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The Purple Guide to Learning Debate in 10 Days
A 10-day starter plan to build a real argument, defend it, and walk away knowing if debate is for you
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: First Day
Welcome. If you're reading this, you're probably curious about debate but also a little intimidated. That's the right starting point. You don't need to be a fast talker, a politics major, or someone who loves confrontation. You need to be willing to try one structured thing today and see what it feels like. That's it.
Today is not about learning a complex system. It's about building a single, honest argument about something you actually care about. The session will take you about 45 minutes. You'll spend most of it thinking and writing, not talking to anyone else. There is no audience, no judge, no opponent. It's just you, a piece of paper (or a note-taking app), and a simple three-part structure that you'll use today and for the rest of this plan.
You might feel a little silly or awkward at first. That's normal. Most people feel a weird mix of "this is too simple to be real" and "I don't know where to start." Both of those feelings are expected. Let's work through them.
The first thing you need is a topic. It has to be something with two clear sides, and it has to be something you have an opinion on. Don't pick the single most controversial thing you can think of. Pick something at a comfortable temperature for you. For example, "Our city should build more bike lanes," or "Schools should start the day later," or "Streaming services should be required to show