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Part 2: In this part I will be focusing on shaping arguments in opinionated articles and how one can think like an architect !
Just as there is no best way to build a house, there is no best method to structure an OP-ED. In terms of editorial pieces, some luminary writers, like Thomas Friedman or David Brooks, take an inductive approach. While there are arguments and evidence from other writers that oppose this approach, writers like Farid Zakaria at the Washington Post mostly adopt a deductive approach, starting with an idea or philosophical principle and moving on to a specific circumstance. He then concludes with why that circumstance is right and should be maintained, or wrong and should be altered.
As an architect will tell you, the structure of a house ultimately depends on the people who design it and end-users. Similarly, arguments and ideations are no different, and, depending on your goals and your readers, you may need to establish a different style to empower your written style.
Although no two styles are alike, they all comprise three basic structural parts, an intro, a body, and a conclusion, each of which performs a core set of functions that if left out, may risk collapsing the grand design of your building.
These are some intricacies that I’ve learnt. I am thankful to Spark and the agency for giving me this opportunity to not only grow in my specific area of expertise but to work with highly capable people and become a versatile communications professional.
I always say this when I learn a new word, a phrase, or a grammatical tactic from Spark or any of the team-mates, “Every day is a school day. All you have to do is be ready to learn.”
Ahmed Malik is Senior Account Manager at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations, an independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me