|
Home / Writing
Improve Your Writing in Eight Simple Steps
By:John Smith
Improve Your Writing in Eight Simple Steps
1. Don't bore the reader
Write the term paper for your audience, not for you. Obviously, you know, understand, and probably enjoy the subject matter on which you are writing, but readers may not. Don't be overly formal. Term paper readers appreciate candor and humor because such style is much less monotonous than a constant influx of bland facts, opinions, and statistics.
2. Vary the length of your sentences
Don't be robotic, don't be bland, and--most importantly--don't be predictable. You should never write all short sentences or all long sentences. Write in an unpredictable pattern of short, medium, and not overly long sentences.
3. Use active verbs
Using active verbs requires fewer words, and improves the general flow of term paper writing.
Correct: Mike plays baseball.
Incorrect: Baseball is played by Mike.
4. Keep your writing simple
Most major newspapers and magazines publish their material at eighth grade reading level. Readers are not interested in things they do not understand. Use as few words as possible to convey your message when writing term papers. Never use a certain word simply because you believe it to be more "academic" or intellectual. Students often use big words incorrectly, which downgrades the reader's interest in the topic and respect for the writer.
5. Be descriptive and use examples
We comprehend by creating mental images of things that we read. Be as descriptive as possible in your term paper. Show the reader--don't tell the reader. If you want a reader to truly understand the unique qualities of a person, place, or thing, describe in detail its color, smell, size, posture, age, intricacies, similarities/differences to other things, etc. Use examples by comparing the object to something that is undoubtedly familiar to the vast majority of readers.
6. Use bullet points
Use bullet points to list items. Many readers skim over a document before beginning to read the first page. Bullet points call attention to the main points that will follow the bulleted list.
7. Limit paragraphs to 1/3 of a page
Short paragraphs make a paper easier to read. The white space between paragraphs also breaks up the solid blackness of lengthy text, making the term paper appear less bulky to the reader.
8. Do not use capital letters for emphasis
Capital letters are very difficult to read, especially for those with visual impairment. Upper case words also make a writer seem juvenile and/or amateur.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: term paper, college essay, write an essay, term papers, dissertation, thesis, research proposal, college essays, research papers, book reports, research, essay, paper, book report, writing, editing, writing help
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Erica Howard is a freelance writer of example term papers for EssayTown.com. She has written dozens of how-to articles for EssayTown in the area of term paper writing.
|
|
| Top Writing Articles |
|
|
- 2). It’s Good To Be A New Writer: Breaking The Myth That Experience Is Everything By : Shelley Wake
There’s a rumor out there in the publishing world that an editor won’t even look at the work of a new writer. It might be true for certain types of writing, but after interviewing hundreds of editors, I’ve found that most are more open to new writers than you might think.
And there are a few major benefits to being a new writer too. So before you spend too much time trying to work out how you can appear to be a published professional writer when you’re not, consider taking advantage of your current position as a newcomer.
|
- 3). Penguin Publisher Reveals What It Really Takes To Get Published. By : Sharif Khan
Mr. David Davidar began his career in journalism and is founder of Penguin Books India. Currently, he is Publisher of Penguin Canada and also is author of the novel, The House of Blue Mangoes.
How did you first get started in the publishing business?
Twenty years ago I was working in Bombay and there was a colleague I knew who had done a publishing course at Harvard.
|
- 4). A Few Magazine Publishing Terms By : Scott Lindsay
The business of writing for magazines is often speculative in nature. It can often seem fruitless to conduct research on available paying magazines, attempt to understand their style and unique requirements, write the article, send the article, and then wait for what can seem a never ending response.
It can be even more daunting when you have invested significant time and energy and have received multiple rejection slips.
|
- 5). The Psychology Of Effortless Writing By : Saleem Rana
Through writing I can convey my entire experience so that someone else can benefit from it and learn from that experience without having had to be there. So, by writing I can give others much more than I can in person. In addition, writing bends time and I can convey my experience to someone centuries away.
|
- 6). Tricky Decisions By : Kael
Some people know exactly what to look for at the bookstore – others spend hours without finding what they have in mind…
Did you ever mistake the body lotion tube for the toothpaste a sleepy morning? No? Good, it’s not the best way to start the day.
This might be an awkward approach if you're aiming at the problem of choosing literature, but frankly, haven’t you too picked the ‘wrong’ book by a random grab at the bookshop or at the library? The book you put away with a sigh after three chapters.
|
|
|
- 8). Ebook Design (HTML) By : Shelley Lowery
When designing an HTML compiled ebook, you must create an HTML document (web page) for each page within your ebook. These pages should include
|
|
|
- 10). A Blank Paper By : William Ramos
A BLANK PAPER…is what I came up with after racking my brain to sweet talk you, sweep you off your feet; but as I crown myse
|
| New Writing Articles |
|
|
- 2). Seven Ways To Sabotage Your Self Publishing Success By : Sanyika Calloway-Boyce
Are you sabotaging your success as an author? Would you like to know how not to waste time and money? Seven Ways To Sabotage Your Self Publishing Success reveals the secrets that you need to know and avoid so you can write, publish and promote your book to self publishing success!
|
|
|
- 4). How to Proofread Like a Professional By : Jaya Schillinger
Copyright 2006 Jaya Schillinger
Even as I wrote the title for this article, I got confused. Is "proofread" one word or two? I thought it was two, and my spell checker didn't have a problem with that, but when I double-checked myself with a popular on- line dictionary, I was able to catch my mistake. Proofread is in fact one word, "proof·read v. tr.
|
- 5). Benefit We Gain from Problem Solving By : Carol Miller
The real fact on this Earth is that no human being has ever lived without problems a single day. This is impossible. People deal wit problems every day and problems do not fade away by themselves, they stay until the person resolves them. When a person gets strong enough to overcome stress and get to the core of things, then the amount of problems lessens.
|
- 6). Self Publishing, A Miracle Of The 21st Century. By : Josephine Stungger
Are you a writer with lots of talent but no one will give you the time of day let alone a contract? Would you pay a professional publisher to make your book but can't afford it? Do you need a better tool than your plain old word processor to make your work look more professional and desirable? Do you possess special knowledge that if packaged in a book.
|
- 7). Storylines Crop Up at the Oddest Moments By : chicho
There I was on a restful weekend by the sea; enjoying coffee and croissant in a quaint little café at the end of the North Shore pier.
Looking outside through a musty rain smattered window my gaze was attracted to the contours of the magnificent edifice that is Blackpool Tower; drinking in the lines of the intricate steel framework that leads to the observation deck, to the twin platforms one above the other, and all the way up to the crow’s nest.
|
- 8). Choose Great Research Topics By : Denton Krypps
Doing research and writing research papers does not actually have to be as horrible as everyone makes it out to be. I have learned to enjoy the process of research from start to finish. Call me crazy if you will, but I guarentee that the future of your educational career can be much more enjoyable if you learn now to enjoy research. For me, enjoying it started with choosing the right research topics.
|
- 9). The Perils And Pitfalls Of Publishing: Who Can An Author Trust? By : Dee Power And Brian Hill
One out of every eight people call themselves a writer, which means there are roughly 24 million people in the United States who carry that banner. Unfortunately there are charlatans and scam artists just waiting to ambush the unsuspecting author. How can a novice writer protect themselves?
Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Always remember money flows towards the author from the publisher, not the other way round.
|
- 10). Jokes and Riddles - How To Write Them By : Steve Gillman
Just listening to or reading jokes and riddles may "wake up" your brain, but it is creating them that really exercises your brainpower. The process requires you to use both logical and lateral thinking skills. How do you do it, then?
Jokes and riddle don't come to mind randomly. In fact, after watching how many comedians create their routines, I am convinced that they use what I call "humor algorithms," even if they do so unconsciously.
|
|
|
