A Set of Prompts to Help You Iterate From One “Tetrad” to the Next
Getting Started:
Consulting your tetrad, answer the following:
- What are key words or phrases that appear in your title and subtitle?
- What are key words and phrases that appear in your Thrifty 3-5?
- What are key words and phrases that appear in your 350?
Analysis One:
Review the word lists you have created in response to the previous questions. Assess the following prompts and jot down notes on what stands out to you:
- Are you using different terms / phrases to convey what is essentially a single idea? (e.g. you talk at times about ‘power’ and at times about ‘hegemony’, and you kind of mean them both in the same sense)
- Are you using a single term or phrase to convey different ideas in different places? If so, you should find a different term for each. (e.g. you use the term ‘theology’ sometimes to mean theology and sometimes to mean faith and sometimes to mean religion… If you are trying to say different things, choose different terms, define those terms early on for your reader, and then stick to using the right term for the right idea!)
Analysis Two:
If you were forced to pick only three top words or phrases from your lists, which words/phrases could your Thrifty 3-5 not do without? (i.e. which three words/phrases are the most essential for conveying your top point in your Thrifty 3-5)?Explain what led you to your answer (and if you struggled, explain that too!)
Analysis Three:
Are there any words/ terms / ideas / names of thinkers / concepts / etc. that seem to be missing? Either missing entirely or present in one layer of the Tetrad but not as present in another layer of the Tetrad in a way that seems suspicious to you?
Answer this however is useful: Add lists of terms or ideas or authors that you think might be missing in any of the above senses. Jot down notes on why the missing term/idea is important and why you think it should be more of a focus in one or more of the Tetrad layers. Etc.