RIGHTING WRITING

Tom Colville, DVM, MSc
Veterinary Technology Program
Animal Sciences Department
North Dakota State University

Some personal observations about writing:

 1. Writing is important. Communicating is an important part of every profession. To a great extent people draw conclusions about other peoples’ competence, intelligence and suitability for various activities based on communications skills. Written communications are particularly important because they are down on paper, and are therefore more lasting than oral communications.

 2. Writing is not easy. Like many worthwhile things in life, writing takes effort. Its net effect is often related to the amount of effort invested in it. Even experienced writers struggle with their task at times.

 3. Writing is a process not a product. Writing is not a “paper” or an “essay” or a “theme.” It is what goes on between the blank page and the finished product.

 4. Writing can be enjoyable. Writing is an expression of self – a very personal process. It can be an exhilarating experience to take a jumble of ideas and express them on paper in a way that is pleasing and/or informative to someone else.

 5. Computers make writing easier. Writing usually involves revision of preliminary drafts. Computers make that a piece of cake, but that ease can be a double-edged sword. It can also tempt us to cut and paste things from other sources, such as the web, and call them ours. See “plagiarism” below.

Getting started

 Identify your topic. This may be your choice, or it may be assigned.

 Identify your audience. Who is your writing intended for? At what level, and with what vocabulary, should your paper be written in order to be understandable? This is a very important, and often overlooked, step in the writing process.

 Relate to the topic. What importance does it have for you? Draw from your past and present experiences and activities if possible, or try to project the significance it might have in your personal and/or professional future. The topic will be much easier to deal with if you have some “ownership” of it. 

Gather information on the topic, but don’t try to organize it yet. This is just a fact-gathering stage. Use any and all resources that might be of help – class notes, books, journals, magazines, the web, etc. A word of caution about information from internet sources – just because it is on the web, or you saw it in Facebook doesn’t make it true. Examine the source of the information in web-based sources. There are a lot of opinions out there masquerading as facts.

 Make lists of significant information/facts without really trying to organize them.

 Group information/facts that seem logically related. Many things will seem to fit together. They will form the basis for paragraphs and/or sections of the paper.

 Outline the grouped information starting with the main points, then sub points, etc. This will start to give some early semblance of organization to the project.

The first draft

 Assembling the first draft is among the most important parts of the process of writing. The first draft is the foundation on which the final work will be built. Approach the first draft as a starting point, not as a finished product.

 Set aside a block of time to start writing. Make it long enough to get something useful done, but don’t make it unreasonable. (An all-nighter is generally not emotionally satisfying.)

 Create a comfortable environment both physically and emotionally. It might involve a comfortable chair, a certain kind of music, or a favorite food or drink. Within reason, give yourself every opportunity to feel comfortable, creative and ready to write. Fight the urge to procrastinate, though.

 If you get blocked, do something else for a while. Sometimes the words just don’t come to you. Stop writing for a while and do something entirely unrelated. Your brain will continue working on the process and you will often be able to make better progress when you return to the project.

 Begin writing in sections, but not necessarily in the order the sections will appear in the finished paper. Try to avoid extensive revising and/or correcting as you write. Just let the words flow onto the paper (or computer screen). You can come back later and tidy up. Too much attention to details of spelling, etc. at this point can obstruct the flow of thoughts and ideas.

 Assemble the first draft from the written sections. (Aren’t computers wonderful?)

Revising/editing

 Print the paper out double-spaced. It is often easier to revise and edit on a printed page than on a computer screen. Draw arrows, underline, make notes in the margins, cross things out, insert new words, and generally hack and slash as needed to make it read easier and better.

 Grammar are important. Doesn’t that look dumb? Here’s where you can put all those English classes you have taken to work. Grammar and spelling problems make a poor impression on a reader.

 Read the paper out loud to yourself. Your ears will be helpful in identifying where changes might be needed.

 Give the draft to someone else whose judgment you trust for suggestions. Explain that this is a preliminary draft and ask them to comment with that in mind. If possible, have them read it once for grammar and spelling, and again for content.

 Set the draft aside for a while (hours or days), and then read through it with fresh eyes. Make notes and corrections on the copy and revise it accordingly. If there is time, set the revised draft aside for a while again and repeat the process. It is human nature to see what we want to see when we read something over and over in a short period of time. We can read right over missing words or punctuation, etc. Fresh eyes are more likely to see what is actually there.

 How many drafts should you write? This depends largely on time constraints. If time allows, at least 2 or 3 drafts will generally improve the paper greatly.

A word about plagiarism

 Don’t!

Plagiarism is taking someone else’s writing and submitting it as your own. It is a form of cheating, and, when detected, must be reported to the Honor Commission of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources.

 Accidental plagiarism can be avoided by being sure that everything you write is in your own words. Any sentences or significant portions thereof that are taken word-for-word from any of your sources must be placed in quotes with credit given to the source. This can be done through footnotes, or the relevant information can be placed in parentheses after the quoted section. The best insurance against accidental plagiarism is to use your own words to express your own ideas and your own interpretations of other people’s material.

One last personal observation about writing: