Why write?
Everyone
needs to write something sometime. So much of our communication is
written these days. Texting, Facebook, twitter, blogs, school
assignments and job applications all require us to write. The first
thing we need to realize is that writing is NOT the same as speaking.
It's a separate skill that we need to learn and practice if we want to improve. I've adapted this blog post from a handout that I prepared for a writing presentation at a Relief Society activity in my ward. I believe that the internet is turning all of us into writers. The better we know how to communicate through writing, the more likely others are to understand our ideas properly when they read them.
Grammar
For me, the point of grammar is to help readers understand the text on the first reading. Poor grammar when you write is like mumbling when you speak; it doesn't matter how good your ideas are if they are hidden behind incorrect grammar.
Grammar
involves a lot of things: knowing what order to put the words, where
to put the punctuation, where to start a new paragraph and how long
to make the sentences, for example. As a TA, I graded many papers. If I saw grammatical errors or typos, I tended to think that the students hadn't put
very much thought into the assignment, or that they had neglected to read their paper before printing it out and turning it in. Improper grammar shows a lack of respect for your readers' time. If you take the time to make your ideas clear and easy to understand, you show that you really care about what you are writing and you make it easier for your readers to care, too. You can tell that writers know
how to use good grammar when their writing doesn't get in the way of
their ideas.
Outlining
This and the next section are the ones that most specifically apply to writing a paper. You probably won't outline a status update on Facebook or a short blog post. Something
that's easy to read was at least somewhat difficult to write. No one writes a
perfect paper on the first draft. Before you even write the first draft of a paper, it's helpful to sketch out your ideas and make an outline. You can outline your ideas by hand or on the computer. You may do a great deal of research before you begin to outline or you may outline then fill in with research. As you further develop your ideas, your outline can change if it needs to, but it's good to have a
general idea of what you're going to write before you start.
Writing, Proofreading and Revising
After you outline, you can start writing. When you finish your
first draft, go back over it and fix any obvious errors. For a longer piece of writing, it can be especially helpful to ask a friend
to read your work and give you suggestions on how to improve. One of my friends from my freshman English class and I traded papers throughout our undergraduate studies. It was helpful to have him point out things that didn't make sense so that I could clarify what I meant to say. For
shorter papers, two or three drafts might be fine, but for others you may
need go through many drafts and revisions before you are satisfied with the
result.
If I'm writing a school assignment, I will actually create
several files: Outline, 1st Draft, Revision 1, Revision 2 and Final
Draft, for example. This helps me keep track of the changes I'm making, and I can look back at previous drafts to figure out what I was trying to say. Your final draft should be as polished as you can
possibly make it. This is one reason to start early when you have a
writing assignment. It allows you enough time to do your best work. Even this blog post needed several revisions.
Proofreading other pieces of writing
When you finish school and write things besides papers, clear writing is still important. I dream of a world where human beings communicate calmly and politely, taking time to understand other points of view and expressing their own opinions without degrading others. Taking time to read our own writing before publishing it is a small step in the right direction. Some of the ideas I've mentioned here apply specifically to writing a paper, but the principals of grammar and proofreading are vital to anything we write, from fiction to Facebook updates.
Good resources
I am not affiliated in any way with the authors or publishers of the following books and sites. I have, however, found them useful in my attempts to improve my own writing.
Writing
with Style by John
Trimble. I used this book in my Junior English class at BYU. It is
the most enjoyable grammar/style book I've ever read. If you apply
the things it teaches, your writing will improve. The second edition
is available used on Amazon.com for as little as $1 and is well worth
it. The 3rd
Edition would probably also be worth getting if you are really
interested in this.
Eats,
Shoots and Leaves by
Lynne Truss. A fun read about punctuation. Available on Amazon, and
probably at the local bookstore.
grammar.yourdictionary.com
is a good site with grammar basics. It has games that you can use to
practice.
Owl.english.purdue.edu
has great ideas about how to write. It's includes specific resources
for research papers as well as basic writing tips.
sophia.org/paper-writing-outlines-tutorial
is a quick guide to outlining. You can also google other ideas about
outlines.
