Getting Started
Read! – Your professors may show you examples of the type of writing patterns you’re expected to use in an assignment. Read them to appreciate how the above principles operate. Read them to observe writing conventions, precise vocabulary, correctness, and how writers break the rules intelligently. Most important, read them to get inspired.
Think! – Some people jump right in, getting words on the page. Others like to outline – in fact, your professor may expect one. If you’re a visual learner, creating a graphic organizer, like a cluster map, can help you organize your ideas. There is no recipe for good writing, but good writing shares some fundamentals.
Write! – Whether your drafting style is on paper or on the computer, get as much text down as possible. Aim for at least two rough drafts before you really refine your document with revision and editing. And if for some reason, you are unable to complete an assignment, you can produce a draft to demonstrate that you didn’t totally blow it off. Do not, however, pass off writing that isn’t yours – you’ll get busted for plagiarizing and jeopardize your academic standing.