1. Features of academic writing Serious tone Clear process of reasoning Objective Exploratory – exploring the topic Evidence based – weigh up the evidence rather than expressing thoughts/feelings Has an argument: ‘A coherent series of reasons, statements, or facts intended to support or establish a point of view.’ Located in existing body of knowledge

2. Getting started Draw diagrams: spidergrams, wheel diagrams Brainstorm ideas on paper Brainstorm on the computer List your ideas Talk! Say your ideas out loud Write questions to get you thinking Start with the section you know most about

3. Writing a draft For your eyes only: no one else will read it It’s just a first draft so it doesn’t matter Don’t worry about writing correctly for now Don’t worry about missing bits out – you can fill them in later Write quickly and let the ideas flow

4. Where to get further help S3 website: Writing well: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/?id=26 http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/?id=26 The Royal Literary Fund: Writing http://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowshipscheme/writi ng/essayguide.cfm See videos from a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and book a free tutorial: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tldu/studentskills/rlf g http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tldu/studentskills/rlf g

5. Other workshops 23rd October 3pm–4pm How do I plan my essay? 30th October 3pm–4pm How do I write a good essay?