Creating An Enjoyable Article In Academic Writing

I don't tend to be a person that is normally at a loss for words when discussing topics I am familiar with. It is therefore very perplexing that I have struggled early on with academic writing. One thing I was vaguely aware of early last year was that although I might bring a number of abilities with me to the field of research, I wouldn't know a good research topic or finding if I were standing on it.

Tonight while working on an essay I had an epiphany of sorts and I believe it will help a lot going forward. The following are my thoughts as I thought through the situation:

Here's what I'm thinking. I'm working on an essay and it just doesn't have impact. I understand the ways in which two kinds of theories describe what is going on with online search. Nevertheless, I struggle to bring them together in a way that makes for an enjoyable and convincing read. As I look at other essays that are good, something that stands out to me is that they bring in tension of some sort. A historical story about something that I don't know about, with a warning and prescription for success, makes a good read. An argument for why something should be done that isn't being done makes a good read. Explaining why something is what it is, which is what I am doing, has less impact. If a tension could be created, a bold statement backed up by theory, then that would provide for an interesting read. Arguing means making an assertion and providing a rationale behind that assertion. Saying that the grass is green and describing why is not an argument. Saying that the grass will stay green and describing why is, potentially, an argument. Saying that the grass is green but could be blue in 2 weeks and then explaining why, is an assertion--is an argument.

In other random thoughts today, I was really enjoying reading the blog of Lewis Elliot today. I am into triathlons and since he is a guy who literally smoked me at a small event last year, I check up on his status from time to time. I wonder if it would even be possible to write about events in a PhD program in that same way that he does and have it be interesting to somebody, somewhere, some day. Something tells me that it is far cooler to talk about puking in Kona while racing on your bike against the fastest guys in the world than it is to talk about a conversation in a doctoral seminar or getting stuck in traffic on the way to school. Nevertheless, maybe I'll give it a try. I bet the people I am working with are going to be famous (well, some already are) and somebody will want to read about it at some point.