Brainstorming and Essay Development Directions: Write your

response to each question in the spaces provided below. Use the

back of the paper or an additional page for additional brainstorming
space if you need.

1. Determine the purpose of your essay. What is the goal of your

essay in presenting your specific topic?

The purpose of my essay is to convince people to read the book

before watching a movie that was based off of it.

2. Who is the audience for your essay regarding your specific topic?
What might your audience already know? What does your audience
need to know?

The audience of my essay would be my peers who are watching

movies based on classic books but not reading the books afterwards.

3. Do you have any biases or experiences that will affect your writing?
If so, list the attitudes you might need to challenge or overcome in
order to write an objective, well-reasoned essay.

My parents have always enforced the rule of reading books before

watching the movies. I have done this my whole life, so I might be a
little biased toward books. I also love to read, and that might affect my
opinion as well. My peers, though, don't read as much as me so that
might be another thing that I am biased towards.
4. Use the space below to make a web, cluster, list, freewrite, or other
idea map to generate inspiration for your essay. If you want more
space to “make a mess,” you can use an additional sheet of paper.

Central Topic- People should read books before they watch the movie
based on the book.
● Movies tend to only focus on one part of the story, so just
watching the movie wouldn’t get you the whole experience.
● Unnecessary Added Content
● Important plot lines left out of movie
● Unnecessary Character Changes
● Questionable Content (Morally)
● Movie length can get boring.
● Added changes can be good, but the original book is usually
better.
● Movies can over exaggerate tiny things.
● Movies in a series can have weird plot lines that are supposed to
link to other books in the same series.

5. What Points (topic sentences) can you use to help build your overall
argument? Consider the main ideas you want to talk about regarding
your specific topic, and show how these can help narrow down your
larger argument.

Subtopic- Movies leave stuff out that contributes to understanding and

appreciating the story.
Subtopic- Movies add content or exaggerate things that often leads
people away from the simplicity and true value of an original story.
Subtopic- Movies tend to flatten out interesting characters and make
people less interested in reading about them.
Subtopic- Movies tend to veer towards one part of the plot and that
can cause people to miss things that could draw them into the story.
6. What illustrations (examples/evidence) could you use to support the
main ideas above? Think of specific examples from the real world that
can demonstrate your ideas, or even resources you may turn to for
researching evidence and examples that will support your claims. (you
do not need to start your research in full just yet--but this can help you
get an idea for what you might be looking for when you do your
research)
1. Hobbit adds in Kili-Tauriel romance that I like but may cause
misleading book opinions
2. ROTK (Return of the King) focuses too much on the Sam-Gollum
grudge match
3. Hobbit movies are too long because of the Gandalf-discovering-
the-return-of-Sauron side plot.
4. TT (The Two Towers) completely redoes and ruins Faramir’s
character.
5. Hobbit movies add in completely unnecessary links to LOTR like
having Kili get stabbed by the same weapon as Frodo.
6. TT adds in a sexy scene with Aragorn/Arwen that parents may
consider questionable.
 7. Hobbit movies introduce the character of Legolas early and
make him an arrogant action figure.
8. LOTR (Lord of the Rings) movies change Frodo’s character
9. FOTR (Fellowship of the Ring) makes Merry and Pippin more of
the comic relief that the heroes that they rise up to be.
10. FOTR makes Galadriel’s character too creepy
11. LOTR movies leave out the side of Sam that is comedic
and poetic
12. TT focused mostly on The Battle of Helm’s Deep which
makes the movie too long
13. ROTK exaggerates Faramir and Denathor’s father-son
relationship troubles
14. LOTR leaves out Aragorn’s kingly legacy for most of the
films
15. TT adds in the stirring death of an elf that is unnecessary
for the plot.

7. Why do these Illustrations matter? Why do specific examples and

evidence matter to your argument? Explain what makes these
examples important for your overall argument.

Subtopic 1- Movies leave stuff out that contributes to understanding and appreciating the story.

11. LOTR movies leave out the side of Sam that is comedic and poetic
14. LOTR leaves out Aragorn’s kingly legacy for most of the films

Subtopic 2- Movies add content or exaggerate things that often lead people away from the
simplicity and true value of an original story.

1. Hobbit adds in Kili-Tauriel romance that I like but may cause misleading book
opinions
2. ROTK (Return of the King) focuses too much on the Sam-Gollum grudge match
 5. Hobbit movies add in completely unnecessary links to LOTR like having Kili get
stabbed by the same weapon as Frodo.
6. TT adds in a sexy scene with Aragorn/Arwen that parents may consider questionable.
12. TT focused mostly on The Battle of Helm’s Deep which makes the movie too long
14. ROTK exaggerates Faramir and Denathor’s father-son relationship troubles
15. TT adds in the stirring death of an elf that is unnecessary for the plot.

Subtopic 3- Movies tend to veer towards one part of the plot and that can cause people to miss
things that could draw them into the story.

2.ROTK (Return of the King) focuses too much on the Sam-Gollum grudge match
3. Hobbit movies are too long because of the Gandalf-discovering-the-return-of-Sauron
side plot.
12.TT focused mostly on The Battle of Helm’s Deep which makes the movie too long
14.ROTK exaggerates Faramir and Denathor’s father-son relationship troubles

Subtopic 4 - Movies tend to flatten out interesting characters and make people less interested in
reading about them.

4. TT (The Two Towers) makes Faramir coldhearted and mean.

7. Hobbit movies introduce Legolas early and make him an arrogant stuntman.
8. LOTR (Lord of the Rings) movies change Frodo’s character by making him too moody
9. FOTR (Fellowship of the Ring) makes Merry and Pippin more of the comic relief than
the unsung heroes that they are.
10. FOTR makes Galadriel’s character too creepy
11. LOTR movies leave out the side of Sam that is comedic and poetic