TIPS for WRITING Diane Hendrix Writing Advisor for 17 42 1 Dismiss that old myth about writing writers are born not made Clear effective writing just takes practice and feedback You may be smart but that does not make you the best writer you can be Writing skills need honing as with any skill Together we can demystify the writing process and help improve your writing no matter how well you write when the term begins Check out as reference sites http www aresearchguide com styleguides html all you need for citing sources or http www wsu edu brians errors errors html or http www drgrammar org faqs common errors in English useful for ESL students as well as others 2 When you schedule a writing session bring a writing sample and question about what you want to work on logical organization of ideas clarifying arguments identifying a thesis Our meetings can be for brainstorming honing ideas or editing but I need to see some writing Talking about your writing and ideas increases clarity and also the complexity of your thought 3 On beginning to write After reading and thinking about your material Decide on one question that intrigues you and that you have some feeling about What is your current answer to that question That is the nub of your essay or your thesis that is your answer to a research question on a given topic Topic research question thesis or answer to Q Write notes about 3 4 of your most important points What evidence supports your observations What might intelligent peers that is your audience not the professor or TA want to know about this question Do some free writing to get the ideas flowing Begin to organize your thoughts and evidence outlining the points you ll make in some logical way this will change drastically if you write a good paper and rewrite thoughtfully Write a draft then read aloud to yourself or to a friend who s a trusted thinker writer Then sleep revise it and revise it a couple more times rearrange rewrite 4 Separate the writing from the editing completely See Peter Elbow s superb advice on this and on freewriting While you are writing your first draft don t start editing or you may interrupt the flow of ideas Let the ideas and questions flow freely at first http myweb wvnet edu jelkins writeshop writeshop elbow html When editing Diane Hendrix Writing Specialist 1 no self abuse please What exactly do you mean to say You want to A brainstorm first to get your ideas down then B edit and reorganize sections then C read aloud polish correct and read it all again did I mention read aloud 5 Effective argumentative writing is about making a sound and persuasive argument An argument means a expressing a point of view not summarizing a survey of readingsthat s another sort of paper which is your analysis of an issue you have studied and b supporting your point of view with evidence c which you interpret for your reader clearly and persuasively Have pity on your reader Anticipate points your reader might not understand taking care to explain clearly intelligent peers are your audience not specialists or others in your class familiar with the jargon Then answer potential arguments or objections questions your reader may have with your position 6 Generally in your opening you want to tell us what you will tell us and what your plan is in a phrase introduction then tell us the body of your paper using evidence examples and arguments and finally tell us what you told us why it s important and what that may lead to conclusion Write revise your INTRODUCTION last since only then will you really know what you ve said 7 Once you have your major points evidence and conclusion nailed down construct your opening paragraph with a compelling first sentence Now that you are clear what the paper is about revise your opening graph to tells us what the how why question is that your paper will answer with a short summary of your direction points 8 Support aspects of your single idea only one per paragraph normally with examples visuals brief quotes or references to events or persons mentioned in the content you ve studied Include only details that bear directly on your claim or argument The engine that drives this paragraph is your informed conviction and the relevant detail you use to support it The paragraph should be focused with no irrelevant details Two or three vivid or convincing details are better than ten which can overwhelm 9 Once you have written at least one strong paragraph keep going Make new paragraphs for each new idea paragraphs that go on for a page mean you haven t separated your ideas in most cases Remember to use transitions to relate the idea you just explained to the next in the paragraph that follows 10 For the first assignment write two pages of paragraphs like the above double spaced If the oral medium is easier for you for getting your ideas organized record yourself on Diane Hendrix Writing Specialist 2 tape then transcribe and rework your ideas Reading your topic sentences for each graph should lead a reader through the argument of your paper 11 Once you have your ideas and arguments formulated write a complete draft then read it aloud yes it brings three separate senses to the task and ask yourself Is my central idea clear arguable and specific Are my supporting arguments logical taken together Do they include the strongest points I could make Are my supporting details on point understandable and persuasive Be sure to use active verbs when possible not passive Clarify and streamline sentences Try to use NO jargon Have I acknowledged objections and opposing points of view This strengthens your argument and suggests you ve been thorough in thinking Are there any words phrases that can be deleted fewer words increase power Did I run a spelling and grammar check Are all unclear phrases clarified 12 Make your style consistent and make it in your own voice Use words you normally would don t try to impress just state clear ideas simply Still this is a formal paper not a conversation Use style appropriate to a formal paper 13 Avoid abstract nouns when possible Use concrete nouns and few adjectives with ACTIVE not passive or TO BE verbs avoid sentences like Abstract verbalization is symptomatic of the culture s denial of its personal agency and responsibility snore 14 Once edited your sentences will present illustrative detail to support your analysis They must be tightly constructed with no extra verbiage awkward phrasing errors of syntax spelling or