Let’s face it- figuring out how to complete a writing assignment is one of the biggest problems that students face so here is a
FREE Writing Planner to help you organize the assignment and ultimately reduce the time it takes to do a writing assignment.
Along with your planner is this step-by-step guide on how to complete virtually any assignment you are faced with: essay, term paper, book review, etc.
Step 1: Understanding the assignment
This seemingly simple issue causes many students to complete tasks inappropriately, making their work time wasted. Without understanding what you are supposed to write about, you are lost at the first step.
To make your assignment easier, read over the assignment guidelines a few times, taking note of the keywords and phrases used. Do some preliminary research on the topic and/or question to get a clearer picture of your task.
If you have any questions or concerns about your task, contact your teacher or manager about the details that don’t quite make sense to you.
Step 2: Brainstorm
After you have figured out what your task is exactly, you need to brainstorm about what you want to say about the topic you are going to write about.
If you have been given a topic by your instructor, you can easily start to brainstorm about this topic via bubble maps (picture maps) and/or automatic writing.
When brainstorming, do not be afraid to write down things which you think seem irrelevant or might not use. Don’t let your inner editor disturb you, and allow your ideas to pour out without interruption. After you have brainstormed with yourself and maybe a group of others, you can consider your ideas in more depth.
Step 3: Research
Now that you have a grip on what your want to write and the subtopics within your main topic, you can start researching. Start with preliminary research, which is scanning through general information documents on your main topic and subtopics. From the preliminary research, you can see what you need to research further within your chosen topic.
Follow the links and areas of interest within your preliminary research and start taking notes on the information. Organize your notes properly, keep them in alphabetical order on note cards or in a virtual document. Make sure to cite the sources of information you find in the correct way.
Research your main topic and subtopics until you feel like you can easily chat with your friends and instructor(s) about them.
Step 4: Outlining Your Writing Assignment
Bring your research, brainstorming, and assignment details together. Start to write an outline or plan of writing with these documents at hand. Organize each section of your paper: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Write a short list of things you are going to include in each section. You need to write something in each body paragraph.
Make sure to put your thesis statement at the top of the outline to guide yourself in the process of writing. You don’t need to write down detailed notes for each paragraph–only one-sentence notes are sufficient, such as bullet points.
Step 5: Drafting Your Writing Assignment
Keeping all your materials at hand, especially your outline, start writing your first draft. When writing your first draft, don’t worry so much about what mistakes you are making, as you still have time to edit it later. The main purpose of your first draft is get ideas down and to express what you need to express according to your topic and the work you did before the actual writing.
After writing the first draft, you can edit it. Leave a day or two between the writing of your first draft and the editing of it to allow your mind to settle. Rushing into editing can cause you to be narrow minded when editing.
In the second draft, edit for organization and communication. Make sure you got your message across well and that each part of your paper flows properly. Your paper should work as a unified whole. Edit what grammatical and spelling mistakes you see as well.
One day or later, edit the document a third time, making sure your thesis statement is up to date with the changes you made in the second draft. Also, check if your organization, once again, is sound. Double check the grammar and spelling, as this is the last chance you have to edit the essay before handing it in.
In all edits, remember to read out loud, even record what you are reading so you can listen and follow along as if you the readers you are addressing.
Step 6: Feedback on Your Writing Assignment
When you have completed three drafts, you can now seek out the opinions of colleagues or people that you respect for their writing skill. Having about five people read your paper and give their opinions is invaluable. This process can open your eyes to what you need to change and how readers perceive your paper.
Respect your own opinion and the opinions of others. Use your discretion as to which suggestions and corrections of others are viable. Don’t be afraid to disagree with the opinions of others, but also do not be afraid to agree with others’ opinions as well. You may realize that you need to change a significant part of your paper. But it is better to change what needs to be changed instead of letting it stay mediocre or poorly written.
End Note:
If you follow this process in your writing, you will have much higher chances to achieve success in your writing.
Try using the Free Writing Assignment Planner to be focused on your writing, and great results will follow!
This planner is provided by AcademicHelp.net
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