Recommendations and Suggestions For Writing

[Knowledge]

1.) Create Eye-Catching Titles (similar to front-page newspaper article headlines or book titles)
Focuses your essay or story
Captures Point of Essay In A Single Phrase
Uses Active Voice:
Highlights the most significant aspect or purpose of your essay, research paper, article or story
Remember to always use a title when writing an essay

2.) Develop Creative Introductions
General Style - Gradually leads the reader to the thesis, the main point of the essay, beginning with background information regarding the topic from general to specific.

Documentary Style - Captures the essence of a topic using visual examples (such as movie or video scenes), celebrities, popular or current events, and historical themes while capturing the reader’s full attention and interest

Narrative Style - Begins with a personal statement or thought of moral value, then immediately begins with story, or introduction to the story using visual writing.

3.) Form A Good Thesis Statement
A good thesis is creative and specific, yet manageable.
It gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the rest of the paper.
It addresses both or all sides of an argument, but establishes your unique position on a specific issue or topic of interest.
It is the conclusion you come to based on your research, i.e. analyzing, interpreting, comparing & contrasting, etc. (In other words, do these things BEFORE attempting to create a thesis)

Examples: (not mine personally)

1.) Some people believe that genes strictly affect our way of life, while others believe only our environment affects us. However, research suggests that both genes and environment influence our behavior.

2.) Some people claim that adolescents are too physically and psychologically immature to cope with the problems of the real world and don‘t believe they should leave university education prematurely. However, they forget one fact: adolescents can vote or start driving at the age of 18 (in some countries even before that age!), which proves that they are considered physically and psychologically mature at that age.

3.) Supporters of medical treatment argue that medicine should be trusted since it is effective and scientifically proven, however, a new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips--we can be healthy by doing Reiki on a regular basis.

4.) Construct Complete, Concise Sentences:
Use Strong Transitions
Use Active Voice
Give Visual Examples
Use Creative Expressions
Avoid Unnecessary Words and phrases
Avoid Redundant Words and phrases

For examples, Go to: grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/nova/nova11.htm
Read the sentences, then click ‘Grammar’s Version’


5.) Use Active Voice
Mostly used in professional writing: journalism, newspapers, news reporting, movie scripting, documentaries, research papers, but you can use this technique to enhance the quality of your own writing.

Unique writing approach that allows for vivid, creative expression; enhances diction. Helps give your writing its own personal style.

Allows the subject of the sentence to perform a specific action which, in turn, allows the reader to “see” what is happening

Passive verbs tend to limit sentences by using indirect, action-less expressions.
Passive: The mid-October air was chilly, and I was glad to be inside the doctor’s heated clinic for the uninsured working poor.

Examples of passive verbs: ccis.edu/departments/Writingcenter/documents/passive.html

Active verbs, on the other hand, add creativity, life, and action to sentences by allowing the subject to perform visual actions that keep a reader engaged and entertained.

Active: The mid-October air rushed me into the doctor’s clinic for poor, uninsured workers. The heat embraced my skin and soothed my shivers.

To change passive sentences into active sentences, identify who is performing the action, then place the performer of the action in the subject of the sentence:

Passive: The entrance exam was failed by over one third of the applicants to the school.
Active : Over one-third of the applicants to the school failed the entrance exam.

For more examples, go to: owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/1


6.) Use Strong Transitions
Transitions allow for greater cohesion and continuity between sentences and paragraphs which helps your writing flow smoothly, allowing readers to make strong connections for greater comprehension of an entire story, article, or essay.

Examples:

Following an evening of indulging entertainment and glamorous fun, my friends usually crash at my house for an unofficial sleepover party.

7.) Avoid Redundancy
Avoid using redundant words or phrases

Redundant: Ironically, this forced religious assimilation that threatened to destroy the Indian’s culture is the very religious conversion that the colonists were leaving behind in England.

Concise: The same forced assimilation the English colonists fled from now threatened to destroy the Native American culture.

8.) Develop Complete Paragraphs
1. Begin with your main point.
2. Give visual, distinct, relevant examples
3. End with the significance or summary of the point.

Answer this question as you end: ‘So what is the significance of my point?’

9.) Create Thought Provoking Conclusions
Summarize the discussion/argument (thesis) based on discussion
Critique the author
Make suggestions
Offer Solutions to a problem
Determine the effectiveness of the author’s point of view
Include personal thought and insight


10.) Debate/Argumentative Essays checklist
Present The Argument or Debate Effectively
Collect and State the Facts
Express the Arguments
Convey the Benefits and Consequences
Use Active Voice and Creative Expression
Ask Profound Questions
Give Convincing Answers
Allude to people and events in history

11.) Oral Speech
Don't try to memorize an entire speech.
Instead, List and memorize topics to be discussed
Use Active Voice
Show, don’t just Tell
Give specific, visual examples of experiences

12.) If you forget anything...
Just remember these three things:
Tell a good visual story, avoid unnecessary and redundant words or phrases, Use active voice