Collection 7
What I Think
How can I know what I think till I see what I say?
—A little girl, on being told to think before she speaks
We’re often advised to think before we speak, but the little girl has a point—we may not know what we think until we express the thought, or try to. After all, thoughts aren’t objects lying around in the corners of our brains, like old sneakers in a closet, waiting to be dusted off and used whenever the mood strikes. We make our thoughts; we don’t just have them. We know what we think by paying attention to our feelings, looking hard at our experiences, focusing on issues and questions, and finding the words that make sense to us.
Writing Focus: Persuasive Essay
Writer’s Notebook
The writers in this collection try to persuade readers to see things their way. You’ll do the same when you write a persuasive essay for the Writer’s Workshop found in this collection. Start by listing some ideas and issues you have strong opinions about, especially ones that reasonable people often disagree about. Your list will come in handy when you’re looking for a topic for a persuasive essay.
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