Six Road Signs For Your Trip To Writing Success!

Prepared by Thomas J. Buttery School of Education Austin Peay State University

1. Read All writers read. Totally original ideas are few and far between. Reading allows you to learn the trends in your field and what others are writing about.

Leverage your reading time, pick up ideas and writing techniques, clever introductions, nicely turned phrases quotations and examples, even details of punctuation and grammar.

 Hot Tip:  Create a writing resource book. Copy these samples down on a sticky paper and later add them to your book.

For Example: A disparity of view points exists on In accordance with…presented a similar observation by… …philosophy is shared by… A kaleidoscope of differing view exists about… In fact the research evidence is not sanguine concerning

Consider your ability to translate work from one discipline to another. The new audience probably didn’t do the reading you did or see the connection that you helped to develop.

W. Clement Stone Creativity Formula R2 ~ A2 Recognize, Relate Assimilate, and Apply Principles From everything you see hear,read and think.

2. Write-Ability Makes For Readability Define your audience and purpose: Your purpose in writing The reader’s purpose in reading The subject matter you will communicate; and The language you will use.

Language: Consider the nature of the audience you are addressing; Avoid jargon, pedantic mumbo jumbo, and the pedaguese; Simple vocabulary works best – don’t dazzle them with bull… Substitute short and simple words for the ninety-five cent variety.

Similar sire, similar scion.

 Father like son.

Tenants of vitreous abodes ought to hurl no lithodial fragments.

 Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

It is not proper for mendicants to be indicatrous of preferences. to be

 Beggars can’t be choosers.

Cleave garmineous matter for fodder during the period that the orb of the day is refulgent.

 Make hay while the sun shines.

It is fruitless to become lachrymous because of scattered lacteal fluid.

 Don’t cry over spilled milk.

Compute not your immature gallinaceans prior to their being produced.

 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Every article which coruseates is not fashioned from aureate metal.

 All that glitters is not gold.

A feathered creature clasped in the manual members is equal in value to a brace in the bosk.

Failure to be present causes the vital organ to become enamored.

 Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

One pyrus malus per die restrains the arrival of the hippocratic apostle.

 An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Avoid Lengthy introductions: Use a short two to three paragraph introduction to make clear what is coming.

Be Logical and Sequential: Are your ideas clearly outlined and developed or are they hidden? A reader should be able to skim your manuscript and understand its organization.

Use an organization that encourages the audience to read the article. Remember, like you, most educators are pressed for time and their reading tends to be “catch the highlights variety”.

Make your key points visible: Sometimes you can help the reader with subheads, italics, boldface, or by numbering the points made. Spread out your material with paragraphing. There is little need for page long paragraphs.

Invite reader involvement: Effective writing causes readers to identify themselves with the writing; one technique is to ask questions.

Use Visual Material: Simple diagrams and charts may sharpen your presentation. However, keep in mind clarification and not decoration is the essential aim.

What is the journal format? If a journal typically prints manuscripts in the area of four to six pages avoid submitting one of twelve to fifteen pages.

Document with the style used by the journal you are submitting to for review. If the journal uses APA style be sure your references are correctly cited.

Repeat and summarize thoughtfully: As you approach the end of your manuscript consider the reader’s questions. So what? What is the author driving at? Don’t leave your readers up in the air when they have finished your work.

Rewrite: Few good manuscripts spring from your computer fresh and clean on the first draft.

A good manuscript, like a painting, emerges gradually from conceptualization to completed product. Paintings are blocked out, and once done can be touched up, and sometimes completely redone.

Once you complete the draft of your manuscript concentrate on its flow. Good writing requires much revision before rough edges are worn away and the material reads “smoothly”.

3. Reference books, computer aids, and proofing. Good writers put their thoughts down on paper or on the computer screen and then adjust their spelling and grammar.

Don’t avoid using words or terms because you’re not sure of their meaning. Once drafted you can use reference aids to check your writing.

 Good word processing packages have spelling and grammar checks built in. These tools are a tremendous help. Make frequent use of either the computers thesaurus or a book version to improve your wording.

Vary your sentence length. A good rule of thumb is that any sentence over three lines of 12- point type should be divided.

Condense your writing as much as possible. “there are many who would argue” use “many would argue” “the reason for this is that” use “because” “at this point in time” use “now” Read Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.

Read your writing. Spell check and grammar check only identify incorrectly spelled words and inappropriate grammar. Errors of properly spelled words will go unchecked yet will not make sense. YOU need to proof read your writing.

4. Remember Punctuation Makes A Difference! An English professor wrote on the blackboard, "Woman without her man is nothing" and directed the students to punctuate it correctly.

The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."

The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing."

Is there a difference? You bet! Here are some others to consider:

1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects. 2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. 3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive. 5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.) 6. Eschew obfuscation. 7. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

8. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies. 9. No sentence fragments. 10. Don't use no double negatives. 11. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out or mispeld something.

Writers have their own set of carefully cultivated bad habits. Have peers proof read each manuscript prior to submitting it for review. Ask them to check for mechanical errors plus the logic and flow of the manuscript.

Remember when others edit your writing they may make suggestions for changes. Ultimately it is up you to accept or reject the suggestions.

If you submit the manuscript without having external proof reading you may have used up one of your potential journal sources.

5. Look Professional Appearances are often deceiving, even to experts. A manuscript printed on several different printers with a weak ink supply arouses expectations very different from those done with crisp black laser ink on a virginal white bond.

Make use of margins and consider submitting in 12 point type for easier reading.

If the journal requests three copies of your manuscript, an abstract, and a bio of the authors send each section with your manuscript. Remember most editors do their job part time and have other responsibilities.

The more accurately you conform to the publication guidelines – the more positively your work will be considered.

Mail in a long envelope rather than fold. Give yourself every possible advantage.

6. Practice Good writing is a skill, and skills need to be cultivated like good cooking.

You can read many cook books but in the final analysis it’s practice that makes you good. The effort will pay off, because it will not become obsolete, and it is useful in a number of professional contexts.

Consider: It is through change that we grow! And that: Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until it can be done well.

Remember: Your “natural resources” unlike the natural resources on planet earth, will be wasted and used up only if they are never used at all. (Zig Ziglar)

and: Success presents a challenge but the fruit is well worth the effort. (Bear Bryant)

Finally: Remember this your lifetime through- Tomorrow, there will be more to do… And failure waits for all who stay With some success make yesterday… Tomorrow, you must try once more And even harder than before. (John Wooden)