Sunday, November 24, 2013

The DOs and DON'Ts of Writing

students3k.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/dos-and-donts-work.jpg
I recently came upon a list that described the Do's and Don'ts of writing a paper from the University of Tartu. I wanted to share this list, not because I found it amusing, but also because it seemed pretty relevant to what I see here in the Writing Center.

Here is my (abridged) version of 10 Do's and Don'ts when writing a paper:

DO be conscious that  phases of writing exist and differs person to person. One person may benefit from writing a complete introduction first while others like to dive right into the body.
DON'T go into a paper without any plan!

DO define your topic! Then refine it with a good hypothesis.
DON'T attempt to cover everything that your class has taught you within the semester.

DO collect information that is relevant to your topic and make sure you take good notes. This will make the highly feared citation process easier.
DON'T copy word-for-word from a resource. It's not cool and it's plagiarism.

DO write on a regular basis. Pace through the paper.
DON'T write the night before a paper is due or "when you're in the mood".

DO organize your arguments and explain each step.
DON'T accumulate facts without any explanation.

DO write first, correct later.
DON'T expect a perfect rough draft. It's rough for a reason.

DO realize writing is a learning process. Hence the existence of the WC!
DON'T set high standards for the first draft. It'll frustrate you more.

DO be trouble-shooting oriented when writing. Go back one phase in your writing process and re-work it until you have overcome the issue. If you get stuck ask others for advice or see us at the WC!
DON'T work through issues you have questions on alone.

DO build confidence as a writer!
DON'T be hypercritical of yourself when writing or set unrealistic goals.

To see the original list, go to http://blog.ut.ee/10-dos-and-donts-to-solve-your-writing-problems/.
-Lindsay

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Thesis Statements: As Easy as 1, 2, 3

             One of the most common roadblocks in writing an effective paper is a strong thesis statement. Yes, the same dreaded thesis statement that your Professor told you to make sure you had in your paper. As a writing tutor, I very much agree with your Professor. A thesis statement is a great way to unify and “nutshell” your argument or analysis.
      Before I continue, I wanted to clarify what a thesis statement is exactly, because while your Professors may urge you to write one, they often do not explain how it should be written. Instead they may tell you to visit the Writing Center to get help from a tutor. I decided to make this learning process even easier by showing you how to write a thesis statement right here on the computer.

So here it goes…

 A thesis statement should accomplish three major goals:
  1. State a condensed interpretation of the main idea of your paper (Topic)
  2. Assert your position on the claim or argument your paper presents (Focus)
  3. Provide the reader with a “guide” so they know what to expect from your paper (Main Points)

By reading over these goals, you might be able to correctly conclude that writing a thesis statement should not be the first step of your writing process. You may have to conduct some research, clarify your argument, and find relationships between the main points of your paper. Once you know what direction your writing will take, you can construct a “working thesis” which you will support with evidence in the rest of your paper.

All in all, while a thesis statement may appear difficult and tedious, it gets easier as you continue your research and make an opinion about the topic. The best part is that after you have worked hard formulating a strong thesis statement, the rest of your paper will become that much easier to write because you will have a distinct direction and an easy-to-follow plan.
For more detail and specific examples on this topic, you can visit the following links:

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Recipe for Organization

  ** Written by Lindsey Burke**
       To produce a powerful and complete discussion on a topic, we know that organization plays a key role in its overall success.  Just as in cooking, we need to know when to introduce certain ingredients so that together, everything can be cooked to absolute perfection.  And, of course, the more tasty the dish, the more “wowed” the chef leaves the audience of diners. 

            When a chef is creating an original dish, he or she might begin by composing a recipe that they expect to follow and perhaps modify along the way.  Similarly, writers can create an outline.  In academic writing, teachers often provide students with an assignment sheet that details all of the essential components that must be present in the paper.  Do not underestimate the importance of this document!  That is your list of allergies and special dietary information for your audience (after all, we know how grumpy someone can be when they notify the chef of specific necessities or requests, but the chef makes the order incorrectly and includes the wrong things).  In addition, this sheet illustrates all of the major subtopics and components of the “main course,” that is, the different foods that your teacher wants you to have on your plate. 
In your outline, you can list each of these subtopics separately (and leave some space between each one).  Try giving each of these sections a title, or try wording each one in the form of a short answer question if it makes writing easier.  Also, be careful to make sure that your list is in a logical order.  By doing this, each topic will be able to build off of the information provided in the one before it. 
Then, when you have considered each of these subtopics or main groups of food that will make up your plate, think about what ingredients are needed in the making of each item.  In terms of writing, think about how that subtopic relates to the overall subject of your essay.  How can you address that idea by using information from your sources?  Do you use any of the same ingredients in this subtopic, as you do in another?  Does that relationship mean anything? 
Once you’ve written a paragraph or two for each main component, and when all subtopics are cooked to perfection, think about an appetizer (introduction) and a desert (conclusion) that might go well with your main dish and fit nicely with the theme of your paper.  Your thesis should introduce each of your subtopics or food groups that will appear in your paper or on your plate.  Then, put everything together and serve by compiling all sections into one word document.  And voila! Bon appetit!  The finished product is a paper where nothing is over or under-cooked, and instead, everything’s developed just right.  Yet, in order to create a paper that’s well organized, it’s important to first spend time thinking about the topic and planning.  If a chef didn’t do this and improvised instead, their meal would probably turn out gross!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Writing Center "Magic"

Imagine: You have a VIP (Very Important Paper) coming up. It’s worth half of your grade; and you’re freaking out. How can your professor even give you such a task? Well, they did, so now it’s your job to DO it. So, you start writing down all of your ideas and have a pretty decent chunk done. If only you could make sure it was wonderful… Wait, you can do that, too! Take it to the CCC Writing Center!

Off goes your little baby. You drop it off and ask the Writing Doctor to do a whole body checkup. You’ll be back in an hour. Perfect!

Well…maybe not.

While that sounds great, that’s not how it works.

You see, the CCC Writing Center Consultants are trained to do magic on YOU not on your paper. Our goal is to make YOU the best writer that we can, not to produce the best paper that we can for you.

I know, I know. That’s not going to help you with your paper that’s due tomorrow. But that’s why we offer our services throughout your writing process. Consultants will be able to guide you at any point in your writing, which will help YOU to make your OWN paper the best it can be.

Now go back to that scenario: You have a VIP coming up. Whenever you have gotten stuck in a stage of your writing before, you have always come to the Writing Center and have understood what methods you could use in the future to help yourself improve in that area. Now, for this paper, you have a good portion done, and you want it to be the best that it can be. So you make an appointment and come to the Writing Center.

Now when you come in, we don’t have to focus on major issues like your thesis, audience, and organization; we can focus on sentence structure and word clarity.

Bam! Imagine that paper! It will be sparkling like an Olympic gold medal.

So, what is your job? Don’t wait to the last minute to get assistance, and be ready to take ownership of your work. Our job is to help you get there and to make you feel good about it.

Remember: YOU are the only one who has true power over your work!


Monday, April 8, 2013

Style, Style, Style...What About Writing??

Look past the style
at the writing inside
“APA Style=10% of grade.”

Eeeek! 10% of my grade is a lot. I better make sure I get the APA formatting perfect; no sense losing points for something that isn’t content related.

Is this your thought process for a paper? Well, while it doesn’t make sense to lose points on something so seemingly trivial, there is one very important point that you might be missing.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 90%?!

Professors assign papers in order to test your knowledge and research skills. And while formatting is important, the content of your paper is even MORE important.

For some, writing a paper in a particular style is inconsequential; they would probably write it in a particular format anyway. But for many, writing in a style is cumbersome and hampers their ideas. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to writing without limitations?

Here’s the good news: You can! And the only barrier to doing it is yourself.

First, work on content and research. Without these things, it is nearly impossible to write papers well. If you are well prepared to start a draft (with research and possibly an outline), the words will come much easier. The main point is to get all of your good ideas on paper, and then you can begin to mold them to create a visually appealing essay, meaning in the proper format.  

And don’t forget your bad ideas. They need to get on paper, too. (No, you won’t keep them, but if you have them written down, then the rest can be awesome because you know what you don’t want to be in the paper.)

Now, once you have your ideas down, organize. If you have an outline scribbled down (or made into a formal outline) compare it to your paper. If you’re using a word processor, highlight the main points of your essay and make sure that you followed through with what you promised the reader (your thesis/argument and main points).

NOW you can worry about the formatting. If it’s in APA Style, look at the title page, running head, abstract, keywords, headings, references, and parenthetical (in-text) citations. If it’s MLA Style, check your heading, title, paragraph layout, parenthetical citations, and works cited. If it’s CMS, check your title page, footnotes/endnotes, parenthetical citations, and bibliography.

It may be tough work to forget formatting for a bit (while you do that important thing called writing), but your paper will thank you. Writing in a particular style is just to make the paper easier to read and the information easier to comprehend/utilize. Therefore, formatting style should take second place to the information that should be understood—your writing.

So, the next time you get a paper assignment with “APA Style=10% of grade” written on the rubric, don’t panic. Get your writing done first, and then worry about the formatting. Style is important, but the 90% is even more important.

 

Monday, March 18, 2013

On Word Choice and the Lack Thereof



One of the most frequent problems I see at the writing center is the inability to think of a word fitting the idea the writer wishes to convey.  Often, my clients have to substitute a word that almost fits because there doesn’t seem to be one that fits their exact definition, which twists the meaning of their sentences and ultimately leaves us both, and most likely the teacher as well, a bit confused and frustrated.

 When we look back in history it seems as if anyone wanting a word just invented it themselves (Shakespeare being the obvious, and most famous, example). Unfortunately, this type of creative enlargement of the English language has fallen out of fashion, at least within the academic world. That said, most people in the academic setting can all nod sympathetically when they hear someone say that there are not enough words in the English language. 

So here are a few words that got lost in the language barrier. Perhaps someone here could make use of them.





 If you're interested in learning a few more, direct your gaze to this nifty site

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Research Tips: Jersey Shore Edition

SCENARIO: You have a paper due for your Media Literacy class at the end of the semester and have no idea what your paper topic will be. Here are some tips on how to find a topic, conduct research, and access resources:

1. Finding a Topic: To help you find a topic, look through your lecture notes and readings for topics that interest you (Also, when you do the readings, underline things as you go that interest you. Yes, it is ok to write in the margins). They can be as general or specific as you wish, but looking at the notes can give you insight into what topics the prof may be looking for and help you remember the material from the first week.

Ex. After looking through your notes, you see an example you wrote down from Week 2 about Jersey Shore. Your class lecture that day was about reality TV and stereotypes, such as the women seeming to be interested only in guys and beauty, not education or future goals. This makes you think, "Well, we talked about women, how about we look at the men?" *Bing* Here is a tentative topic.

2. Scheduling milestones: Be firm on planning out when you would like to have a certain amount of research completed and what you want to search for each day. This will help keep you sane, especially if you are looking at several databases using several different search terms.

3. Looking at the Databases: My personal favorites are EBSCOHost -> Omni Full Text Mega, LexisNexis Academic, Project Muse, and ScienceDirect. I know that some people also peruse Google Scholar. The Cressman Library also has links for which databases are best for certain disciplines (click here).

When figuring out an argument for your paper, use what you have found in your notes that is interesting and do a general search of the topic (no pressure to find something brilliant or specific right away). Who knows, you may find someone writing an off-the-wall article about the topic or one that combines ideas you never though of before that relate to it.

When in doubt, you can always find the common ground and differences between articles you read, then pick a side; this tidbits/exceptions can help you make a thesis. JUST REMEMBER that when you search, you are NOT necessarily looking for exact terms, but ideas that you can relate to your argument. Too often, people put in exact terms and are disappointed when there are no results. You will have to get creative.

Ex. You can't find anything when searching the phrase "Male stereotypes in Jersey Shore." This is because the search terms are too specific.

Instead, try searching more general terms, such as "Media representation," "TV characters," "media stereotypes," "framing theory," "men in media," "reality TV" or "popular culture." Also try adding descriptive words like "negative" or "positive" to try your luck.

For your paper, perhaps actual analysis of how men are portrayed in Jersey Shore can be your own work (you dont have to find a source to does it for you), but make sure you have general research about these images to back up your opinion on how they are portrayed.

4. Using search cheats: Connect search terms with "AND" to limit results and "OR" to expand the topic. If you are unsure of a phrase you are using, you can use "?" (e.g. TV characters?; TV characters AND men OR media stereotypes) as a wildcard. This can help you be more specific when searching, especially when you get the dreaded "Over 1000 results" message (darn you, LexisNexis!).

5. Utilizing Interlibrary Loaning (ILL): The local colleges, or the LVAIC system (Cedar Crest, Desales, Lehigh, Lafayette, Moravian, and Muhlenberg), allows students to loan books between them...but don't fret! You can still ILL a book even if they is not in our system, but remember that these books may take longer to arrive at Cedar Crest. In this case, ILL them three weeks in advance. You can also request online journal articles from other colleges and they will send you either an electronic or printed copy.

Asking for help at the library is also helpful as far as learning how to do research on our databases, since some articles show that we do not have access to them, but there is just another way to find them on the website. Schedule an appointment to learn more ways to conduct research online...

The Writing Center is also a great resource for help!

6. Choosing sources: When in doubt, use books or academic journals. These are legitimate sources and will look good in your paper. Try to avoid general Google and Wikipedia searches (other than finding general information for your own knowledge). After all, your paper is only as good as your sources.



Tips from www.usnews.com, adapted by me.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Writing Tips from Tumblr

Source: http://www.athgo.org/ablog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tumblr_logo.png
Bored one night, I decided to go on Tumblr, a popular blog site, and search the “writing tips” tag. Here are some of the tips that I got:

  • Tips for writing Fan Fiction, which included “always use your own ideas”, “don’t pay attention to other Fan Fiction” and “don’t let your personal life ‘bleed’ into your writing”. (taken from fracturedstories on Tumblr)
  • A GIANT list of boys and girls names that could be used when writing fiction.
  • A chart of synonyms that could replace many common descriptors such as “nice”, “good”, and “bad”. Check out http://writer-blood.tumblr.com/ to see the entire chart (and much more).
  • Tips on planning a novel for NaNoWriMo, aka National Novel Writing Month (If you’d like to learn more about NaNoWriMo, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/).
  • How to deal with proof-reading and editing. This blogger also gives a convenient check list for editing. Check it out at http://jasper-is-not-a-girls-name.tumblr.com/
  • Multiple “How to Brainstorm” posts detailing some great ways to think of ideas for a story. 



If you want to see the entire tag, you can go onto www.tumblr.com and search “writing tips”.

Tumblr may be a distraction from actual school work, but if used correctly, it could also be a great way to learn more about writing!

Happy Tumblr-ing!  

Monday, February 25, 2013

Getting Personal with the Personal Statement


While most people are suffering from the flu, I am suffering from a lesser known super bug: the personal statement. Whether it is for graduate school, internships or a job, personal statements tend to become the bane of many people’s existence. As a writing tutor, I am very comfortable with taking on a ten page, APA style paper, but make me write a five-hundred word essay about my life and I’ll be suffering from writer’s block within five minutes. In fact, I should actually be writing a personal statement right now!

A depiction of my dorm when writing a personal statement.
Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxsa87a5Nm1qd9a66o1_500.jpg
Not all is lost in this uphill battle with the personal statement, there are many resources around. Obviously, the Writing Center offers help on all sorts of papers, including entrance essays and statements. Additionally, Cedar Crest College’s Academic Services and Career Planning Services provide step-by-step guides on how to create a five-hundred word essay about you. Still stumped? Try SmartThinking, Academic Services new 24/7 online tutoring service. Writing tutors are standing by to help review your papers and give timely feedback. I even tried it once and got fantastic results.

So when it comes to writing personal statements, don’t resort to this:    


                                                                                                                                                                 
Use the resources around you and just keep writing!
-Lindsay 

Monday, February 18, 2013

An Acquired Taste

Authored by Lindsey Burke, Writing Consultant

Writing is an acquired taste.   

But don't be discouraged if you haven't found an appreciation for it, yet.  College is the perfect time to try and gain enjoyment in each new exposure.  Everyone can discover an interest in writing, though for some, it may simply require more or less time to develop.   

I know students who had lost their distaste for writing in high school, finding a certain sweetness in a task that so many of us deemed bitter and downright dreadful.  Assigned essay topics could be so wild and outlandish, typically inspiring such reactions as "What's the point?  Is my teacher crazy?  If I want to be, oh say, a dentist, then why on earth must I read and write about Julius Caesar, The Scarlet Letter, and Death of a Salesman?  It won't make me a better dentist!"  I didn't see the meaning of the practice, and it wasn't until my freshman year of college that I finally experienced a shift in mentality and felt a fondness for academic writing.  

As always, the topic seemed absurd.  We had to argue whether technology helps or hurts our intelligence... by using a magical monkey from a Chinese folk tale and Google as our only sources of evidence!  As per tradition, I did not see a purpose in the assignment.  How on earth was I supposed to convince an ordinary person of my claim, using such silly (and seemingly unrelated) pieces of evidence? 

The class was responsible for submitting a rough draft to be reviewed by the professor, and though the draft grades were not recorded, they were supposed to give us an idea of the success of our arguments at that stage.  My rough draft earned a C, and naturally I was devastated by the red letter that represented my work.   


Seeing that grade beside my name forced me to consider and confess; I didn't take the assignment seriously, and (regrettably) the verb "BS" was the most accurate way to describe how I wrote the paper.  I felt embarrassed, but thankful for a second chance.  I knew I needed to change my strategy (if you call "BS-ing" a strategy) and my outlook on writing essays in general.   

The assignment challenged me to collect every possible piece of evidence from the texts that was related to the topic and my claim.  But in order to organize them to create a compelling and interesting argument, I forced myself to think as far outside the box as I was capable of extending.  And then something had finally occurred to me; for the first time I wondered if these bizarre essay topics functioned as tests of our creativity.     

Aside from practicing basic writing skills, these essays can help train us to think critically, be creative as heck, and challenge us to compose something original and unlike anything our teachers have seen from another student.  As soon as I adopted this outlook, I no longer felt silly for writing about Google and a magical Chinese monkey.  I was happy and confident that the message I communicated was innovative and convincing.  It was the first essay I felt truly proud of, and it was also my first A on a college paper. 

I “acquired a taste” for writing by finding something about the process that I enjoyed.  By trying it again and giving it a true chance, I decided it’s not so bad, after all!


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

10 Tidbits of Inspiration

As a senior getting ready to write a thesis paper, I need some inspiration before taking my research to that next laborious step. While perusing the Internet recently, I found a few things that are nice reminders about the writing process.

Even though I write pretty well, I still (occasionally) find myself waking up in the middle of the night from being hunted by the Writing Monster (It may actually live under my bed, since there are snacks and amenities down there. Dorm life =/).

These quotes are great for academic and creative writers alike, and who knows --it may give you the same boost as it is giving me.


1. GET STARTED/ FIND INSPIRATION



2. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS
 
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done.                            
Steven Wright


3. …BUT DO NOT PROCRASTINATE



4. KEEP CALM, BECAUSE:


5. DON’T FORGET TRANSITIONS AND FACTS!



6. READ OFTEN:

There is creative reading as well as creative writing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

7. BE A GOOD LISTENER:



8. WRITE WITH YOUR BUDS:




9. TAKE BREAKS AND HAVE A GOOD LAUGH, LIKE:




10. ONCE YOU GET INTO IT, DON’T LET IT ESCAPE YOU:
 


AND REMEMBER:






Sunday, February 3, 2013

Writing Consultant Highlight - Morgan Keschl

Writing Consultant Highlight 
Morgan Keschl


Morgan is a senior Communication major who has an interest in working class images in media. With a tedious writing process, this consultant likes to unwind with unusual breeds of music. Morgan offers rather comforting advice to writers to start writing early and break it into pieces, as well as a more broad scope of the stresses of writing and deadlines.

See below for Morgan's insights:

As a writing consultant, you know how to put a paper together, but what is your writing process like?
My process, embarrassingly, is really monotonous. First, I use a few databases and research a general topic. Once I get enough articles on a general topic, I find what is in common between them and the differences as well as any outlying questions I have; this helps me form a thesis. Then I pull useful quotes and information from these sources, followed by making outlines by sections of my paper. 
 
The longest part of writing a paper is putting together the outline. I literally put all my information in order. Yes, this is nuts, but it makes writing the actual paper easy since I have a good guide. Still, this is not a fancy outline at all!

Let’s face it: No one is perfect. What is your biggest writing challenge?
I tend to be wordy and want to include as much detail as possible. I'm a pretty detail-oriented person, so I tend to think everything is relevant. There comes a point when I have to be more objective with myself.

How does your major help you become a better writer? How has Cedar Crest helped you become a better writer?
I am a weathered communication major, and naturally, writing is communication. I had the opportunity to be a staff writer, news editor, and managing editor of The Crestiad during my time at CCC, so that in itself is a style of writing that is creative and yet pretty mechanical. On the academic side, I love challenge of analyzing media content and writing about it. I'm also a research nerd \O--O/ so using my writing skills and my analytical skills is great.

What is something interesting not many people know about you?
Hmm, well, I am into metal, industrial, goth, and post-grunge music. My favorite bands have been Type O Negative and Six Feet Under, but I'm expanding my music scope as we speech. I like variety and my playlist is definitely interesting.

What is your favorite book? Why?
My favorite book would have to be Brave New World. I'm much more of a nonfiction person, but this is a good read. I read it a few years ago and it is about a future society that is very mechanical and the main character is struggling within it to be a more in-depth. I won't spoil the whole book for you!
 
What is your general advice to writers?
Be patient. You will get through it. By breaking writing into steps and starting well in advance, you will succeed. When in doubt, remember --this is only one minor aspect out of your whole life.

COMMENT BELOW TO OFFER MORGAN YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK!