While writing a paper can feel like a daunting task, there are a few best practices you can follow to make your writing stronger and more engaging.
Few things are more intimidating than staring at a blank page, especially when you have a deadline looming. While writing an essay can feel like a daunting task, there are a few best practices you can follow to make your writing stronger and more engaging.
We’ve hand-picked a few essential tips from two of my favourite books on writing: The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White and On Writing by Stephen King.
A good topic sentence should be succinct, focused, and descriptive. Orient the reader to the who, what, where, and why it’s important—and do it fast.
If the reader isn’t sure what the focus is going to be within the first couple of sentences, they’ll get confused, frustrated, and quickly lose interest.
To illustrate this point, let’s first look at an example of a bad topic sentence.
Bad: Funding for high school athletic programs has decreased by 15 percent.
Why it’s bad: It only states a fact and doesn’t give any hint as to what the writer’s focus or stance is on the issue.
Better: Cities with high school athletic programs have lower crime and suspension rates, yet funding for these programs has decreased by 15 percent in the last year.
Why it’s better: In addition to the funding statistic, we now know why this topic is important to the author (and why it should be important to the reader). Armed with this information, we can anticipate an argument for increasing funding for athletic programs.
You’ve probably been told that a paragraph should be at least three to five sentences long. While this is a good rule of thumb, I’d like to tweak it a bit: a paragraph should be no more than five sentences long.
Visually, they’re easier to digest, and they feel more conversational for the reader. Remember, reading is an exercise. If you throw a hulking half-page paragraph at someone, they’re going to feel exhausted before they even begin.
The active voice provides clarity and vigor, engaging the reader in what’s happening rather than just telling them.
Let’s look at an example of active versus passive voice:
Passive Voice: On July 28, 2061, we will get to see Hailey’s Comet from Earth as it passes.
Active Voice: Hailey’s Comet will pass Earth again on July 28, 2061.
Notice how it’s more concise and to the point? According to The Elements of Style, “when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.”
Far too often, we see sentences dotted with commas where periods should be.
Read your work out loud. If you have to pause or take a breath in the middle of a sentence, it’s too long. For the sake of clarity, a good rule of thumb is to keep sentences at 30 words or less.
While it can be tempting to pull out the thesaurus and look for fancier alternatives, don’t. Overusing formal language comes off as pretentious and makes reading a chore.
Simple language is effective language. As The Elements of Style says, “Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready, and able.”
“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs,” says Stephen King. “And I will shout it from the rooftops.”
The five most common adverbs you should avoid are:
While there are some excusable instances of adverbs, most of them are just a hurdle for the reader, not to mention redundant.
After you’re done with the initial draft, it’s time to clear your head. Go for a run, take a nice long nap, or watch some Netflix. Give yourself at least 24 hours before you come back to edit. This gives me time to distance myself from my work and come back with a fresh perspective.
Since editing is very hands-on, print out the document and mark it up with ink. Perhaps most importantly: read your work out loud. You’re much more likely to catch mistakes or clumsy sentences when you hear yourself say them.
For other tips on how to improve your writing, check out our series on writing an A+ essay, or browse HAMNIC Solutions’ Blog of free educational resources. Do you have any tips you’d like to share for improving your writing? We’d love to read them in the comments below!
HAMNIC Solutions is here to support your graduate journey. Our professional writing and editing expertise helps you manage your academic workload, reduce stress, and focus on well-being for a balanced academic and personal life. Visit HAMNIC Solutions to learn how we can make your student life easier and healthier, enabling you to achieve your academic ambitions without sacrificing a balanced lifestyle.
