“Thesis”: Structural Feedback

@September 5, 2024

Structural Feedback

Revision Plan

Hook: Hydra — The problem of confusion and lack of direction (an unwieldy draft/idea)

Intro: Definition of thesis, framed as the solution to the problem of a lack of focus/direction (confusion).

• Aristotle and all disciplines of art
• The mind craves unity & the thesis organizes complexity
• Salvador Dali and Paul Graham agree

Thesis as the Sun / a Star: Metaphor for collecting material into a cohesive system

• Noise –> patterns, like discovering and mathematically defining celestial orbits
• Search for the center

Searching: Collecting material in the vacuum of space, trying to find a star to call home (finding your thesis)

• [TBD]

Purging: Ejecting whatever doesn’t fit in the system (refining your thesis)

• After you have a draft, clear out whatever doesn’t hang on the thread of your thesis.

Patterns: There are three patters of a great thesis.

• Microcosm, Catalyst, Response
• Freedom in these constraints — only meant to help you craft a thesis of max potency

Outro/Conclusion

The Writer Changes Too: By refining your thesis, you change your essay (and it changes you).

• You understand the macro better.
• You understand your place in the conversation and have a voice.
• And you earn the right to make the bold claim.