Writing Myth #2

Today's post will address another writing myth I hear very often.

Myth #2: I write better at the last minute.

This is the context in which I have most often heard this statement uttered: a student comes to me to have his essay checked. It is the day before the assignment is due. The draft of the essay the student hands to me is incomplete. The student may have written as little as a thesis statement. The research used in the essay (if any) has not been cited. The draft is riddled with empty phrases and grammatical errors. I point out these weaknesses to the student and inquire as to how he expects to polish this turd of an essay by the next day's deadline. He then says, "It's ok. I tend to write better at the last minute."

I know what students mean when they say this: deadlines are very motivating. The faster a deadline approaches, the more motivated students feel to grind out academic essays. Totally understandable. However, Nobel Prize-winning composition skills don't magically materialize under duress. All students possess the same writing skills on day one of an assignment as they do on day 10. If you commonly wait until the day before an assignment is due to begin the writing process, that may be why you're falling far short of earning those A's you want.

Notice I said "begin the writing process." Many A-earning students wait until the day before a deadline to put the first draft of their essays on paper, but that's Step 6 in an eight-step process. Many of the students (like the one in my example above) who claim to write better the day before a deadline are waiting until then to begin the ENTIRE writing process. And by then, it is too late.

So what does the Grammar Nazi do? For a standard 5-page essay, I take 2 to 3 days before the assignment deadline to actually write. The process, however, begins way before that. The moment I receive the assignment instructions, I begin thinking about how I will approach the essay. I immediately make notes on the assignment sheet about possible subject matter and ideas for my thesis statement. I then take the next few days to formulate and refine the thesis statement. (I often write a second thesis statement as a backup in case my first one turns out to be tragically weak, incompatible with the assignment, or insupportable.) Once the thesis statement is to my liking, I spend 1 to 2 days on research. (A day equals 4 to 6 hours in the library. Yes, that's it, because I know what to look for and, usually, how to find it.) I then take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour to draft my outline. When that is done, I am prepared to write.

Now, try cramming that entire process into a single 24-hour day and you can see how it quickly becomes overwhelming. This is what many students do: they refuse to think about the assignment until they can no longer ignore the encroaching deadline. Under stress, they throw together a semi-cohesive thesis statement, pull a couple of quick sources from the Web, and stay up all night frantically typing anything relevant that comes to mind. Is it any wonder that bad grades typically result from this approach to writing?

Many elements must be present in stellar composition: correct grammar and punctuation, writing that's cohesive and stays on topic, a solid thesis statement, a well-reasoned argument, and academic research. A student that is stressed out and sleep deprived from starting an assignment at the eleventh hour is incapable of ensuring the quality of all those elements, even with Spell-check at their disposal. Writing stellar essays means starting the writing process soon after receiving the assignment--even if that means just taking a few days to think about a plan of action.

And for goodness sake, GET SOME SLEEP!

Finding Great Ideas

On this blog, you've read about brainstorming. You've read about writing thesis statements. Yet your first thought when asked to write an essay is still, "Uh...."

You're asked to write an essay comparing Macbeth to Othello and your response is, "But there's nothing to compare!"

I understand.

Just coming up with ideas for a stellar thesis statement can be tough. It requires some well-placed effort and focus--including:

#1. Reading analytically. And taking notes.

When you sit down to read a text, you should always jot down the following information:

a. Title of text
b. Name and short bio of the author
c. Year of publication/Historical time period
d. Subject of text
e. Theme (or thesis) of text
f. Description of major characters (for literary texts)
g. Main points/Quotes relevant to the theme or thesis
h. A one-paragraph summary of the text

Not only will these notes shave HOURS off of your study time in a class that requires you to read six or more books, they will help you write a stellar thesis statement for your next essay.

Why these?

* The author's bio may reveal a bias or experience that affected his or her writing. Exploring said bias can be the focus of a stellar essay.

* You may discover a similar theme in another work and, therefore, have the foundation for a great compare/contrast essay.

(What is a theme, you ask? The theme is like a comment on a work's subject. For instance, say the subject of a novel is "war". Therefore, the theme might be "war is evil" or "war is necessary". A work's theme reveals itself through poignant quotes, events and outcomes.)

* Books and novels often comment upon the times or society in which they are published. Such commentary can be explored in an essay.

* Character analysis can also make a great essay.

* The other notes? They will help you remember the text you read, which is essential when you're facing a midterm.

Reading analytically means keeping your eyes peeled for anything significant in the text. Pay special attention to the main character's evolution through the story, symbols, the story's ending, and conflicts between and within the characters.

#2. Go to class and pay attention (and take more notes).

I'm not being sarcastic here. If you listen to your professor during class, he or she will clue you in to the major themes and important quotes of the texts you are reading. This can be a huge help when stuck reading a long, boring, or confusing text. If your professor focuses on a particular scene, make a note of it and what he says about it. If your professor mentions a certain quote two or more times in class, underline and highlight that bad boy. You can rest assured said scene or quote will appear on a test, if not in your essay. Make notes in the margin of your text if necessary. Fold the page down for future reference. Organize your notes for easy reference later.

Some students complain that taking notes doesn't help them much. That's because they aren't taking the RIGHT kind of notes. Often, students try to frantically scribble down their professor's every word. Not effective. Instead, do this:

* Write down what he or she puts on the blackboard.

* Note the pertinent information he or she gives on the text.

That's it. Spend the rest of class listening and participating in the discussion.

#3. Think big and dig deep.

The biggest problem I see in poor essays is mediocrity (i.e., lack of significance or relevance). Sure, two characters in different stories may have gray hair and wear trench coats, but how is that worth mentioning? Do the gray hair and trench coats symbolize anything? Similarities and differences aren't worth discussing unless they are significant.

Actively look for ways to explore a text. Focus on symbolism or timelessness (i.e., a work written in 1604 still has relevance today because...?). Look for information that can tie two works together in a meaningful way. Do so, and you'll be on your way to writing a stellar essay.

The Writing Process, Part 1

So, you've received an essay assignment. You know what your professor will be looking for when he or she grades it. Now what?

If your answer is, "Sit down and start writing," you are wrong! There is a process when it comes to writing stellar essays, and writing doesn't really begin until near the end. First, you must prepare.

Here's how the process goes:

1. Understand the assignment
2. Brainstorm
3. Write a thesis statement
4. Research
5. Develop an outline
6. Write the first draft: intro, body, and conclusion
7. Format the Works Cited page
8. Revise

If you had never really skied before, you wouldn't sign up for the Winter Olympics, slap on a pair of skis, climb to the top of a jagged peak and take off, would you? Of course not. You'd be lucky to survive with little more than a broken leg. Skiing at that level takes years of training and practice. Yet many students approach college composition this way: they jump straight to step six and then wonder why their essays come back dripping with red ink. So, let's take these one at a time:

#1. Understand the assignment.

Want to make absolutely sure you're doing what your professor wants? Before doing anything, read the assignment instructions SLOWLY at least THREE times, focusing on ALL the required elements. Number or highlight said elements if necessary. After that, keep those instructions glued to your arm. Literally. Don't write or do research without them in front of you. Consult them OFTEN--after every paragraph if necessary. Read them AGAIN just before your final revision. This will ensure your writing stays on track through the entire process.

Do the instructions read like a passage from Faulkner? Ask your professor to explain them to you. DO THIS FIRST! Trust me: most professors would rather explain an assignment a dozen times than grade a bad essay. When your professor is explaining, don't just stand there and nod your head. Rephrase the explanation in your own words and repeat it back for confirmation: "So what you're saying is, I should..." Better yet, take notes. Return to your professor ANY TIME you have a question.

Can't understand the professor? Find the smartest person in your class and ask him or her to explain it. Still not good enough? Post them on here, and I'll help you.

Additionally, you need to understand that various types of assignments have their own requirements. For example, let's say you receive the following prompt:

Compare and contrast the theme of The Octopus by Frank Norris with the theme of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.

In this instance, you know that you are going to be EQUALLY analyzing TWO novels and discussing their similarities AND differences. Notice the words in all caps. Some students read this type of prompt and focus only on the first novel with information from the second one thrown in as an afterthought. Or they might discuss the similarities but omit the differences. Understanding the assignment, however, means KNOWING what you have to do and MAKING PLANS to do it. Writing doesn't stop when you've reached the required page length; it stops when you've fully addressed the prompt.

#2. Brainstorming.

Now that you understand the assignment, you need some ideas for how to approach it. Graphing your thoughts is a great way to start because it lets you literally see the flow of ideas and the connection between different types of information.

For example, let's say you're going to answer the sample prompt above. First, you will need to have read the two novels. (Duh!) Next, draw two large overlapping circles on a sheet of paper. Write The Octopus above the first circle and The Jungle above the other. Where the circles overlap, list any similarities you found between the themes, which may include the following: identical characters, socialist ideas, demonization of technology, similar events, etc. In the remainder of the two circles, list the differences that correspond to each title.

Now select the most interesting ones to include in your essay--ones that you can really expand upon. (Three of each is generally a good rule of thumb.) Leave out ones that can be explained in a single sentence. You want full, detailed paragraphs.

Example #2: let's say you need points to explore in an essay on the American Civil War. In this instance, you should use a "bubble" or "tree" graph. Start by drawing a large circle and write "Civil War" in the center. Next, think of the various aspects surrounding the war: its leaders, issues of race, defining battles, outcomes, etc. As each point comes to mind, put it in a separate smaller circle outside the large one and draw a line from the large circle to the small one. Then work to expand the graph by listing at least three aspects of each point outside its circle, again connecting them with lines. When you are finished, you will be ready to write your thesis statement.

#3. Write a thesis statement.

The thesis statement is the most critical part of the essay. It provides the framework and the focus for the entire paper. You CANNOT write a stellar essay without one.

Remember those points you wrote down during your brainstorming session? They will come together to form your thesis statement.

There are TWO types of thesis statements: a listing thesis and an inclusive thesis.

Listing thesis statements are easy to write. You simply list the points you will address in your essay. For example, a thesis statement for the Civil War paper might read: The actions of Ulysses S. Grant, General Stonewall Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln shaped the outcome of the Civil War in profound, surprising ways. Here, you are discussing three Civil War leaders. Subsequently, the main body of your essay will be divided into three DISTINCT parts, each focusing EXCLUSIVELY on one leader.

Inclusive thesis statements are used when listing would be too awkward, such as in a compare/contrast essay. Many professors prefer inclusive thesis statements because of their sophistication, but they are difficult to do right. The main problem is that they can come off sounding too general--more like a topic sentence than a thesis statement. The rule to remember is that GOOD thesis statements are ALWAYS specific and direct.

Example: Although The Jungle and The Octopus similarly demonize the industrial and agricultural revolution in America, Sinclair shows how the revolution affects urban immigrants while Norris illustrates the plight of rural farmers.

The first few paragraphs would then describe how each novel characterizes the industrial revolution, followed by an explanation of how the authors' focus on different social groups shapes the reader's perception of each novel's message or theme. This is the kind of essay that wins awards.

Newsflash: professors want sophistication, not summaries.

The remainder of the writing process will be covered in Part 2.