How I write my articles: The methodology that is used to create my writing style

By Joao Cunha

I will start off this article with an admission: I didn’t have a writing technique until about 4 years ago. It took me a long time to develop a style that suited my unique skill-set and needs. I tried all sorts of styles and techniques for several years. I tried writing body paragraphs before intro paragraphs, which didn’t work at all. I didn’t have the ability to write coherently without a basic introduction to start things off. I tried writing my conclusion first which also failed as I couldn’t conclude something before I had an idea of what I was going to write about. I am a writer that works best when I structure that gave me an idea of what the paper would be about. Trying to guess what my conclusion would before I wrote the paper was a waste of time. Then I tried to freelance and write all my ideas before I wrote down the actual paper/article. But that was not effective as I would basically not be able to focus on a few key ideas and I would get stuck trying to unscramble all the ideas I had written down. These were tactics offered to me by others and while they might work for many different individuals, it wasn’t effective for me. I had to develop my own writing strategy to so that I didn’t have struggle as much when I was in the process of writing papers, articles, etc.

These are the steps I take in my writing process.

1. I visualize what I am going to write about. I spend the majority of a time when I write anything on this process of visualizing the work I am about to do. If I can’t have an idea in my mind about how the paper is going to look like it is challenging to write about the subject. So I spend several days thinking about how I want the article or essay in question to look like. What kinds of topic(s) do I address? In what order should I put each topic in? Is a topic worth writing about or expanding on? Will this create a coherent essay or article in the end? Does writing about a subject fit my skill-set or do I need to focus my attention on another topic? This process for me is done in my mind, I take several days to sort it our before I even begin to process of writing something down. Sometimes even after I wake up in the morning I get new ideas so sleep is important in the process as well. After days of thought and organization I am ready to write down my ideas in my first draft. However I have an order I write the essay in.

2. I write the introduction and title as a way to structure the paper or article. I always write the introduction and the title first no matter what I am writing about. This is a way to give me direction about what I want the entire essay to be about. I write the intro as a guide to keep me on track as what I wanted to write about originally. However I am not inflexible with the introduction or titles, I usually change some parts of both throughout the writing process. There are topics that make sense in my mind but don’t actually work when I write it down. There are times where I get stuck mid-paper trying to think how to make the intro work and I come up with a new idea altogether. Then I rewrite the introduction and the title. But the introductory paragraph for me is a framework in which I build the rest of my work by. Without it I don’t have a clear direction and can veer off into random topics without a clear connective point.

3. I then write the body paragraphs or the skeleton of the paper. As the intro is the brain of the article, the body paragraphs are the skeleton that relays the brain functions to the other parts of the body. It is important to make sure that the title, introduction, and body paragraphs are in sync as much as possible. They have to connect with each other in some way, maybe not blatantly but in a nice way so the paper has flow. For my style to work it has to have a good flow, sot the ideas move seamlessly as possible without confusing the reader. For this the body paragraphs should be inextricably linked to the io the intro and conclusion as much as it can. I try to link both by ordering the paragraphs in a logical, sequential order like time or events that allow for individual body paragraphs and sync to make a functional article to the reader. The bulk of my time researching about a topic comes when I am writing the skeleton of the paper. As I usually research very specific things that I want to add to my paper or article. I do basic research in the initial stages of visualizing the paper but the real research is reserved for the body paragraphs.

4. I then write closing remarks or a conclusion. This is one of the easiest parts for me to do, as the structure of the paper has been created already. All that is left to do is to write a conclusion or closing remarks that ties everything together. The tricky part is to write something that links all the subjects you have discusses without being overly repetitive, which is something that I struggle with at times. As there have been times where my closing remarks mirrored my intro. However with practice I have improved and have the used the final paragraph as a way to sum the article while adding novel information. The new information could be looking into the future, or inserting an opinion, or debunking a narrative but I usually try to make sure it is a point not already made in the article. This is basically the end of the end of the paper but work still needs to be done.

5. I edit and correct the paper. This takes me another 1-2 days to do as I like to initially correct the errors of paper after I finish it. But then I wait a day and do more through corrections and make some changes to the article. Sometimes I add a new paragraph or replace a topic. Other times I delete an entire subject out of a paper. Most of the time it is about correcting spelling and grammar mistakes. And also fixing typos or spacing errors. However this is an important step to make sure that my articles are understandable to the reader.

I will now show you an example using my recent article on Tite’s Brazil to demonstrate how I created that essay. This will be done using step by step instructions that I listed above. Here’s a link to the article: https://realtakesite.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/how-brazil-became-winners-again-tites-three-year-turnaround-of-a-once-moribund-brazil-side/

Step 1: I visualized the article the day Brazil won the Copa America. Then I spent a few days thinking about how to structure the article. Which gave me a few ideas. Write an article about just the 2019 Copa America victory. I scrapped that idea thinking it wouldn’t fit my skill-set, I am not great at writing match reports and it wouldn’t be the best read. Then I thought I should write about a specific player like Dani Alves. I didn’t think that would be ideal as the entire team played and no single player stood out that much to write about. Eventually I thought to settle on writing about Tite’s impact as the Brazil manager. I was convinced this would work for several reasons.

1, Tite took over in 2016 so it could give a few years of data to write about his impact and the dire straits that the national team was in before he arrived.

2. I was now able to construct a logical time-table that would link the article together. Intro would explain Brazil’s team prior to Tite and his arrival. The body paragraphs could explain the rise of Brazil after he came in, the downfall of the 2018 World Cup, and the rise in the 2019 Copa Amerrica.

3. Symbolism. Brazil’s last official match before Tite was against Peru, the final against Peru came against Peru. The first match they lost 1-0 which knocked them out of the Copa America, the last match they won the Copa America winning 3-1 sealing the national’s championship.

4. This type of article where it is time based fit my strengths, instead of match reports and tactical analysis I could focus on the creation of a team. The building of a new side, through the ups of qualifying and the disappointment of the World Cup, Until of course their victorious Copa America campaign which could be linked to a bright future into the 2022 World Cup. It was the article that made the most sense for me to write.

Step 2: I then began writing my intro describing the mess Brazil were under before Tite’s arrival, their disappointing tournaments and bad results. Then I described who Tite was and the impact he had at his other clubs primarily Corinthians.

Step 3: The next few paragraphs explained Brazil’s meteoric rise in qualifying due to Tite’s team building and using new players. Then I went into detail about the disappointment in the 2018 World Cup and the mistakes Tite made. Finally I explained the changes he made in the Copa America roster, the injury to Neymar, and the initial struggles in the group stages, and the changes Tite made that eventually led to the victory against Peru in the 2019 Copa America final. My research included checking scores and squads, but in general I memorized most of the information prior to writing the article.

Step 4: The conclusion was written to look forward as Brazil has a real chance to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup final with Tite at the helm. His organization and rebuilding of the national team has won him something, but if he adapts even more Brazil could be in for more titles in the future.

Step 5: I made several corrections by updating scores, fixing typos, and changing sentences here and there in the intro. I changed my title several times before finally settling on one and then I was finished with my article. The entire process in total took around 4 days.

This is basically how I plan to write any article that you have seen on this site. Through this planning process I am able to consistently write articles in a way that has a similar style yet can discuss different subjects seamlessly. It is a way to keep my own style embedded no matter what I decide to write about. Everyone can have their own method of writing but I give the reader this as advice. Experiment as much as you can when you write until you find something that suits you. It took me years to finally find this style and now that it has become a part of my life, writing isn’t just art but it’s also a beautiful science that I can replicate as many times as I want to.

 

6 years after remission: My story fighting cancer

By Joao Cunha

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the beginning of 2013. Either late January or early February I can’t recall the exact date. And that moment changed my life forever. When I was about to be diagnosed I didn’t have a good feeling about the test. I went underwent a battery of tests and eventually I had to do a biopsy on my chest in which they took a sample to be tested. At the time the surgeon doubted that I actually had cancer, if he thought I did he would have put something inside my chest to make chemotherapy easier. So my family thought that I didn’t have cancer and that this was just a scare. The results came one week after the surgery I was summoned to go to New York to get the results. I was filled with pain because of the recent surgery but I don’t remember the pain that much. I felt uneasy because I was preparing myself in case I was diagnosed. The previous month or so I wasn’t feeling well at all. I had nightsweats, I was exhausted for no reason, I felt dizzy. There was something wrong but despite that until you hear you have cancer you don’t actually think you will be diagnosed. When the doctor said that I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma I went numb and fell into a deep silence. I am not sure I said anything for the next few hours. I was stunned but not surprised. When I got  home I went to my room and began to think. I promised myself that I would be as positive as possible and that I would get better soon. After all it was only stage 2 and they caught it about as early as possible. I would be fine soon and that is how I approached it. But reality set in after the first round of chemo.

I don’t remember all the eight chemo sessions I did. But it is impossible to forger the first one. My dad took to me every single session and doctor’s appointment in New York. I am incredibly lucky to have had his support. As well as my mom who made things as easy as possible when I got home and had to stay there most of the time due to the increased risk of infections. But the first chemo didn’t feel so bad initially, they injected me with the ABVD medication through the veins in my hand. It lasted about 2 hours in total. Before the chemo I had to take blood samples and my veins would hurt a lot after it was all done. But I remember thinking I was okay after the chemo because for the first 30 minutes I was normal. I ate some lunch and went home and on the car ride home I realized this was going to be hard. I was basically sick throughout the car ride home and went to bed immediately after I got home. I didn’t want to eat anything for several days, I was in constant pain throughout the next 10 days. But after about 10 days I would start to feel better and start to heal from the chemo. I didn’t lose any hair in the first chemo but the second one I began to lose almost all my hair. It isn’t even the hair that bothered me because you expect to lose that. But losing your eyebrows and eyelashes are not good as your eyes get sensitive to dust, dirt and get filled with water. That was hard enough but then I had added symptoms. My veins after the second chemo would swell red after the treatment because of inflammation. I would feel mouth pain when I tried to eat in addition to general nausea, sensitivity to smells and vomiting. There would be an injection I would take to keep the white blood cell count high and it would affect my arms. There was a constant pain in arms, legs and joints for a week after each treatment. In addition my skin turned into a pale yellow color which only made me look even more ill. But oddly enough I was fine with most of the symptoms. I had accepted it would be difficult and just went through the treatment. I had to stop going to Rutgers, I had to stay home most of the time because of the low blood cell count, and I had I had no energy to exercise. One of the things that still gets me angry to this day, is how often the nurses and doctors told me I had to exercise when they had no idea how awful I felt physically. It was annoying to say the least even though I knew they meant well.

After the third chemo the doctors did more tests and the next week they said I needed at least 5 more rounds of chemo. I was sad of course but I knew that after those rounds I would get better. As time elapsed things slowly got a little easier. I was able to relax and I read a lot of articles and books throughout, I played video games and spent time with my friends who came to visit me. I was watching Real Madrid, Flamengo and New York Red Bulls games like everything was fine. My siblings were very supportive of me and try to cheer me up by telling jokes and treating me as noramally as possible. The weeks passed and by early June I did my last chemo treatment. And I was lucky it was my last one, as my veins couldn’t handle any more chemo injections. The last few times my veins on my left hand basically stopped and would pop when they tested them. (I still can’t take blood using my left arm to this day) If I had to undergo anymore chemo treatments it’s likely I would have to do surgery to insert the device in my chest that would make chemo treatments easier. But things weren’t done yet I had to go through one month of radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy was a lot simpler but unlike chemo you had to get treatment 5 times a week instead of 1 time every 2 weeks. But it was a 5-10 minute treatment that had no real side-effects. By the end of June I was feeling a lot better and my hair slowly began to grow back. I saw Brazil win the 2013 Confederations Cup while undergoing radiotherapy treatment so I remember this time with fondness. Not only was the pain of the chemotherapy over but I saw the effects slowly go away. In the second week of July the radiotherapy sessions finally ended. I went to the doctor the next week and I was in remission as all the tests came out fine. I thanked the doctors and nurses who helped me and feel gratefuI as they helped me get better. I was cancer-free but then came the part people don’t talk about as much, you have to restart your life.

After treatment it took me about a year to return to normal physically as I felt tired for a long time. The doctors kept telling me that it was longer than I should feel tired but the doctors didn’t get it. It’s not easy to go from worrying constantly battling for your life and then be expected to return to normal. I didn’t walk a lot during chemo and I lost a lot of weight and muscle. That took time to recover. I returned to college 5 months after the end of my radiotherapy in January 2014, I took only a few classes to get up to speed. As well as I did in those classes I never felt right in that semester. i was always tired and I wasn’t myself throughout those 4 months I was in college. In retrospect I probably rushed back sooner than I needed to and if I had to do it all again I would have waited and enrolled in the summer. But thankfully the next semester in the Fall of 2014 I was fine and had even better grades. And by the Spring of 2015 I had a 4.0 GPA that semester and my life was on track again. But it wasn’t easy and it required time and patience. Another consequence of the experience was that I couldn’t stand going back to that doctor’s office, it would make me feel sick. I didn’t like undergoing all the blood tests, all the X-rays, CAT scans, PET scans, etc. I would be fearful I would once again have cancer. This fear only went away after 5 years post treatment as the 5-year mark was when the likelihood of the cancer coming back was almost impossible. It was to hard to excercise for a while. But now I exorcise 5-6 times a week and have regained some of the muscle that I lost. It was also at times to motivate myself to do things. You see when you go through this kind of experience it puts your life into perspective. All the things you used to think were important really aren’t and I had to force myself to take things seriously. I had to relearn how to live in the real world. Despite these difficulties battling cancer did teach some great lessons that I take to this day.

The lessons that it taught me was to be a more open person. For whatever reason I was not a very open person and I didn’t like sharing things about myself. But now I am able to do it because I know that life is precious. it is a gift to be alive. When I got treatment I had to see little kids get chemo and hear their cries and the pain they suffered. That truly affects my life more than the pain I suffered. I don’t recall the pain I suffered being that hard on me but those kids that always sticks with me. They are in my thoughts every day and that made me a more humane person. The other lesson I took is that every day is a blessing, each moment you have in life is a chance to do something for yourself or others. To strive for something and live a better life. After all that I suffered through with the support of my family and friends I am now able to reflect on this experience in a more nuanced way. I I certainly became more religious and have a deeper faith and love in God. And my luck ever since 6 years ago began to change. Eventually I graduated from college, I began to improve as a person, I saw my teams win titles (Real with the 4 Champions Leagues, NYRB with 3 supporters shields, Brazil Copa America, Portugal Euro 2016), the continued health of my family, and I made awesome new friends that I am forever grateful for. Throughout all these trials and tribulations I never lost my optimism and hope, and that belief along with the grace of God is why I am happy and healthy today. This was truly hard to write and it certainly took me time to feel comfortable sharing my experience. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to write years or even months ago. But 6 years is a lot of time and to close this chapter of my life, it was best to write it down and share this story. God bless all of you who took the time to read it and thanks to my loved ones for giving me the support I needed. 

O Campeão Voltou: How Tite rebuilt a once dysfunctional team and created a winning culture

 

Rui Diaz scoring the goal that knocked Brazil out of the 2016 Cop America.

By Joao Cunha

Peru 1-0 Brazil. That was the scoreline of the final group game for the Selecao in the 2016 Copa America. A game in which Peru knocked Brazil out of the group stages of a Copa America for the first time since 1987. It was yet another low point in Brazilian football filled with low points since the humbling 7-1 loss to Germany suffered in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Dunga took over after that debacle and the fortunes didn’t change. Brazil labored to a quarterfinals of the 2015 Copa America before losing to Paraguay on penalties. At the time of the 2016 Copa America Brazil sat 6th in World Cup qualifying risking missing out on a World Cup for the first time ever. in the tournament itself they were lucky to escape with a 0-0 draw with Ecuador after a mistake by Alison allowed a soft goal that could not be confirmed due to not having goal-line technology at the tournament. The 7-1 trashing of Haiti did little to convince and then Peru albeit with a handball involved in the goal deservedly knocked out a sorry Brazilain side 1-0. Something needed to be done. The slide had to be stopped or else Brazil risked an ever more humilating prospect. Thankfully the CBF took action, firing Dunga and hiring Tite. Tite was a very successful manager prior to his appointment winning big titles at Gremio, Internacional, and Corinthians. His finest achievement was leading the Timao to an impressive Copa Libertadores win 2012 finishing the tournament unbeaten. He followed that up by leading Corinthians to a shock victory over European Champions Chelsea and winning the FIFA Club World Cup. His Corinthians side are the last South American team to win a World Title which only makes his achievement that much more remakable. The Brazilian team had their manager, and later that summer a new group of young players won Brazil’s first Olympic gold. Brazilians didn’t know it at the time but the national team was going to br revitalized and would start winning again.

Paulinho scored a hat-trick as Brazil thumped Uruguay 4-1.

Tite recalled players like Paulinho and Renato Augusto to pair up with Casemiro to build the base of his midfield during the qualifying. Dani Alves and Marcelo were the fullbacks, and Thiago Silva was recalled back as well to partner Miranda or Marquinhos at the back. The attacki8ng midfielder was Phillipe Coutinho and Neymar partnered up with a young talent in Gabriel Jesus. With this team Brazil instantly started to dominate opponents again. They beat Uruguay 4-1 away from home behind a hat-trick from Paulinho. They destroyed Lionel Messi and Argentina 3-0 behind a fantastic performance from Coutinho. They got revenge against Peru beating them 2-0 in Lima. And to finish off their World Cup qualifying campaign they humiliated Chile 3-0 to knock them out of the World Cup. They had finished first in qualification with a staggering 41 points in 18 games and never losing while Tite was in charge. They were ready to win the World Cup at least that was the sentiment.

Belgium knocked Brazil 2-1 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Kevin De Bruyne scoring the winner.

Sadly for Brazil they didn’t deliver in the World Cup struggling to beat Costa Rica and Serbia in the group while only drawing with Switzerland in the group. While in the Round of 16 they beat Mexico 2-0 to reach the last 8. But that’s where the tournament came to an abrupt end for Brazil as they lost 2=1 to yet another European side Belgium. This World Cup was maybe a tournament too soon for Brazil, after all they had struggled so much in the past few years that they needed more time. Tite did make some lineup errors like starting Marcelo over Filipe Luis, and not starting Firmino over Gabriel Jesus. Lessons that one year later he would learn from.

In the 2019 Copa America Brazil were the favorites to win the tournament but they lost their best player and talisman Neymar prior to the competition due to injury. This could have derailed many other recent Brazilan sides. When Brazil lost Neymar due to injury or suspension in the 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa America they didn’ win a single knockout game without him. When they didn’t take Neymar to the 2016 Copa America the team finished 3rd in the group. He was vital to what Brazil did as a team. However Tite made changes to the team that would help cope with this loss. He made the team more defensively balanced discarding an out of form Marcelo for Filipe Luis and Alex Sandro at left-back. He settled on a center-back partnership of Thiago Silva and Marquinhos. He put Casemiro alongside Arthur who could win the ball and distribute it well in the midfield. He gave Firmino a starting role and put Richarlison and Neres out wide, with Coutinho as the attacking midfielder. Finally he recalled Dani Alves who recovered from his injury and made him the starting right-back and captain. Things were looking fine until the first 2 games of the Copa America.

Brazil were held scoreless by Venezuela in the 2019 Copa MAmerica. A game in which the team was jeered throughout.

Brazil beat Bolivia 3-0 but played an awful first-half and they were booed off after 45 minutes. In the second game against Venezuela, Brazil were held to a drab 0-0 draw. There may have been some goals wrongly disallowed but the team was not playing well. So Tite made changes before the Peru game he started Everton “Cebolinha” instead of Neres and Gabriel Jesus played out wide instead of a sick Richarlson. With this new lineup Brazil thrashed Peru 5-0 with Everton scoring, Gabriel Jesus playing well, Firmino and Casemiro scoring a goal each. Even Dani Alves got himself a goal, the lineup change worked. But Casemiro was suspended for the next match against Paraguay. With Casemiro starting Brazil has never lost a match and the last tournaments Brazil were eliminated in Casemiro was suspended fot those matches. Paraguay were also Brazi’s bogey team knocking them out of the quarter-finals of the 2011 and 2015 edition of the Copa America. The game was dull in the firs half but in the second half things changed. Brazil dominated the game and forced Gatitio the Paraguayan keeper to make great saves. Paqueta came in as a sub and made an impact as did Willian but the post denied him a late winner. The game ended 0-0 and would go to penalties yet again. But this time Brazil came out on top with Alison saving a penalty and Gabriel Jesus scoring his penalty to send Brazil to the semi-finals. Where they would face Argentina.

Brazilian players celebrating their goal against Argentina.

Brazil played their best game of the tournament against Argentina as Tite opted for Alex Sandro instead of Filipe Luis at left-back. They dominated the first 20 minutes and were rewarded with a wonderful team goal. Dani Alves started it off finding Firmino out wide and he passed it to Gabriel Jesus to slot home. Although Aguero and Messi hit the post and crosssbar respectively Brazil were always a threat on the counter. And then late in the second half the killer blow came. Gabriel jesus made a brilliant run taking on Foyt and slotting the ball to Firmino for an easy tap-in. Brazil were 2-0 up and the game was all but over. Brazil had defeated Argentina again in a big game and there was no doubt now their name was on the trophy. They just had to beat Peru in the final to do it.

Richarlison celebrating scoring Brazil’s third goal against Peru which sealed their Cop America triumph.

There is something very poetic in the fact that Brazil faced Peru in the 2019 Copa America final. The team who knocked Brazil out of the Copa three years ago and began this rebuild would be the team that Brazil would seal their return to football’s elite. And boy did Brazil do just that. They scored within 20 minutes and it was Everton with his 3rd goal of the competition finishing off a fantastic cross by Gabriel Jesus. But then the ref awarded a dubious penalty to Peru for a handball on Thiago Silva. Paulo Guerrero slotted it past Alison for the first goal Brazil conceded all tournament. Doubt could have set but this side was different within two minutes Brazil had their lead again. Arthur sent in a through ball in which Gabriel Jesus slotted past Gallese. 2-1 Brazil and a lead they would not relinquish. Despite the ref sending off Gabriel Jesus in the second half, Brazil held strong. Alison making a clutch save to make sure the score stayed at 2-1. Tite gave the team more stabiluty by sending on Militao as a third center-back and Richarlison as a counter-attack threat. Everton the player who started the tournament on the bench finished Peru off with a great run and earned Brazil a penalty. Richarlison slotted it home and Brazil had done it. A 3-1 win over Peru in the Maracana to win their ninth Copa America, their first major trophy since 2013 and the first Copa win since 2007. They were winners again.

Dani Alves lifting the 2019 Copa America title.

Brazil now have the team and mentality to continue their winning ways, there will be a Copa American next year where they will be favorites to repeat. But whatt Brazilians really want is to win the World Cup in 2022. For that to happen Tite and Brazil have to continue to evolve. Tite has made great strides in his team selections and lineups. But he can work on his substitution pattern and general rigidness and reliance on defensive football. But he has done a great job of making this Selecao side competitive and win titles. As Casemiro said after the final, “Finals are not meant to be played, they are meant to be won.” And Tite’s Brazil have done just that, they have won again and provided hope that this won’t be an one-off victory. There is a base to build on and maybe this rebuild with a rebirth of Brazilian dominance come 2022.