To save time and effort, decide on a research plan before you begin.

The text Successful Writing stresses that when you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened.

Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis.

Pinpoint and replace all non-specific words, such as people, everything, society, or life, with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.

After doing all this by yourself, seek help from others.

successful writers rely on revising as an integral part of the writing process, and it is important for authors to spend the majority of their time revising their texts.

What the writer did well What needs improvement What the next steps are

After working so closely with a piece of writing, writers often need to step back and ask for advice from a more objective reader.

you will also want to go back to your paper one more time to proofread,

Table 11.2 Transitional Devices

Before using a particular transitional word or phrase, be sure you completely understand its meaning and usage.

A paragraph’s concluding sentence also offers an excellent opportunity to begin the transition to the next paragraph—to wrap up one idea and hint at the next.

In expository writing, each paragraph should articulate a single main idea that relates directly to the thesis statement. This construction creates a feeling of unity, making the paper feel cohesive and purposeful.

You do not have to make announcements like, “This paragraph is about …”

Paragraph Structure

Topic Sentences

Personal observation is similar to testimony, but personal observation consists of your testimony.

direct quotations from either an eyewitness or an expert witness.

Facts are the best kind of evidence to use because they  cannot be disputed and help build your credibility.

The main points you make about your thesis and the examples you use to expand on those points need to be specific.

Each point you choose will be incorporated into the topic sentence for each body paragraph you write. Your primary supporting points are further supported by supporting details within the paragraphs.

Ideally the end of your first paragraph will clarify the thesis statement you will support in the rest of your paper.

Find the process that works for you.

Three common ways to structure a paper are chronological order, spatial order, and order of importance. Choose the order that will most effectively fit your purpose and support your main point.

An outline is a written plan that serves as a skeleton for the paragraphs you write.

In longer pieces of writing, you may organize parts in different ways so that your purpose stands out clearly and all parts of the paper work to consistently develop your main point.

it is helpful when your ideas are presented in an order that makes sense.

The textbook English for Business Success explains that your prewriting activities and readings can help you gather information for your assignment. The more you sort through the pieces of information you found, the more you will begin to see the connections between them.

The best point to begin writing your draft also depends on the genre of essay you are writing.

A literacy narrative recounts a formative experience or experiences with reading and/or writing. As long as the event you write about was a meaningful part of the learning process and enough time has elapsed for substantive reflection,

Because a literacy narrative is a story, a story needs to have some sort of trouble or something vexing for you as the protagonist.

Additionally, it is important to understand that there are many different types of literacy narratives.

The more specific your descriptions and stories become, the more easily the reader can relate and enjoy your stories.

Craft features are the tools a writer uses to tell stories. Some examples of craft features include theme, characterization, setting, mood, imagery, persona, and plot–these help you to shape and craft your story.

As always, it is important to start with a strong introduction to hook your reader into wanting to read more.

When writing a personal narrative for class, first consider the prompt your teacher assigned you. Then, freewrite about topics that are of general interest to you.

In other words, you convey the heart of what happened and what it meant, rather than intentionally changing aspects of the story to make it more interesting or to make yourself

You want your audience to be moved by your story, which could mean through laughter, sympathy, fear, anger, and so on. The more clearly you tell your story, the more emotionally engaged your audience is likely to be.

The potential results are unlimited. Creative writing can also be used as an outlet for people to get their thoughts and feelings out and onto paper.

Creative writing can take place in a variety of forms: poems, short stories, memoirs, novels, and even song lyrics. Literacy narratives can also be classified as creative nonfiction. Narratives whether in the form of a poem, a story, or an essay, often attempt to achieve, or create, an effect in the minds of the readers.

the summary retains the key points made by the writers of the original report but omits most of the statistical data.

An important part of developing academic writing skills includes developing your own writing process. Your writing process includes all the steps you take from the time you receive a writing prompt to the time that you turn in a final draft for a grade.

Which example has a more formal voice or academic style?

Just as speakers transmit emotion through voice, writers can transmit a range of attitudes through writing, from excited and humorous to somber and critical. These emotions create connections among the audience, the author, and the subject, ultimately building a relationship between the audience and the text.

Content is also shaped by tone. When the tone matches the content, the audience will be more engaged, and you will build a stronger relationship with your readers.

After selecting an audience and a purpose, you must choose what information will make it to the page. Content may consist of examples, statistics, facts, anecdotes, testimonies, and observations, but no matter the type, the information must be appropriate and interesting for the audience and purpose.