Build Your Writing Skills -- Part
The News Argus - February, 1977 - Page 7
Continued from page 5
By reading the first and last
paragraphs of most non-fic-
tion writing, you should be
able to grasp both premise
and conclusion of an author’s
thoughts.
After you have completed
the initial draft, put it aside
for two or three days. Come
back to review it when you
are fresh. Be a stern critic.
Have you started each
heading or subheading with
a topic sentence or para
graph that states what you
are setting out to do? Do the
main sections and subdivi
sions present the material
clearly? Have you ommitted
points that you listed in the
outline? Is there unneces
sary or repetitious informa
tion? Does the conclusion
summarize what has gone
before? Are your footnotes
and bibliography correct?
Once you have gone over
the draft for content and
accuracy, review and edit it
for style. Try to read as
objectively as you can.
Remember the underlying
importance of grammar and
criticize your use of words,
phrases, clauses, sentences,
and paragraphs. Does one
thought flow evenly and
obviously from another?
You might want to change
the sequence of sentences or
paragraphs for better pre
sentation. If so, cut, shift,
and staple new parts
together. Try to be as brief
as possible. Delete what is
superfluous and distracting
to your main thoughts. It has
been said that crisp writing
usually has a good deal of
shortening in it! The total
effect must be readable.
Rewrite a section if neces
sary. Remember that care
lessness in spelling, punc
tuation, and capitalization
will also influence the quality
of your work.
Now you are ready to
make the final copy. Type it
if you can, or write very
legibly with a carbon copy
for future reference. Leave
generous margins on the left
and right sides of each page.
When you have finished,
proofread the paper, making
any corrections neatly.
Review your references or
footnotes once again for
accuracy. It is always a good
idea to prepare a title page
and if possible, to submit the
completed assignment in a
folder or binder.
Your grades may depend
on how well you have
mastered these writing
techniques. When your
Solutions
marked paper has been
returned, review the in
structor’s comments — you
can learn from^ mistakes you
might have matle. Remem-
, *
ber that how well you write
will also be ^ important
measure of your success
after you leave school, .With
patience and hard work you
can experience the satisfac
tion of being happy with the
content and style of your
writing. The choice of words
is right, the grammar is
correct, the flow of language
is smooth, and it says just
what you hoped it would!
That is the award of
successful writer.
This article, “How to
Build Your Writing Skills”,
is one in a series developed
for college students by the
Association of American
Publishers. Other topics in
the series are “How to Get
the Most Out of Your
Textbooks”, “How to Pre
pare Successfully for Exam
inations”, and “How to
Improve Your Reading
Skills”. Individual copies are
available in booklet form free
of charge to students. If you
would like copies please
write to: AAP STUDENT
SERVICE, One Park Ave
nue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
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