What Makes Good Writing?

Title and Introduction        _____________

The title and introductory paragraph is like a first impression; a good first impression carries you a long way and a bad one creates immediate hurdles that are hard to overcome. At the beginning, catch your reader’s attention with cleverness and create a clear sense of what the whole essay is going to be about. Don’t create misleading expectations.

Clearly Related Sections    _____________

In a personal essay, a series of paragraphs follows the introduction. The relationship between the paragraphs does not have to be mechanical or formulaic; the sections need only create a logical sequence that most educated readers will see. Transitional words and phrases help, as do key words that are repeated and emphasized.

Interesting Content        _____________

This is the most important part of the writing process. We read to be entertained and enlightened. Your content is most likely to be interesting if it is personal, specific, and insightful. Don’t be afraid to take an unusual approach.    

Thoroughness            _____________

It is possible but harder to be interesting when the content is brief. Beginning writers should write “long” and then cut back if they can rather than trying to write “concisely.” Concise writing usually comes from paring down a rough draft that is long.

No Distractions        _____________

Distractions are the bane of student writing. Who can pay attention to what someone is trying to communicate when words are misspelled, punctuation is unconventional, and careless errors abound? Catch errors at the end of the writing process by reading very slowly (out loud if necessary) and try to keep track of the errors you habitually make.