As any professional writer knows, the hardest part of the writing process isn’t the writing itself, it’s the rewriting. Screenwriters, novelists, scientists and historians all go through it; the same goes for college students when it comes to rewriting a research paper or term paper. Writing the first draft should be the easy part. It’s the subsequent drafts that keep us up at night. So for those of you who find yourself in the rewriting phase, here are some tips on how to master the rewrite and stay focused. Read more
Ensuring what you mean is what you write.
Sometimes when writing, we may begin a sentence without knowing how it will end. If you’re not careful, it could come out with the entirely wrong meaning. Self-editing prior to handing in work can help avoid some serious writing disasters.
“When something is awful, why not say so?” asks Richard Palmer, author of Write In Style: A Guide to Good English(London: Spon Press, 1993, 3). He says so in the chapter on Disasters, – using the following passages to explain what to do to avoid such mistakes: Read more
David R. Williams advocates applying the K.I.S.S. principle (“Keep it simple, Stupid.”) to writing. In his book Sin Boldly! Dr. Dave’s Guide to Writing the College Paper (Cambridge, MA: Perseus, 2000), 9, he explains, ” ‘Simple’ does not have to mean simpleminded. Keeping it simple means avoiding the complexity of too many competing, confusing factors. This applies to choosing a paper topic as well as writing a sentence or running a business.” Read more