An Honours Student’s Guide to the Writing Process

Ethan recommends several strategies and must-do tip when essay writing at the Honours level that will improve your final work and make the process more manageable and less pointlessly stressful.

Everyone has their own approach to essay writing. It develops throughout their time at university. I am still honing certain parts of mine, but there are various principles that I was ignorant of when I started. Things I would have been better off knowing from the outset. If I can present them here, then hopefully you can bypass the more experimental stage of how to write and instead focus on what you are writing about.

Planning, like starting early, should not be regarded as a suggestion but taken as a prescription. If you do not sketch out your argument point by point before writing, then you are only going to put more words on the page that will end up being deleted. The chances of developing a succinct and causal argument are also far diminished without a plan. It does not take long to peruse your readings and bring them together, but the compound interest yields great rewards, in that your first draft is structurally closer to a finished draft. The remaining changes are, hopefully, smaller in scale and at the level of the sentence rather than the paragraph.

pixabay

After that, you are ready to start writing. The best I can offer here is derived from a standard idiom: do not worry about getting it right, just get it written. The second and third drafts are for getting it right. At this point, your only objective is to put material on the page. Even if you cut thirty percent later on, you would not have the remaining seventy had you not been willing to get that initial amount wrong the first time around (if you outline in detail, it should not come to this). Thus, while ‘first draft’ and ‘second draft’ appear to be close relatives (siblings perhaps), they are in fact different species. Do not confuse one with the other or think that both can be achieved simultaneously.

To maintain productivity during this stage, set aside a time for writing each day. If you stick to this rhythm the words will start to come more easily within a week. Hopefully, an essay should not take that long but the principle is right, and you will have other projects to move on to. If you prefer working with music, put together a playlist of songs that you only listen to when you are writing. This is another simple way of getting into your productive space where all distractions keep their distance. Writing in the same place is another one that works for some people.

pixabay

Perhaps even more important for me is the set-up of the desk. I use a laptop, but I have it raised eleven inches off the worksurface with a couple of upright books. Using a separate keyboard and mouse, I can sit up comfortably and have the screen right in my line of sight. It almost looks painful for me now to see people working on their laptop for any length of time, their neck craned downward. With a proper desk chair to support your back, you should easily be able to write for an hour, or whatever is your sustainable maximum.

Avoiding procrastination is really a topic in and of itself, though I have learned some useful strategies to subdue it. The best one is to create a schedule and to stick to it – the only way to achieve the latter is to outline a day that you truly want to fulfil. This means including your requisite amount of down time and not kidding yourself that you will do more than you can. Another is to list the things you want to get done for the next day, whether that be writing X number of words or reading Y number of articles. This gives you a clear and manageable goal to aim at, as opposed to the abstract objective of ‘working on the essay’ (one can write fifty words and achieve that). Make your expectations for yourself clear, but equally important is to make them fair – if you do not reward yourself with a break, you are not going to last long.

pixabay

Beyond grammatic rules, the choice of style is up to you.  While it may seem contradictory that we are instructed to write clearly when the worksx we read often do not accept this principle, my main suggestion is to not to use unnecessary jargon to appear intellectual. It only convinces me, as a reader, that the writer has nothing insightful or interesting to contribute. If they did, it would not have to be masked behind inauthentic pseudo-profound prose. Yet, nor should an essay be colloquial or imagery-laden, though it can make them more readable – there is a balance to be reached but it is not too difficult to master with practice. The same is true of the essay writing process in general, though hopefully these pointers can help you in reaching your maximal productivity and quality.

Comments

comments

239 thoughts on “An Honours Student’s Guide to the Writing Process

  1. I simply couldn’t go away your site before suggesting that I actually loved the usual info a person supply for your guests? Is going to be back steadily to check up on new posts

  2. Hi there, just was aware of your weblog through Google, and located that it’s truly informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I will be grateful should you proceed this in future. Numerous people can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  3. Great V I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs as well as related info ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, website theme . a tones way for your client to communicate. Nice task..

  4. I haven’t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  5. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Fantastic work!

  6. My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was once entirely right. This publish actually made my day. You cann’t imagine just how so much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!

  7. We absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome site!

  8. Hi! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your blog posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Many thanks!

  9. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thank you

  10. My partner and I stumbled over here different web address and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking over your web page again.

  11. I haven¦t checked in here for a while since I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I¦ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  12. Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thanks

  13. You actually make it seem really easy along with your presentation but I to find this topic to be actually something which I believe I would never understand. It sort of feels too complex and extremely wide for me. I am looking ahead in your subsequent post, I will try to get the hold of it!

  14. Thanks , I have recently been looking for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?

  15. Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just too excellent. I actually like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it smart. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a tremendous site.

  16. Hello very cool blog!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also?KI’m happy to seek out numerous helpful information here in the submit, we need develop more strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

  17. Hi! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!

  18. whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your posts. Keep up the great work! You know, a lot of people are looking around for this information, you can help them greatly.

  19. naturally like your website but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I’ll surely come back again.

  20. Hey! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a extraordinary job!

  21. A large percentage of of whatever you assert happens to be astonishingly appropriate and that makes me ponder the reason why I had not looked at this in this light before. Your piece truly did switch the light on for me personally as far as this topic goes. Nonetheless there is one issue I am not too comfy with and whilst I attempt to reconcile that with the core idea of your position, allow me see exactly what the rest of the readers have to say.Well done.

  22. A lot of thanks for every one of your labor on this blog. My mom delights in engaging in internet research and it is simple to grasp why. Most people know all concerning the compelling tactic you offer rewarding suggestions by means of this web site and as well encourage participation from some other people on the subject while our princess is undoubtedly becoming educated a lot of things. Take pleasure in the rest of the year. Your carrying out a tremendous job.

  23. Hi there very cool web site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I am satisfied to search out a lot of helpful info right here within the put up, we need work out more strategies in this regard, thank you for sharing.

  24. Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea

  25. Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.

  26. FitSpresso: What Is It? FitSpresso is a natural weight loss aid designed for individuals dealing with stubborn weight gain. It is made using only science-backed natural ingredients.

  27. My wife and i got quite fortunate that Michael could complete his basic research using the ideas he acquired when using the web site. It’s not at all simplistic just to find yourself handing out tips which many people could have been making money from. We really figure out we have got the website owner to thank for that. The explanations you have made, the straightforward site navigation, the friendships your site make it easier to engender – it is most astonishing, and it is assisting our son in addition to us reckon that that topic is excellent, which is exceedingly serious. Thank you for everything!

  28. Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!

  29. Hello very nice web site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I will bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am glad to find a lot of helpful information right here within the submit, we’d like develop extra strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing.

  30. Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend your web site, how can i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a applicable deal. I have been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided vivid transparent concept

  31. I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Great work!

  32. Hey very nice blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find numerous useful information here in the post, we need develop more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

  33. 035idc.com is considered a top directories for educational institutions for many years in the industry. They specialize in providing clients a broad array of information, from elementary schools to high schools, helping users find and connect with schools easily.

    You can read more here: anotherlink.com

    You can find more details at 035idc.com

  34. Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!

  35. Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and net and this is actually annoying. A good website with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for keeping this web-site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can not find it.

  36. Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!

  37. I and my friends have already been examining the great tips on your web blog while immediately got a horrible suspicion I never thanked the web blog owner for those tips. Those ladies were definitely as a consequence thrilled to learn all of them and now have without a doubt been making the most of these things. Thanks for genuinely indeed helpful and then for making a choice on variety of outstanding themes millions of individuals are really desirous to discover. Our honest apologies for not saying thanks to you sooner.

  38. Howdy! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My website goes over a lot of the same subjects as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!

  39. I got what you intend, appreciate it for posting.Woh I am thankful to find this website through google. “Money is the most egalitarian force in society. It confers power on whoever holds it.” by Roger Starr.

  40. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been conducting a little research on this. And he actually bought me breakfast because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to discuss this issue here on your site.

  41. An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me breakfast because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this subject here on your web page.

  42. I blog often and I truly thank you for your information. This great article has really peaked my interest. I’m going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.

  43. When I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment. Is there a way you can remove me from that service? Kudos.

  44. You have made some really good points there. I looked on the internet to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.

  45. Hello there, There’s no doubt that your site might be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent website.

  46. The next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t fail me just as much as this particular one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely thought you would probably have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.

  47. Your style is unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this page.

  48. CR戦国乙女花

    k8 カジノ パチンコ

    美しいグラフィックと音楽が、プレイ中の没入感を高めます。

    P とある魔術の禁書目録 Light PREMIUM ver.

    https://k88214.com/tags/%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E6%88%A6%E7%95%A5%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AE%E7%9F%B3%E6%9D%BE%E3%81%AE%E8%83%BD%E5%8A%9B
    友人と一緒にプレイすることで、楽しさが倍増します。共に喜ぶ瞬間が嬉しい。

    CR北斗の拳6 拳王 Ver.394

    スロット Space Zoo Space Zoo

    CR北斗の拳7 転生 Ver.319

    吉宗

    CR 真・北斗無双

  49. Hello, I do think your blog might be having internet browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, fantastic site.

  50. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own website now 😉

  51. I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and entertaining, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this in my search for something relating to this.

  52. I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I came across this during my hunt for something concerning this.

  53. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always interesting to read articles from other authors and use a little something from their web sites.

  54. Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

  55. For several years, I’ve battled unforeseeable blood glucose swings
    that left me really feeling drained pipes and tired.
    But given that integrating Sugar my energy levels are now
    stable and regular, and I no more hit a wall in the afternoons.

    I value that it’s a gentle, all-natural approach that doesn’t featured any undesirable side effects.
    It’s genuinely changed my daily life.

  56. Sugarcoating Defender to my daily regimen was among the most
    effective choices I have actually produced my wellness.
    I beware about what I eat, but this supplement adds an extra layer of assistance.

    I feel extra stable throughout the day, and my food cravings have reduced substantially.
    It behaves to have something so easy that makes such a huge
    distinction!

  57. Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
    I’m trying to get my site to rank for some targeted
    keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains.

    If you know of any please share. Many thanks!

    You can read similar blog here: Wool product

  58. I blog often and I truly appreciate your information. Your article has truly peaked my interest. I am going to bookmark your blog and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed too.

  59. I was excited to uncover this site. I need to to thank you for ones time due to this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new information on your website.

  60. Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.

  61. Right here is the right site for anyone who wishes to understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject which has been discussed for years. Wonderful stuff, just great.

  62. sugar defender Discovering Sugar Protector has been a game-changer
    for me, as I’ve always been vigilant regarding
    handling my blood sugar degrees. With this supplement,
    I feel equipped to organize my wellness, and
    my latest medical check-ups have mirrored a significant turnaround.
    Having a reliable ally in my edge supplies me with a complacency and confidence, and I’m deeply thankful
    for the profound distinction Sugar Protector has actually made
    in my health. sugar defender ingredients

  63. I seriously love your blog.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own site and would love to know where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Cheers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THE STAND