Guide to Writing final

“What the hell am I supposed to write about!?” More often than not, I think it’s safe to say that most student writers ask themselves this when they first get a writing assignment. Even for this very one I am doing now, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to write about. A “guide to writing” coming from a person who already has enough difficulty guiding themselves as they write doesn’t exactly seem like the best place to get advice. However, I was told long ago that once you are able to teach a subject, and have it make sense to the learner, then that is when you know you understand that particular subject. So, here goes nothing. This will forever (or at least for now) be my attempt to show some of the things I’ve learned and benefited from with regards to writing, be it for school or for anything else.

Don’t say “no.”
There are definitely some things that I would have loved to have had available to me growing up and having to write, what feels like, endless amounts of writing assignments. For starters, start writing something, anything; just get ideas down on the paper so you have something to work with. You never know when an idea or a word may trigger something in your brain that inspires you to write something that could be profound. I’ve also learned that it is very important to not limit your self with regards to what you are going to write. Part of starting and writing anything is the willingness to not put limits on your ideas. Don't say "no" to your self when you get an idea.

I actually first learned this idea of not limiting my ideas while in a graphic design class I had a couple years ago where I was sketching ideas for a poster, although, it can be applied to writing or anything that requires drafting. I had about seven different variations of the design and one of them I thought I was pleased with. As I was waiting for my professor to come check them out, I sketched one more, and sure enough, I liked it more than the rest of the sketches and so did the professor. The point is, the more options you give your self, or in this case, the more you write down, the more you have to look back on and possibly use. I cannot stress this part enough. I’ve found out that being pleased with my own work is the most difficult thing to do, no matter what it is I’m trying to accomplish; so having more options is never a bad thing. Occasionally, though, you have to just commit with what you have and continue on.

Manage your time.
Another very helpful tip is time management. Everyone procrastinates, especially college students, some people just pull it off better than others. Regardless, no one genuinely likes to work under pressure so give your self an ample amount of time to work on your ideas. For example, have you ever had the opportunity to say something clever and witty to someone, whether it’s verbal or in an email/over the internet? More often than not, this happens as a response, or a retort, to what someone else has just said to you. In that type of situation, you’re put on the spot and most likely say something jumbled and foolish, right? Then, minutes, hours, days, etc. later you think of something perfect to say but obviously can’t because it’s too late. Well, that stupid thing you tried to articulate (or didn’t, since you couldn’t think of something quick enough) is much like your first draft. It’s crappy, and you probably feel generally bummed because the other person is realizing you aren’t as smart as you look. However, had you been given ample time to gather your ideas and think of that witty thing to say, then you would have won the argument, or got the girl’s number, or made someone smile. Whatever the situation was, the extra time is what was needed, and so the same goes for writing assignments, you can only benefit from the extra time you work on a paper.

Converse.
So, you’re still reading this guide to writing, right? You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, I’m still reading, but only because I’m the professor grading it, or I’m in your family, or I’m your friend that you asked nicely to check it out to make sure it all made sense.” When really, you’re an aspiring scholar that should be thinking, “Oh, wowee! This guide to writing sure is helpful! I’m so glad I took the time to check it out, no matter what my relation to the author is because, at the very least, it’ll make me sound smarter during any future writing I’m going to need to do!!!” See what I did there? Believe it or not, just now, I had a conversation. Granted, it was a guess as to what you were thinking versus what you should be thinking, but my point is that I presented two sides. I discussed what you were thinking then backed it up with what you should be thinking in order to prove my point that this guide actually should benefit you, in some way or another.

This method of engaging in a conversation is known as the “they say/I say” technique. It comes from a book I wish I had known about at the beginning of my pursuit for a higher education. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst are the authors of the appropriately title The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: They Say / I Say. In the first sentence of the preface, these authors tell you that, “Experienced instructors have long recognized that writing well means entering into conversation with others.” They are professors from the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as the University of Cincinnati, so I think it’s safe to say that they know what they are talking about.

What I’ve found to be most helpful about the book is the templates for entering a conversation within your writing. They help with situations that call for summarization, ways of responding, and introducing quotations, along with many other helpful writing techniques. For example, one of the templates goes like this:
In discussions of _______, a controversial issue is whether _______. While some argue that _______, others contend that _______.
This is not to say that _______.
He claims that _______, and I have mixed feelings about it. On on the one hand, I agree that _______. On the other hand, I still insist that _______.
X himself writes, “_______.”
X agrees when she writes, “_______.”
The book says that the templates “help students focus on the rhetorical patterns that are key to academic success but often pass under the classroom radar.” Makes sense, right? They are pretty simple, but you don’t always think of them when trying to focus your ideas and put them on paper. I see life as requiring balance with regards to everything; whether it’s work or play, you have to have both in order to make it interesting. The same goes for writing and presenting your ideas as well as others’ ideas.

Tell a story.
Think (don’t look!) back a couple of paragraphs when I talked about not saying “no” and limiting your thoughts and ideas. Of my eight or so sketches I came up with for my design class, which one did I, as well as my professor, like the best? ……………….youshouldbethinking……………….okay, stop. Now, think (don’t you dare look for this one either) back to the previous paragraph about “they say/I say.” Of the three helpful ways in which I mentioned how to enter into a conversation, can you name one?

Unless you have a photographic memory or a penchant for remembering templates, then you likely don’t remember didn’t get that last question right, yet nailed the first one. Why does this happen? In the first question, I asked you to remember a story. In the second question I asked you to recall a helpful fact. This is just how most minds work because stories are easier to remember. So, telling about your, or someone else’s, experiences in the form of a story will help you explain your ideas and help the reader understand them more clearly, not to mention remember them better.

Make it your own.
To me, this tip goes hand in hand with telling a story as well as using the “they say/I say” method as far as making your writing sound interesting. Perhaps it can’t, or shouldn’t, be used for every paper you write. But I think you’re smart enough to know when you can get away with spunking it up with some personality (i.e. depending on the topic of the paper, the type of professor and how good your relationship with he/she is etc. I’ll touch on that soon). Everyone, or at least every student, knows how boring most academic texts can be. SUCH a snoozefest. Try and make it your own so that you can sound interested and enthusiastic about the topic, though. This guide to writing alone should be a fine example of me doing exactly that!

Know your audience.
Let’s face it, not everyone is going to be interested in what you have to say, no matter how profound you think your ideas may be. Along with making the writing your own, it is very important that you gear it towards an intended audience. For example, this guide is meant to be for any incoming college freshman. So what I tried to do is make the dialogue seem more personal and friendly, as if I am one of your Facebook friends sharing advice on what I know has worked for me. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that writing in a colloquial manner is much less intimidating than that of a prestigious textbook. It is also, more often than not, much easier to grasp the points being to conveyed because I’m really just one of your peers that is trying to help you out.

Get a second opinion.
It is never a bad thing to ask someone look over your work for a second opinion on what you’re writing, or any project for that matter. No one is perfect, so don’t feel ashamed to ask a family member, a peer, or even better, the professor to look over what you have before it is due. I’ve learned that even if you have the smallest amount of work done, having someone else come in and give his or her opinion on it can make a world of a difference. Just because it makes sense to you, doesn’t mean it will make sense to everyone else. Often, but not always, this may just mean you should simplify and explain your thoughts.

So there you have it. I hope these tips become useful in your future as a term paper extraordinaire. Don’t say “no” to your ideas. Give your self enough time to work them out so they make sense and have some flow. Engage in a conversation within your writing by using the “they say/I say” technique. Tell a story, if you can, so that the writing becomes your own. Make sure to pay attention to who is meant to be reading your writing as apposed to who is going to be reading it. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Now, stop reading this and go figure out what you are supposed to write about.