Writing
is the dispute of thoughts on a page - it is an arduous process that seeks to
bring abstract ideas to the tangible world.
Writing
is valuable. It doesn't just transfer insights, it creates them. And since
“good words are worth a lot and cost little,” choosing the right words is worth
the price you pay in time (and sanity).
In the
Help Scout, we examine the quality of writing custom college essays through about this the same demanding lenses that we use to assess the
quality of the code.
I
certainly didn't understand this writing thing - not even close - but thanks to
the pleasant feedback from readers, here are some common signs that your
writing is going in the right direction:
1.
Brevity. Soul. Wit.
Few
things get in the way of writing more than spreading good ideas with many words.
2.
Writing is not showing your vocabulary.
"When
you write you must pretend that you, the writer, see something in the world
that is interesting, that you are directing your reader's attention to that
thing in the world, and that you are doing it through conversation," says
Steven Pinker, a Harvard psychologist. Writing is not meant to prove ownership of
a thesaurus - it is the selective transcription of thoughts.
3.
In having your cake and eating it too.
The best
writing is one that appeals at first sight but also rewards careful study.
"A well thought out list" may seem like a paradox, but, like a movie,
you can watch it again a dozen times, good hooks to write easily, but hide
gifts for a keen mind.
4.
Don't bury the lead.
Before
the pen on the page or the fingers on the keyboard, you should start by knowing
what you are trying to say. Each written piece must have the thesis, the value
proposition, totally clear from the beginning. The journey to the end of your
essay should be rewarding for other reasons, in addition to finding out what
you are trying to do.
5.
To write more 'damn good sentences', read them.
In the
book How to Write a Sentence, New York Times columnist Stanley Fish laments
that "many educators approach teaching the art of writing a memorable
the sentence in the wrong way - based on rules rather than examples." Garbage
inside, garbage outside; you will produce better phrases if you spend time
reading it.
6.
'In other words,' you should have used other words.
Insight
is memorable when it can be adopted directly - don't fill it with
"essentially", "basically" or "in other words".
Use the right words the first time.
7.
Don't tell people how to travel; show them your vacation photos.
The display
of topics you know little about makes you insincere - your deception drains
from each paragraph to an informed reader. Instead, jump out of your soapbox
and don't preach, be Sherpa; share what you've learned honestly. People love to
take a journey.
8.
An idea is nothing without a reaction.
The
reactions are oxygen for writing. Until you receive feedback on what you said,
your analysis can reveal a lot. Be prepared for criticism and criticism; a
great job depends on the willingness to be judged.
9.
'Just writing' is tiring advice, but still necessary.
If you
are looking for a way to facilitate hard work, you will not find it in writing.
You will struggle with the blank page until your butt falls off the chair, but
until that day, stay seated and get the job done.
10.
Tortuous endings can impair good writing; approach them quickly.
I'm
going to let Paul Graham deal with this: "Learn to recognize the approach
of an ending, and when one appears, grab it."