Thesis Statements: The Key to Success in College Writing

Greetings and thank you for your interest in this course!

I’ve been teaching academic writing for almost two decades now, both at the university and community college level. I’ve taught courses such as College Writing I & II, English Composition I & II, American literature, World Literature, College Prep Writing, GED Writing, and Developmental Writing, among others...

In addition to teaching writing, I, too, am a writer. My work has been published in academic and trade journals, books, web series, blogs, and many other places—including my own books.

My first book, Essential Writing Skills for College and Beyond (Penguin, 2014) is the basis of this course. I wrote it for my students while teaching at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. (My students detested their giant, confusing, all-inclusive writing manual, so I created for them instead a series of easy-to-understand handouts. These concise handouts outlined the crucial lessons the students needed to master for success in academic writing. They loved the handouts so much they insisted I turn them into a book for future students. So, I did!)

As a fellow writer, I’m happy to tell you there is a secret to successful writing, and it’s one you can absolutely learn. Here it is: Successful writing is the result not of talent but of following a process. Writing is not a skill you either “have” or you don’t.

Let me repeat that point for emphasis: Writing is NOT a skill you either have or you don’t.

Writing is a skill that is developed and acquired through effort, practice, and persistence—and it helps immensely to have a trusted guide walk you through the process. This is, of course, where I come into the picture. I’m going to walk you through the process to successful academic writing—step by step by step. We'll cover everything you need to succeed in your academic writing assignments.

Sign up for the class today, and let’s get you started. The sooner you begin, the sooner you'll arrive at your success.

Take care, and I look forward to seeing you in class...