. For what it’s worth, I’ve been a registered Democrat ever since.