Joining A Greater Conversation

Joining A Greater Conversation

Quality writing is more than something that school requires of students; it is something that the world demands of its citizens. Using proper grammar, choosing appropriate words, and forming a plan are the three ways you can improve your writing--if you are unable to employ each of these three elements, your ability to attain a job or prove a claim is negatively affected.

Proper grammar not only validates your writing but also makes it understandable. Kyle Wiens, an employer at two companies that offer step-by-step user manuals, explains, “Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have. They are a projection of you in your physical absence.” Poor grammar is a sign of a lacking education. Understandably, few individuals are interested in reading the work of an uneducated person. Even if the point the writer is presenting is a deeply meaningful or logical claim, people automatically show less willingness to accept it if it is plagued by faulty grammar. Poor grammar booms the message, “uneducated!” Don't be one to fall under this label. In addition to being unattractive, it can make statements challenging to understand, “One who has only travelled to Seattle, Washington, Peru, Nebraska, and Jamaica, Vermont is not well travelled.” Poor grammar, such as the incorrect usage of commas, can makes sentences have a meaning different from their intended one. Not only does a lack of understanding in grammar cause your written claims to lose integrity, but it also can cause them to be lost altogether.

Peru, Nebraska

Word choice largely defines the quality of your writing as it refines and strengthens your claims. “Writing is, indeed, a necessary and, well, pretty useful form of communication. It is actually an imperative when exchanging thoughts and ideas.” Unnecessary text and repetition bog down the main point. Similar to the effects of poor grammar, a lack of concision makes writing confusing. One could merely say, “Writing is an essential form of communication.” This says everything the two lines it replaces stated, only in a shorter way. The less wordy alternative proves to be the more powerful way. Moreover, when writing a binding agreement, you must employ words that are precise and clear to avoid any type of confusion. Writer for Entrepreneur magazine Lauren Impton notes, “Including certain clauses in your contracts will reduce risks to your company from lawsuits and misunderstandings and provide legal rights that your company might not otherwise have.” Wording that is most similar to the idea that you are trying to convey is essential when proving a point. In a contract, loose terms that are open to interpretation can lead to dispute and therefore defeat the purpose of a contract. Choosing appropriate terms, however, is applicable to far more than writing a contract. In any opinionated piece, it is more effective to bolster it with bulletproof terms rather than umbrella terms that leave the topic at hand largely unexplored. This is not to say that abstract words make for a poor piece of writing. If chosen correctly, they have the ability to form an equally compelling piece as Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated in his “I Have a Dream Speech”. While grammar is important, good writing is largely characterized by the words that make it up which is why it should be of particular significance to someone in pursuit of improving your writing.

MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

Quality writing on its own must consist of proper grammar and appropriate word choice, but in order to make a superior piece you must formulate an outline. All successful businesses have a plan that lays out their goals whether they revolve around increasing profit margins or expanding into new territories. Without them, even if a company promoted a stellar product or service, it would have no hope of performing business in an organized and tactical way. In fact, a company halves their chance of success by failing to create a plan. The shorter length of an outline makes it easier for you to spot weak arguments or a diversion from the main point at hand; therefore, an outline prevents you from haphazardly piecing unrelated information together. Only the strongest claims and pieces of evidence should be used to fortify the overarching message of the piece. Thus, beginning to write by creating an outline instead of simply embarking on writing the final product will better the overall quality of your piece.

Achieving Greater Success With A Plan

Using proper grammar, choosing appropriate words, and forming a plan are the chief ways which you can use to improve your writing. The ability that you have to take a position, make a claim, and join a greater conversation is reinforced when you understand the three vital elements that create an effective piece.

Better Your Writing In These Three Ways

        It takes most writers years to hone their craft, but there are three basic changes you can make to significantly improve the quality of their writing. These include attention to word choice, systematic focus, and simplicity of prose.

        In any written work, effective word choice plays an important role. Words such as “very,” “totally,” and “absolutely” fall into the category of empty qualifiers and should be kept out of any good writer’s arsenal. These words tend to take away from what the writer is trying to convey, adding wordiness and no real explicative value. “Very” is an inefficient word. It does not depict anything except excess, and further, does not provide the reader with specific detail. Instead of using "very," a writer should either remove it entirely from the phrase, and/or replace it with a comprehensive description. Appropriate word choice should make one’s text appealing and educational. A good writer should try not to use the same phrase in two successive sentences. Repetitiveness creates tedious prose and should also be avoided.

        One area in which many writers fall short is in the field of focus. A writer’s paragraphs and sentences must be organized and connect in a coherent fashion. Expressing ideas clearly and systematically should produce text that works to achieve a common goal, whether telling a story when writing fiction or proving a claim in an analytical piece. Sentences should not confuse the reader or take away from the main objective. This can happen when unnecessary information is given or when sentences or paragraphs are written out of sequence. The placement of specific details or analysis should follow an organized and logical sequence otherwise the text becomes confusing. This problem is easily solved by removing the unnecessary or wrongly placed information. Without a mastery of focus is extremely difficult to make and prove claims. When sentences do connect logically and focus is achieved, analytical writing becomes more effective.

        Some writers are under the impression that complex writing is better writing, however this is not the case. Simplicity is best. When writers overcomplicate their text, the result can be very dry and at times, difficult to understand. The use of ambitiously large words may not only distract some readers, but also may negatively impact the fluidity and style of the piece. Writers will often add unnecessary words or phrases in an attempt to sound more intelligent, professional, or simply to add length. Deleting unnecessary words makes the sentence concise and more straightforward. Complexity, in general, tends to obscure a writer’s message or objective. Simplicity of language should be the goal, especially in the case of analytical writing, as claims can easily become lost in a web of big words and needless phrases.

        In addition to consistent practice, growing and improving as a writer requires a thorough understanding of word choice, focus, and simplicity. Mastering these three simple elements can have a significant impact upon the quality of one’s writing.

Give Us Another Page You're the Essay Man

(note: this first sentence only works if you have listened to “piano man” by billy Joel, if not, it is a very good song)

Oh it's one am on a Sunday, you're back at the grind again, there's an open laptop sitting next to you, oh procrastination really should be a sin. You can not think, you confuse your pencil with the spoon for your coffee, life just seems stacked against you. Everyone has been there. Young Choate student Hewlett Packard has found himself there many a time, and perhaps he can be learned from. If only there was a higher edition of spell check, that could detect misplaced modifiers, the use of the first person, or anything that ends up highlighted or marked in red when the essay is returned. Hewlett's problems can be reduced to three main solutions. He needs to create time, use that time to proofread, and learn the writing tips to improve that proofreading.

Five minutes can do wonders for your grade. In the first paragraph of an essay, Hewlett had 10 capitalization errors. Capitalization is learned in first grade. All it takes is 5 sec for each error to change your grade. When reading an essay or a blog post with such trivial mistakes, it is often very hard to take anything the writer says seriously. The comment sections of any social internet website will destroy a post if it has typos, capitalization certainly deserves dismissal of content. Additionally, the errors are mostly with the names of people, such as Donald Trump. Ever since Hewett learned to write his name, he should have learned that names get capital letters. Proofreading could have saved his grade as well as his reputation. If that seems so obvious, then why do more students not turn to it as an option? Hewletts source of demise lies in the fabric of the universe, time.

Time can be created. Hewlett could have made an outline for his essay instead of going rock climbing, or eating a second lunch. With simple management of a schedule, hours of free time can be created. Time allows for proofreading, the source of errors in the above paragraph, as well as correction of repetitive error throughout the career of a writer. In Hewlett’s winter journal, quotes and titles of works are marked wrong six times. After the second time at most, a review of the writing guide and writing tips should be self mandated. If Hewett is working late into the night for chemistry test corrections, the same should be done for essay corrections. This will remove the mystery behind grades, and improve writings in the future, once he can realise what he often fails to do.

Similarly to how it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog, it's the size of the enthusiasm in the writer. Without that enthusiasm, there is no motivation to do corrections, writing seems a bore, and one will never produce good ideas. In the essay comparing Donald Trump and Macbeth, Hewlett was able to spew out great ideas and concepts. In the winter journal, it is clear which assignments were done rushed and which were planned. The responses with the most errors also have the worst ideas and content. Had Hewlett set aside more time for his english homework each night, both issues would have been solved. You can create enthusiasm as well. When I write about something that intrigues me, it is incredibly easier than something that bores me or that I have no interest in.

The perfect combination of enthusiasm, time, and proofreading will not produce a perfect essay. That comes from a combination of past knowledge, a good prompt, and all the qualities mentioned in this essay. Hewlett’s writing is never going to turn into Hemingway's with 100 hours of proofreading, but at least it will not have as many red marks on it. He wants to proofread, he knows it will work, but often he either has the motivation to write the essay or improve it, rarely both. Without enthusiasm, the idea quality suffers, and nobody likes to read an awful essay, even its creator correcting it. This essay right here is written by Hewlett, lets hope he gets it right this time.

Clark Devoto
Don't understand grammar or life in general? Visit this place

Some Tips for Making Your Essay a Little More Kick-Ass

 Whether it is apparent or not, everyone’s ability to write will be tested at some point or another.  Everyone should have basic writing skills, regardless of his education or occupation.  Strong writing displays strong intellect.  In today’s day and age, human interaction is largely based off of expressing one’s viewpoints on social media, like Facebook, Twitter, or the Hype, for that matter.  Whether it is a formal academic essay or a thoughtful Tweet, careful effort should be taken in creating writing.  In addition to investing decent time and effort, there are several steps that can be followed to write a more effective essay--or Tweet, for that matter (but today, the focus will be the art of the essay).  To explore some of these useful steps, some written works of a high school student will be sampled.  The steps being explored today include (1) use of strong diction, (2) implementation of proper punctuation, and (3) crafting a sufficient thesis statement.

    Advanced diction, although it may not seem so, is one of the best ways to spice up an essay.  Understanding how different words with similar meanings can be used in different contexts is important in getting a desired mood out of a specific phrase.  Having an expansive vocabulary allows for variation to be added to the essay, and can captivate an audience.  Take for example this sentence from the essay “On Station Eleven” by our high school writer: “Evading peril at what seems like every turn, it is inevitable the Symphony will have to confront its obstacles in order to reach its ultimate destination” (“On Station Eleven”).  Take a look at the first word in the sentence, “evading.”  If this choice of word is considered, it is apparent that the student had alternate options to choose from when selecting a word with a similar meaning.  Why evading?  Take, as an example, escaping in its place.  The student obviously had to make a decision based on which word he thought would contribute more to the sentence and the essay.  Evading is a term which reflects getting away from something through cleverness and trickery, which implies something that escape does not.  The student wanted to show that the Symphony had to use all its wit and intellect to avoid danger, and “evading” possessed the best connotation to reflect this idea.  To maintain proper use of diction, it can be helpful to know what not to do.  To provide an instance which a specific word was used in an incorrect manner, another essay from the student can be consulted: “Today, stereotypes of Native American homelessness, substance abuse, and poverty seek to strip indigenous people of their pride and freedom” (“Exploring Reasons for Native American Disadvantages”).  In this case, the verb “to seek” is used as though it is an action performed by stereotypes.  In this context, “to seek” may have not been the best verb to use, as a stereotype is not an object, but an idea, which is incapable of performing this action.  To improve this sentence, omitting “seek” entirely may have been a wise decision to improve the quality of the sentence.  As is evident in both of these examples, diction is an important part of any essay, and it is vital to create a balance between proper use and overuse of advanced diction.

    Equally important to use of strong diction is the proper use of punctuation.  Punctuation can have a significant impact on how an audience perceives the writer.  If the writer is consistent in his or her punctuation use, his or her work will likely look more professional and appealing to an audience.  Inconsistent punctuation can make an audience unsure of the credibility of its author.  It is important to know how to use punctuation marks and syntax in the proper manner to make sure the audience has no difficulties following along.  A concept which is often confused in writing is use of quotations; it is important to remember that punctuation typically is placed inside quotation marks in the English language:  “The symphony’s motto, a line which was taken from Star Trek and was originally Shakespeare’s, emphasizes the central theme which is reinforced by the Station Eleven comics: ‘Survival is insufficient.’” (“On Station Eleven”). When the motto of the symphony is stated at the end of the sentence, the period appears inside the quotations.  Another grammatical concept which is often confusing for students to grasp is differentiating between different types of titles.  When referring to the title of a large work of art, music, or literature, titles should be italicized.  Conversely, a single song or a short story should have quotations around it.  This is true for any short work.  For example: “...provides sufficient detail to help the audience attain a basic understanding of Macbeth, but is concise enough to permit the audience to develop their own understanding of the play” (“Tickling Your Brain With Shakespeare”).  Macbeth is italicized in this instance because it is a long work.  While quotation use and title formatting are two important aspects of punctuation, they are just two of many important components of a vital aspect of writing.  For an overview on some other important punctuation tips, visit the Punctuation Guide here.  This is an extremely useful resource for understanding the functions of each mark.

    The thesis statement is probably the most important aspect of any essay.  Theses introduce the essay’s claim and prompt the reader for the body paragraphs of the essay.  Theses can be tricky, but there are a few key things to remember that can help to write a solid thesis.  Initially, it is most important to ensure the thesis properly addresses the claim the writer wants to make.  If the thesis fails to make a claim, reading the essay can be tricky and boring.  In addition to being the foundation of the essay, the thesis should be concise.  The thesis should be clear, and in extent, brief, so as not to confuse the audience.  For examining a thesis, it is often times easier to start with one that could be improved: “In his short story ‘What You Pawn I Will Redeem’ and the article ‘No, Native Americans aren't genetically more susceptible to alcoholism’ by renowned neuroscience journalist Maia Szalavitz, there is a central motive to disprove common stereotypes about Native Americans, and explore potential causes for excessive Native American homelessness and substance abuse” (“Exploring Reasons for Native American Disadvantages”).  Clearly, this is a very lengthy thesis.  While it does make a decent claim, its length will likely make it more difficult to interpret than it should be.  To shorten the thesis, there are some unnecessary words that can be eliminated immediately, such as “renowned,” “common,” “potential,” and “excessive.”  It should be noted that all these words are adjectives, and often times, unnecessary adjectives stand in the way of concision.  In addition, it may be wise to revise the thesis so that it is stated in a less awkward manner.  For example, a thesis such as, “The story ‘What You Pawn I Will Redeem’ and the journal article ‘No, Native Americans aren’t genetically more susceptible to alcoholism’ both seek to explore stereotypes, homelessness, and drug abuse among Native Americans,” would probably function better because it is more clear and concise.  Clarity and concision are vital to making any thesis the foundation of a solid essay.  For a great external resource on writing concrete theses, visit the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center’s Website here.

    Strong diction, proper punctuation, and a concrete thesis statement are vital to the crafting of a solid essay.  When writing, it is important to ensure that there is an appropriate balance in the level of words chosen.  Are there advanced words present to improve the essay?  Are there less complex words to relieve the audience?  It is also necessary to constantly revise essays to avoid punctuational errors.  The thesis should be carefully constructed to reflect the claim of the essay, without compromising concision.  If these measures are taken in writing an essay, it is possible to make significant improvement on the essay as a whole.  

Write Better Essays in Three Easy Steps!

Do you feel that your writing isn't as good as it can be?

Have you been getting Bs and Cs on your latest writing assignments?
If so, then follow this advice, and see what you can do to improve your writing.

When it comes to writing, there isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to write. However, that doesn't mean that all writing is perfect. As you learn to write, you are taught that it will be incredibly important as you move through your life, (if you are a high school student you will feel this on a very personal level) and it is. No matter a person’s occupation or level of education, writing is necessary. During your academic career, especially, the ability to write well is crucial. In all circumstances, writing errors are unavoidable, but if you confront them, analyze them, and learn from them, you can avoid them in future work. Though these three writing tips might not be able to magically raise your grades, they will definitely push you in the direction of becoming a better writer.

Step 1:

Remember to watch for and correct little errors. These errors can range from incorrect punctuation use, to not using parallelism, to forgetting about the subject-verb agreement. Small errors don't necessarily take away from the message expressed by a piece of writing, but they can interrupt its flow. Once you have an understanding of what these errors look like, it's only a matter of practice and careful proofreading. Where there are long sentences, incorrect comma use isn't hard to find. For example, “…William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s painting Judith Beheading Holofernes, have quite a lot in common” (McGrath, Macbeth Essay). This is an example of how not to use a comma. The comma before “have” isn't needed, as it interrupts the flow of the sentence by creating a pause where there shouldn't be one. This is one type of error that can be easily fixed to improve a piece of writing. Another example shows the use of clichéd words, “She is also very self-critical, judging her music harshly, trying to create a final product that meets her expectations” (McGrath, Reaction to Grimes Article). Instead of writing “very,” (which isn't very descriptive), you could replace it with stronger terms, like “extremely,” or “incredibly.” This simple mistake can make the writing sound less significant, but it can also easily be fixed.

Step 2:    

Think about diction (word choice) and syntax (the arrangement of words in a sentence). These are important parts of writing, and are usually harder to notice when editing your own work. Instead of writing a sentence like this, “She has been called “the next Lady Gaga,” due to her eccentric outfits, unusual voice, and her image in general” (McGrath, Reaction to Grimes Article), you should think about switching the two parts of the sentence. The edited sentence, “Due to her eccentric outfits, unusual voice, and her image in general, she has been called “the next Lady Gaga,” is much easier to read. Along with word choice and sentence structure, you should also remember to use the literary present. Using the literary present keeps all descriptions of events in a single tense, as you can assume that the events exist in an eternal state of presence. One example of a sentence with the wrong tense is, “...(and an act she was so intent upon committing)” (McGrath, Macbeth Essay). This passage describes Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and all discussion about literature should be in the literary present. To fix this, you would change “was” to “is.” All of these elements, including the length and flow of sentences, their diction, and the tense in which they are written, combine to make up your “voice," which is arguably the most important part of your writing.

Step 3:

Make your writing say something. It's easy to waste time and paper with summary when writing about an event or literary work. Well yes, it's informative, but it also takes away from your writing. Instead, you should give a brief summary before moving on to connect the events with your own ideas. Here's an example of unnecessary summary: “Grimes (also known as Claire Boucher) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer” (McGrath, Reaction to Grimes Article). This sentence is gratuitous, just pointless summary. It doesn't express anything about the author’s thoughts or opinions concerning the article. Also, writing doesn't have to be limited to just one topic or thought, in fact, it can be interesting and beneficial to include connections you make to broader ideas. This is a good example of that process, “Comparing works of art or literature helps us to process and appreciate them” (McGrath, Macbeth Essay). This statement takes an idea and analyzes it, generalizing. This can help both an author and their audience absorb the ideas that are expressed, and push them to raise questions of their own.

       Writing, whether it's being used for communication, education, or even self-expression, is an important part of our lives. Though using a comma the right way and remembering to capitalize are not at the front of everyone’s mind, perfecting basic writing skills definitely benefits all writers, especially students. Although it is really improved through practice, proofreading, and studying, fixing minor errors and strengthening your voice are still important steps in the process of improving your writing.

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Tips on How to Improve Your Essay!

Tips on How to Improve Your Essay!

Very often, students don’t know what is stopping them from producing a perfect essay; their ideas are good, their grammar is correct, but why are they not receiving the grade they think they deserve? If you think your essays can be better, these tips will take your writing to the next level! Creating a structured, organized essay requires more than having good points; there are other aspects such as keeping the essay simple, being specific, and citing the material correctly.

One of the key factors in constructing a solid essay is keeping it simple. Many students often believe that using big words will make them sounds smarter, but in reality, using big words may actually end up distracting the reader, especially if used incorrectly. In an essay regarding what the best secondary source for Shakespeare’s Macbeth is, one student wrote, “...it includes visuals and explains the information in a simple dialect.” As shown, the word ‘dialect’ was not handled correctly. Instead, the sentence could have read, “...it includes visuals and explains the information in a simple way.” The student should have used words he/she felt comfortable with, and made sure the words were being used correctly and appropriately. “Keep it simple, stupid.” (noted by the U.S. Navy)

Specificity is another vital aspect in creating a flawless essay. Never assume the audience knows what is being referred to because very often, they will not. In the same essay as the one above, the student stated, “... which is what makes the website so great.” The fact that the website is ‘great’ is common knowledge; what the readers need to know is in what way is it great, or why is it so great. One possibility of improving that sentence could be, “...which is what makes the website helpful for Shakespeare.” Now, the audience will know what it is that made it so ‘great’.

Plagiarism is a horrible thing to do, and can cause some of the worst consequences. Therefore, to avoid plagiarism, it is important to cite all material carefully and clearly. When using someone else’s ideas, it is only acceptable and fair to give them credit. Referring to the same student written about earlier, the student wrote, “Images are proven to be more appealing and engaging to the reader than long paragraphs of words.” This information may very well be true, but only is there no evidence to back it up, but there is no credit given to the person who performed the research and proved that statement as a fact. The sentence could have been replaced by, “According to Haig Kouyoumdjian, Ph.D., images are proven to be more appealing and engaging to the reader than long paragraphs of words.” Now, the audience knows who the information was from and can do further research if wanted. Always give credit and avoid plagiarism!

Writing well-structured essays are difficult, but helpful for future aspects of life as well. Writing essays involves critical thinking and demonstrates the student’s understanding of the material. So remember all these tips and get an A on that essay!

Reduce, Revise, Restructure

You have probably read something recently that makes you feel secondhand embarrassment for the author and groan internally (or very loudly). The mistakes that readers find unbearable to find are the same mistakes that we, as writers, have to eliminate. Knowing common errors and learning how not to commit them are arguably the best ways to become a stronger writer. Errors to be vigilant of include wordiness, careless grammar mistakes, and repetitive sentence structures.

Using concise, curated wording keeps the message clear because slight differences in diction changes the tone of the sentence. Take this sentence for example:  “The introduction, the climax, and conclusion aren’t necessarily what make the story shine.” “Making something shine” is an overused phrase. Replacing “shine” with distinctive or even unparalleled eliminates the cliche and adds implications. Calling Station Eleven distinctive means it stands out from other books, while calling it unparalleled implies it stands out in a way that has no competition. It is important, as a writer, to understand the power of words and utilize it intelligently. However, remember that words should be used only when necessary; redundancy bores the reader. If I restated this in three different ways, you would lose interest in anything I had to say, right?

Eliminating juvenile grammar mistakes increases the credibility of the author. When easy grammar rules are violated, readers are more likely to subliminally discredit an author’s ideas (in the same way it’s hard to take someone seriously if they confuse your and you’re). This sentence, “The disease is highly contagious, and is able to reach people faster than people are able to communicate and compile information about it,” the comma before “and” should be deleted, because a comma and a coordinating conjunction should be used together to connect two independent clauses. Naturally, the first thought a reader has when reading this sentence is  probably not how thoughtful this observation is, but how rookie the mistake is. I make the same mistake again in this sentence: “Condescension towards sick women, and dismissal of sick men are harmful for both genders because they perpetuate stereotypes.” Both examples also show that writers are likely to make the same mistakes. Knowing frequently committed grammar blunders is an essential skill for strong writers.

Having distinct style is important, but using varying sentence structures sophisticates writing. I often add a comma and a dependent clause to a main clause. This sentence structure softens the point of the sentence. It serves a specific purpose. This sentence exemplifies the effect the comma and dependent clause has: “Her perception of America is founded on what the narrator hears about the country from her family, showing that her ideas are not based on experience, but merely mirror the common stereotype about the magical land of America.” The main idea of the sentence is how the main character’s perception of America only reflects the stereotypes from her family, but the sentence relaxes the clause that contains that idea. If I used this structure for every sentence, I would have a vague and passive piece of writing. Now, let’s look at a good example. In this sentence, “Although Mandel transitions into and from things seemingly unrelated, in the end, all of the stories of the individual characters come together in one big picture. This unique structure helps Mandel develop her storytelling voice, which captures the emotional turmoil of the characters, the grimness of the world after the pandemic, and the way the survivors adapted and carried on in the changed world,” my use of variety was effective because it highlights my argument. As the juxtaposition between the first and second example illustrates, how you express your ideas is just as important as the idea itself.

If you want to improve your writing skills, you can start small and work on the fundamentals. Already, you've learned three ways to become a better writer: use good diction, rectify grammar mistakes, and mix different sentence lengths. If you remember all of  these tips, I’m sure reading will be more enjoyable and less embarrassing for everyone.

How to Make Your Ideas Heard

Chances are, when Rihanna's followers saw eight- to thirteen-year-old school kids correcting one of her tweets, they didn't pay much attention to her tweet's content. Instead, they likely laughed at her poor grammar. Rihanna posted, "She's my rock so I hold on to she tight!!!" The kids corrected "she" to "her." There should also be a comma after "rock" and "tight" should be "tightly."

This is just one anecdote illustrating the importance of writing well. Writing is a powerful tool to convey ideas––and writing effectively is the best way to ensure that these ideas, not the poor writing mechanics, are heard. Continuously working to improve writing is the cornerstone to mastering writing, whether it's a quick and catchy social media post or long and complicated research papers. Three ways in which students can do so are making clear claims early on, writing accurately and concisely, and creating an appropriate and intentional tone.

One method to improve writing is to make claims early on. Many students begin paragraphs with facts that intend to provide background but are actually dull and boring. For example, “Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel depicts a post-epidemic world, where almost all of the world’s population has been lost to the Georgia Flu” (Heyler, “Station Eleven Essay”). By contrast, a sentence such as, “Exposure to just one point-of-view is a slippery slope and can often narrow one’s scope of thinking” (Heyler, “Fall Journal”), does a significantly better job of introducing an opinion. Debatable, engaging, and grabbing the reader’s attention, this sentence is an effective hook and claim.

Concision and precision are also crucial to a well-written essay. Redundant phrases take away from the piece’s effectiveness. For example, in the sentence, “Shakespeare Navigators was most helpful in helping me understand... Macbeth” (Heyler, “Winter Journal”), the phrase “helpful in helping” is both awkward and redundant. By rewriting this to “Shakespeare Navigators was the best secondary source in helping me understand Macbeth…,” the sentence flows more smoothly and concisely. Using words, phrases, clauses and punctuation correctly is likewise important to concision and flow. Correct grammar makes writing clear and focused, avoiding jumbled, confusing, or wordy passages.

Intentionally setting an appropriate tone is an additional method to improve writing. Writing should take advantage of diction, syntax and structure to create a tone that is appropriate and engaging for the audience. For example, in an essay, one student wrote, “Thus, the theme is a powerful aspect of literature that has the ability to communicate ideas and broaden readers’ horizons of thinking” (Heyler, “Short Story Essay”). However, “thus” adds no additional meaning to the sentence but does create an elevated tone that is not appropriate for this assignment. By taking the word out, the sentence is equally powerful. To set the tone, writers can make use of diction, syntax and structure. This vocabulary, punctuation and arrangement of sentences is fundamental in crafting a piece of writing. One writer makes use of the dash in the sentence, “Every day, bits and pieces of cultures–art forms, languages, clothes–are lost” (Heyler, “Winter Journal”). The dash creates a feeling that the example almost sound like an afterthought and sets a thoughtful tone. Taking advantage of tone is integral to effective and improved writing.

    Communication is one of the most important skills on the planet. Writing in particular is a tool that has tremendous potential, should students choose to harness and take advantage of it. To craft effective writing, unlike Rihanna’s tweet, students should consider making claims early on, writing concisely and precisely, and setting an appropriate tone. Not only do good writers give off a vibe that they are well-educated, they also have the capacity to voice out ideas and be heard. Whether or not the audience agrees with the writer’s argument is much less relevant––the point is, writers are getting their ideas out there and starting conversations about important topics in today’s world.

At First You Don't Succeed, Shutup and Keep Writing.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” 

― Ernest Hemingway

Teachers are cruel with grading, correcting, and editing; they have no remorse or mercy when telling students that their writing needs much more work and just isn’t sufficient. It’s hard to be a young adolescent writer without making a lot of mistakes and errors. I know first hand what it feels like to get back essays that just suck when you thought they were so good. It becomes very discouraging to write freely when a writer is not familiar with common rules. However, there is light in the dark for the students who can’t help mistakes. Often it is easy to make small or large writing errors that seem unimportant or minor, yet there are many ways to improve easily by learning from my horrible and silly mistakes .

Capitalization is a very vital part of a student’s writing. It is the difference between an important date, time, place, or person and something that is more common and doesn’t require emphasis. For example when I mistakenly wrote, “any form of shakespeare.” (Williams, Macbeth Act 1, Scene 3) Here there is an error of common capitalization. Since Shakespeare was an author it should never be lower-case and should always be capital s. A name of a person regardless if they have written many works should always be capitalized properly. Also I unknowingly said in my writing, ”Heavy Metal and Hip-Hop hold the places.” (Williams, Vocabulary Depths in Music Genres) Heavy metal and hip-hop are simply genres of music. They aren’t song titles nor are they artist names, which means they don’t need to be capitalized.

Using commas correctly when connecting conjunctions is also vital grammar knowledge. For example, another error I wrote, “his effort but overall it was helpful.” (Williams, Mac-Cast Mac-Flection) The word but is a conjunction that is connecting one clause to another so it would need a comma before it to fully connect the clauses. Two independent clauses can’t be connected by a conjunction alone because there must be a comma to introduce the other clause. Also this I wrote, “his wife’s death and there is nothing.” Another case of a conjunction not having a comma before it. Without the comma the conjunction cannot connect the two independent clauses correctly.

Lastly, there are certain terms and phrases in good writing that shouldn’t be used because they sound too general and don’t concisely portray thinking. For example, in one of my pieces I said, “which makes a lot of sense.” (Williams, Vocabulary Depth in Music Genres) ‘A lot’ is a term that isn’t specific or good enough for clear and concise writing. ‘A lot’ shouldn't be used in writing unless it is used to quote someone or refer to something. Again I make the same silly mistake of using this phrase, “Sarah Koenig’s Serial has a lot of factors.” (Williams, Aspects of Serial) This phrase ‘a lot’ isn’t a specific and concise word for good writing and should be replaced with a word or phrase that suits a more clear and precise piece of writing. 
In conclusion, writing can be intimidating and difficult at the high school level. However, it is  important to learn from others’ mistakes as well as your own. There are many things young writers  that may seem minor or insignificant, yet they may have a large affect on your writing and the product. Even when writing becomes burdensome at times it should become a way for writers to  learn from simple mistakes and produce better work the next time around. I've been through a lot of revised works and harsh comments from teachers, but I still write. I may not be great, but I can  always get better. It's why you shouldn't stop writing and you should learn from your mistakes.

Upgrading Your Writing from Coach to First Class

Writing allows you to share your thoughts in a special way that attracts all sorts of people. As once said by essayist Anaïs Nin, “we write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”  Several people, I’m sure many of you as well,  use writing as an outlet; a way to share their feelings in an unspoken way. A big aspect of writing is the understanding that there is always room for improvement. Within a given text, there can be technicalities or ways to elaborate on a given idea. Enhancing one’s writing can be as easy as changing a few words or adding a sentence to support a claim. To improve one’s writing, it is vital that an author shows grammatical strength, provides strong and concise claims, and has a thorough understanding of organization.

Improving in grammatical strength is vital to excelling in writing essays. Grammatical strength shines through in writing, sharing the author’s knowledge and level of professionalism. An easy way to give your writing a boost is by spicing up your word choice. By using a stronger and more intellectual vocabulary, the audience may be more intrigued about the given topic. Another aspect of grammar that is key to improving writing is correct comma usage. Commas clear up confusion for the reader and create more confidence in the text. The statement, “this idea is uncommon, but offers a new translation style” (Fekete Macbeth Essay), exemplifies an incorrect use of commas. Commas are easily mistaken (when used in writing), but are fixable with a few simple rules. Making small changes takes one’s writing to a new level of professionalism, where readers can develop newfound respect for the author. In addition to grammatical strength, providing strong and concise claims shares necessary information with the audience.

Claims that are strong and concise in writing clear up confusion for the reader. Claims introduce the topic in writing pieces and give readers a sense of what the author is about to divulge into. *Remember! These statements must be direct and to the point.* The statement, “while the readers may initially attribute this battle to genetics, Maia Szalavitz explains the importance of other factors” (Fekete Short Story Essay), does not provide a clear opinion. To boost this statement, the author should specify the unclear pronouns, such as “this,” and list a few of the factors rather than writing “other factors.” Additionally, this statement is weaker because it does not share a clear opinion, but rather immediately looks to other sources for guidance. It is beneficial for the author to only share their opinion in the claim so that the audience gets a sense of how the author feels. Revising your claims is as simple as sharing your opinion - and only your opinion! Immediately, the reader is aware of your opinion and receives an idea of what the following context will be about. A final aspect that helps to revamp one’s writing is organization, which can even be expressed through claims.

Organization shines through in many aspects of one’s writing and has a large impact on the effect a writing piece has on an audience. In fact, it’s not much different than life in that sense. Remember when your mom asked you to clean the house before guests came over? She wants to make sure everyone knows you guys are organized and put together. Organization is a rather large topic and can enhance a text in several small ways. In an essay about the Atlantic Slave Trade by Detective Fajita, the topics are organized as labor conditions, cultural assimilation, and then traveling to the New World. If she chose to organize these topics by chronological order instead, her writing would be more straightforward and simpler for the reader to follow. Another way to increase organization is through concision. By condensing phrases and sentences; it clears up confusion for the readers. The statement, “Szalavitz closely relates the levels of poverty and alcohol abuse, composing a mutual increase between the two” (Fekete Short Story Essay), is not concise and therefore can be obscure. To make the sentence more concise, the author could simply state, “Szalavitz relates poverty and alcohol abuse, composing a mutual increase.” That way, an equal amount of information is shared in a more compact manner. Organization can be ameliorated in many ways, as simple as taking words out of a sentence or using a rational order of explanation in writing prongs.

Having an understanding of grammatical strength, concise claims, and organization can entirely revamp a piece of text. Simple skills such as using more difficult vocabulary can bring writing to a new intellectual level that attracts an entirely different crow. Using correct grammar gives the reader an idea of the personality of an author and their level of education. Think about it. I’m sure you’re one of two types of people. The ones that can’t tell the difference between “your” and “you’re,” or the ones that can’t stand when people use it wrong. From that, you can get the teeniest idea of someone’s personality, right? It is also important to be concise so that a reader does not get distracted through the course of the text. Organization is vital to a text. The audience must be able to follow along without much of a challenge, or else they will not be inclined to pursue the text further. All of these techniques put together can greatly enhance a text without taking away from its original meaning. Perhaps the most beneficial way to boost one’s writing is simply through rereading and never hesitating to make changes.