Remember Everything You Read: The Evelyn Wood 7-Day Speed Reading \& Learning Program pdfdrive com

Stage 4: Reorganize Information into One Master

---

Recall Pattern
Now is the time to gather together the recall patterns and index cards on
all the information you’ve compiled. Your objective is to use this raw
material to formulate a master recall pattern.
Obviously, this master pattern, which will serve as your basic outline
and guide for writing the paper, can’t contain every detail that you’ve
collected in your research. Rather, you should focus on the main topics
and main subheadings.
As you draw the new, overall pattern, however, you’ll probably want
to refer somehow in your notes to the more detailed, smaller patterns
that you’ve drafted. This way, you can prompt your memory about what
idea or fact comes from what source. (Beth, for example, used a book by
an author named Smith, so she made a couple of notations to Smith with
appropriate page numbers.) In any case, be sure to save all your recall
patterns and other notes so that you can use them as you work on your
drafts of the paper.
Because this master pattern will contain many different concepts and
ideas, you may want to draw it on an oversized sheet of paper. (Or, as
you’ll see in a later section describing an alternative approach used by a
top teacher, you might link the various recall patterns together into a
kind of scroll.)
For now, let’s assume that you’re drawing one master recall pattern on
a large sheet of paper, with short notations that refer back to other recall
patterns. When you’ve finished this phase, you’re finally ready to begin
writing.
Stage 5: Write the First Draft
Now you’re ready to begin putting your paper together. Here are some
steps that have worked well for many of the most successful students.
First, assemble all the materials you’ll need to do the draft. These
include all your notecards, recall patterns, photocopied pages and other
sources; enough pens, pencils and paper; and your typewriter or word

---

processor, if that’s appropriate.
As you already know if you have one, a word processor can be an
invaluable tool when you begin to write. On most of these computers
you can move text about, make inserts and deletions freely, and type
more quickly with such advantages as the “wrap-around” feature, which
eliminates the need to return the typewriter carriage.
Begin to write your draft by following the sequence you’ve chosen on
your master recall pattern. Refer back to the supporting recall patterns
and index cards when you need specific facts and quotations that you
couldn’t include on the master pattern.
To facilitate reading and editing, it’s wise to learn to compose a first
draft on a typewriter or word processor. Be sure to double-space and
leave ample margins. If you write by hand, leave plenty of space
between lines and wide margins so there will be adequate room to make
editing notes and alter the text. Use this format on the final draft, too, so
you can put the paper in a binder if necessary and also provide the
teacher with room to write in comments.
Play it straight as you write. Don’t try to be “literary” or use an
affected, overblown style. The best writing is simple and clear, with a
majority of sentences set in the active rather than the passive voice.
Check Strunk and White’s classic, 
The Elements of Style,
for guidance.
Use plenty of paragraphs—preferably at least three or four per typed,
double-spaced page. The more you break up the page with paragraphs,
the easier it is for the instructor to read and understand your
organization.
Each paragraph should deal with one major thought and should flow
naturally and logically to the next paragraph. If a transition between
paragraphs seems choppy, rewrite or insert a phrase or sentence to make
the transition smoother.
Use sections, subsections and underlining when appropriate.
Obviously, you don’t want to overdo any of these text divisions. But as
with paragraphs, an intelligently constructed set of subheadings or
underlinings (to highlight important material) can make reading move
along much more easily.
The basic structure for most papers includes the following:
1. An introduction, which states the main theme of the paper clearly. As

---

some pundit once said, “Tell them what you’re going to say; next, tell
them; and finally, tell them what you’ve said.” Obviously you don’t
want to be redundant; however, it’s important in a paper to make it
clear at the outset where you plan to take the reader.
2. The body of the paper, which includes each of your main points, with
supporting facts and footnotes. It was in this section that our honors
student, Beth, inserted the reasons that the South went to war.
Remember to keep your paragraphs relatively short as you make your
presentation.
3. The conclusion, which contains a summary of your main points. Be
sure that the evidence you’ve marshalled supports your argument.
4. Documentation. Double-check all footnotes to be sure your citations
and format are accurate. Also, prepare your bibliography.
Edit and proofread your first draft, paying close attention to your
grammar, spelling and syntax. Also, check to see that your argument and
presentation flow along smoothly. If any section of the draft seems
rough, or doesn’t seem to follow from the previous section, try to come
up with a better transition. If you can’t think of a good transition,
perhaps you need to rethink the organization of the paper.
Postview the draft, asking yourself some important final questions:
Have I proved my basic thesis? Do I lack sufficient facts in any part of
the paper? Does my overall organization seem natural, or does it seem
artificial or strained? (If the organization isn’t adequate, you may have
to move your facts and points around, or you may even have to rewrite
the paper. The best students are always ready to do a second or third
draft if that seems necessary.)