1. Writing... it's a process, not a product!

2. Essays and papers generally follow a certain format:  Introduction, including thesis/objective  The content, the meat of the sandwich. Make your points, follow your objective, and SUPPORT with evidence!  Conclusion

3. Now, you may be wondering how you get there...  Make an outline!  Think of your paper as a human body. You start with a skeleton. You may include the bare-bones parts like the topic and general ideas of what you will add.  The thesis is your heart/brain! It is the main source of life.  Next, you need to add organs and muscles... extra details that you need to make each part of your paper work together to make sense.  Finally, you add the finishing touches and edits

4. Practice can become perfection  Remember, very few writers (if any!) can come up with perfection their first try.  Anyone can be a good writer if he/she learns good revision techniques  Rome wasn't built in a day! Your paper will not be written in a day either.  Slow down and build off of a strong foundation.

5. Learning about leads  What makes you want to keep reading a piece of writing?  Just like with anything else in life, a strong introduction and first impression is everything.  This part is easy—if you were reading your paper, would you find it interesting enough to keep reading?  What you need here is a good hook, or lead. Here are some techniques that work in a variety of situations.

6. Learning about leads  Shocking statistics  Surprising fact  Humor  Quotation  Anecdote or narrative  Imaginary  Thought-provoking Question/Curiosity  Personalized  Descriptive  Definition

7. Shocking Statistic

8. Surprising Fact The pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as are necessary. The famous government building was constructed in the 1940s, when segregation laws required that separate bathrooms be installed for people of African descent. This building isn’t the only American icon that harkens back to this embarrassing and hurtful time in our history. Across the United States there are many examples of leftover laws and customs that reflect the racism that once permeated American society.

9. Humor When my older brother substituted fresh eggs for our hard-boiled Easter eggs, he didn’t realize our father would take the first crack at hiding them. My brother’s holiday ended early that particular day in 1991, but the rest of the family enjoyed the warm April weather, outside on the lawn, until late into the evening. Perhaps it was the warmth of the day and the joy of eating Easter roast while Tommy contemplated his actions that make my memories of Easter so sweet. Whatever the true reason, the fact is that my favorite holiday of the year is Easter Sunday.

10. Quotation Hillary Rodham Clinton once said that “There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard.” In 2006, when Nancy Pelosi became the nation’s first female Speaker of the House, one woman’s voice rang out clear. With this development, democracy grew to its truest level ever in terms of women’s equality. The historical event also paved the way for Senator Clinton as she warmed her own vocal chords in preparation for a presidential race.

11. Anecdote Often used in journalism. Tells a story about someone to entice the reader. It could also start out as a personal story to transition into another topic.

12. Imaginary Imagine you are lost on a deserted island. You have no cell phone, no radio, no electronics whatsoever. There is no macaroni and cheese to put in the microwave when you are hungry and you can't take a shower. This is how life is on a daily basis for one tribe located on a Pacific Island.

13. Question Electric cars have been around since the early 1900's. At the same time the Model T was an American phenomenon, electric cars more efficient than the Toyota Prius were being silently produced. Why has this environmental giant been squashed? Why were the great minds behind such an innovation not heard?

14. Question Would you like a larger, more efficient brain? A cure for old age? A way to double today's life expectancy?

15. Personalized

16. Descriptive

17. Transitions  Good writing flows. Bad writing is choppy.  In any piece of writing you create, you want the reader to know your purpose.  Everything else that follows will support your point or your purpose for the paper.  Different purposes=different writing styles.  Good transitions and sentence combining make your writing flow.  Make sure your writing follows a sequence.

18. Transitions Use words like: therefore, however, moreover, similarly, thus, in addition to, overall, in contrast, although, as a result, for example, for instance... Etc. There are many ways to use transitions. A quick Google search will bring up list after list. Use an outline to order paragraphs properly in your writing.

19. Sentences Using good sentence-combining makes your writing flow better. Bad: John is my friend. He is 16 years old. We like to ride bikes together. He's a really good friend. Good: John, who I ride bikes with, has been a great friend to me throughout the years. My best friend, John, just turned sixteen. Hopefully he will still ride bikes with me even though he can get his license to drive. (Adding more details.)

20. Sentences There are many ways to write the same thing. Don't be afraid to take your time and experiment with what works best. Types of sentences: Simple, compound, complex. Use a variety of sentence lengths and types

21. Sentences FANBOYS For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so In compound sentences Connects 2 independent clauses An independent clause can stand on its own I had just taken my dog to obedience school, but he still tried chasing a cat on our walk. We spent the day at the lake, and we each caught a walleye.