The Keys to Effective Writing

Tips for Tackling Your Essays and Papers

Writing skills are essential for succeeding in high school, college, and on the job. If essays and papers stress you out, keep in mind that writing is not just an end result, but also a process that helps you develop your ideas and think logically.

Get Started
Begin by brainstorming topics, collecting information, taking a lot of notes, and asking a lot of questions. Keep your notes and sources organized as you go.

When developing your topic, look for patterns and relationships. See what conclusions you can draw. Try discussing your ideas with classmates or your teacher. A new perspective can help shake up your thinking, and keep your momentum going.

Organize Your Writing
Develop an outline to help you stay on track as you write, identifying your main points and your conclusions. Keep in mind basic essay structure:

Introduction: Give your reader an idea of the essay's intent, including a basic statement of what the essay will discuss.
Body: Present the evidence that supports your idea. Use concrete examples and avoid generalities.
Conclusion: Summarize and make sense of the evidence you presented in the body.
Draft Your Essay
You may find, as you write, that you end up with a different idea from the one you began with. If your first topic or conclusion doesn't hold water, be open to changing it. If necessary, rewrite your outline to get yourself back on track.

Other important writing tips:

Keep your audience in mind: Write for the general reader, unless your teacher tells you otherwise. The general reader refers to anyone of average intelligence with a fairly sound, basic education.
Get acquainted with the vocabulary: Become familiar with the vocabulary of your subject. For example, when writing about fiction, drama, and poetry, critical writers use words such as syntax, tone, attitude, voice, speaker, and thesis.
Refine and Proofread
When you're done with the rough draft, take a break so you can come back to your writing with fresh eyes. Ask yourself:

Is the writing clear?
Do the ideas make sense?
Are my ideas supported by evidence?
Are all of my requirements fulfilled?
Did I avoid repetition?
Have I used proper grammar and spelling?
How does it sound read out loud?
Leave enough time to show your draft to others—use your school's writing center, if possible. A fresh perspective can help you polish your paper, and catch inconsistencies and mistakes.

Read More
What you read influences how you write and can become your teacher without your being aware of it. Keep this in mind when choosing between Teen People and challenging novels like Great Expectations.

Not sure what to read? If you liked a book you read in class, ask your teachers to recommend others like it, or read more by the same author. For ideas on great reading check out our 101 Great Books list.

Reading is also a great way to conquer writer's block. Reading helps exercise your mind and get your ideas moving again. Of course, a great way to prevent writer's block is to write more.

Write More
You've heard it before, but this advice never gets old: practice makes perfect. The more writing you do, the better you'll get. And as your skills improve, so will your enjoyment. Here are a few ways some students write outside the classroom that you might want to consider:

Keep a journal of your thoughts and the events of the day.
Start a 'zine with your friends on topics important to you.
Write letters to the editor of the magazines and newspapers you read.
When you're in the habit of writing—no matter what kind of writing it is—papers and essays won't seem as difficult.