Teaching Persuasive Writing with Frankenstories

There can be multiple speakers.

In live, social situations, speakers often try to persuade each other, with each speaker being the other’s audience.

In writing games & exercises, it’s easier to focus on a single “speaker” trying to influence one or more audiences.

If you are the speaker, you should ask yourself the same questions:

• Who are you?
• What’s your job or role?
• What do you want?
• What’s your background?
• What’s your relationship to the issue?
• How much do you know about it?
• What’s your relationship to the audience?
• How badly do you need an outcome?
• How specific does the outcome need to be?
• What power do you have? What resources?

The point is not to write an autobiography; it’s to decide what is important in this context.