Getting started

Here are some tips I find helpful for writing almost any paper:

1. Start early. A finely written paper rarely comes from working on it at the last minute, even for those who work well under pressure. If you want to write a thorough paper with good arguments and organization, it takes a little time and more than one draft.

2. Brainstorm many ideas when you first get an assignment. For example, if you have to write a proposal argument, think about what types of issues you would like to propose a solution to. Write out some quick notes on what you know about each idea to make the topic choice easy. Usually the one you have the most information about is the best topic to pick. If you are given a topic, still brainstorm everything you know about it so you can find what points you would like to focus your argument on.

2a. Also keep in mind where you would be able to research each topic and get good information. Wikipedia isn’t usually a recommended source for academic papers, but looking at the references of the article itself can lead to more reputable sources.

3. Outline your paper before you start writing. Write out each idea you’d like to address in a paper and fill in supporting arguments for each point. This makes writing the actual paragraphs much easier because you’ve organized your thoughts.

4. Write a draft early and don’t worry about it being perfect. If you start early, there’s plenty of time to make changes. If you have trouble writing an introductory paragraph, work on at least coming up with a thesis, put it at the top of your document and write the supporting paragraphs first.

4a. After writing a draft, read it to find out where your argument is weak and where you don’t have enough evidence and focus on those areas

5. Once you have a mostly complete draft, read it over at least a couple times. Read it for organization and overall content and clarity first, and then another time for typos and other smaller mistakes. Reading out loud is especially helpful because it’s harder for your brain to skip over mistakes or correct them subconsciously. It’s even better to have someone else read it out loud to you. Another person will be able to catch mistakes you miss and be able to give you hints on where your arguments don’t make sense.

5a. It helps to leave it alone for a day or at least for the night so it isn’t so fresh in your mind when you read it again. Being able to look at it when you’ve forgotten about it a little makes it easier to catch things you might have missed.

Also, here’s a Web site that comes in handy for a range of problems from individual grammar points to MLA or APA style information: The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)