Rule 2. Don't think before you write.Rule 1 does not always apply. A blank computer screen can create intellectual paralysis. If no thoughts come to your head, write anyway. When it comes to writing, something is preferable to nothing.You can always make it better. (See Rule 3.)
Rule 3. Edit ruthlessly. Judicious editing can salvage even the worst first draft that results from following Rule 2.First-rate papers require lots of drafts and a good editor. Get a brutally honest friend to look over your next-to-final draft. I use my wife, my colleague Bruce Henderson, or my daughter.She is the one most likely to say, "This sentence sucks Dad."Usually she is right.
Rule 4. Write good sentences.The most effective way to make your writing sound professional is to omit unnecessary words.Barbara Hudson, Director of the WCU Writing Center, said it best ''Use the fewest right words." Extra words nearly always weaken a sentence. Avoid trite words like "very," pretentious words such as "utilize" and meaningless phrases such as "in our society."
Rule 5. Write good paragraphs.Good paragraphs start with a topic sentence.Those that follow should amplify the topic sentence.Avoid paragraphs that are too short (one or two sentences) or too long (more than half a page).
Rule 6. Organize. Good essays and term papers need organization. Even a rough outline will help.Think in terms of three basic elements -- the beginning, the middle, and the ending.The first paragraph should frame the topic in a general way, and the final one should bring everything together.The rest goes in the middle.
Rule 7.Use good grammar.Persistent grammar errors will make you appear illiterate.The most common serious mistakes I see in student papers are "non-sentences".These take two forms -- fragments and run-ons.The most common minor mistakes I encounter involve the misuse of commas.The Writing Center has excellent handouts that explain these and other grammar problems.
Rule 8.Don't cheat. There are two kinds of cheating in writing -- intentional plagiarism and unintentional plagiarism.The later is more common and typically occurs when students copy too closely from texts they are trying to summarize.Professors hate this type of plagiarism; it implies that the student thinks his/her teacher is so dumb he or she can't distinguish undergraduate from professional writing. Intentional plagiarism is a horse of a different color.A student who downloads a paper from the Internet or hands in a paper written by friend is a thief.Finally, don't assume that you can turn in the same paper for more than one course -- even if you wrote it.Some faculty members permit this, and some don't. Always check.
Rule 9.Read Elements of Style by Strunk and White.Less than 100 pages, it will change your life. And it is available over the Internet for free (http://www.diku.dk/students/myth/EOS/).You might prefer Stephen King's new book, On Writing, which is longer and more engaging but covers the same territory.
Rule 10.Don't write like college professors.Good writing is clear. In contrast, academic writing is often pompous and intentionally murky. This occurs when the writer does not want the reader to realize that he (the writer) has little to say. Examples of bad academic writing are plentiful. Check out almost any statistical software instruction manual or a journal article on post-modern philosophy.