Are you daunted by the idea of writing a proposal for that fascinating conference you’ve been eyeing for months? We hear you. We’ve been there. And we want to share what we learned.
The proposal.
A proposal is a succinct pitch for a broader body of work. It is a window into the material you will be presenting, like reading the commentary on the back of a novel or watching the trailer for a film.
Most proposals have these basic components:
- A word limit is part of the beauty of a proposal. Abiding by the word limit shows that you are familiar enough with your topic to provide a concise and clear focus for your presentation. After all, brevity is intriguing.
- Context. Orient your readers to your topic. Identify what you are researching, your source material. Pull readers in with a vivid image, capture their attention with reference to a story, or place them within a certain historical time period. Contextualizing your topic allows readers to follow along with your thought process.
- A thesis, argument, problem, or question. The proposal should present a clear statement or theory that is to be analyzed, amplified, or argued.
- A methodology or an approach. How are you approaching your topic? Are you looking for mythological themes? Are you using a feminist lens to analyze a movie? Perhaps you are using a poststructural methodology. Bring the reader along on this journey.
- So what? How does your presentation contribute to the ongoing conversation? What makes your work different? How have you synthesized various findings to create something unique? This is the heartbeat of your work and it is what you want attendees to take away from your presentation.
Edit twice, submit once.
Already read through your presentation multiple times? Read it again.
Look for repetition. Track your thread of logic. Do you hold the reader’s hand through your thought process? This is a wonderful time to cut unnecessary words to align with the word count and to create a succinct clarity. Read it aloud. Do you get caught on certain phrases as you read? Others will as well. Reword or cut out those phrases. Editing is like polishing a precious piece of jewelry; it allows your work to shine.
Click Send, and celebrate!
Great job! Every submission is an accomplishment in and of itself.