Some Writing Tips that may be Helpful!

Proof Read!

After writing a long paper I have a hard time going back and re-reading it, but I do it anyway for the sake of a well written essay. Even then I always miss some grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. So my solution is (Drum roll please) to have my amazingly smart sister read my papers and tell me what she thinks, and fix whatever mistakes she sees. Now I know that most people are running a tad bit short on the “smart sister” supply, so I guess the next best thing is for someone they deem as “smart” to take a look at their piece.

Just write, don’t stare blindly at the computer screen until 2 a.m.

 For me getting started on an essay is the hardest part of writing. I can hardly count the number of times where I have just stared blindly at my computer or out my window, waiting for some inspiration to just appear by flying space craft or Devine intervention, and it never happens. I think this statement is worth saying twice. IT NEVER HAPPENS. What I’ve found helpful is to just write about anything, even if it has nothing to do that pertains to the topic. True, I have had to delete many an unfinished essay because it was awful, but it did start the “creative juices” to flow.

 Don’t depend on just Microsoft Word to catch all of the mistakes

Microsoft Word can be a very good friend, but through personal experience it has proven to be my worst enemy. Let me explain, I’m the worst at spelling, so when I write I just tend to write and make spelling mistakes planning to go back and fix them. Microsoft Word has a different plan. This program thinks that it should fix these mistakes for me, instead of waiting patiently like a good computer should do. The program then takes the words and turns them into words that I didn’t want and often enough don’t make sense with what I’m writing. Sometimes I catch Microsoft in the act, most the time I don’t.

Procrastination is our enemy

 Many times I find myself waiting until the last possible second to write a paper, or do any homework for that fact. It’s human nature to want to put off those horrible assignments that ruin our nights and weekends. This is still one of the hardest things for me to do, to just do my homework in the very beginning so that I can have a free weekend and not have to worry. If I do the assignments right away then they would be even better because I’d had more time to go over and correct them, and I would have much more free time on my hands as a result.

Have fun

If the paper I’m writing is boring and I hate writing it, I know that whoever is going to read it is going to hate it just has much as I do because it shows through my writing how much I didn’t care about the subject. Plus, the teacher is stuck reading whatever I turn in, and they don’t want to be stuck reading some idiotic essay that’s as dry as sand. So take some pride, make it interesting, have some fun, and show them what you’ve got. Just remember these few simple words: If you can’t stand writing it, they’ll hate reading it.

Can I tell Two Truths to Get across One Lie?

1)      I have always been known as the accident prone one. However, throughout my entire life I have never broken a bone, much to my satisfaction. Uh oh, know I think I might have to knock on wood now!

2)      I have a very large family. I would tell you the number of family members that I have (which would include first cousins) but I have no idea the number due to the fact that my family is so huge it would take forever to count. Plus, it would be slightly embarrassing to say the number.

3)      If anyone has noticed in class, my hair color is blonde, but my natural color isn’t. I was cursed from birth to have an ugly color of red hair. It isn't fair because my sisters have beautifully colored hair. I guess I drew the short end of the stick when it comes to genes.  

The Office Anyone?

The Office, a hilariously funny, creatively amusing, and shockingly addictive, is my favorite TV show that I watch. What the Office is about is a paper company where a certain branch is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania; the show is a “docu-reality” where it exposes the 9-5 office jobs of modern day America. The manager of this particular branch is Michael Scott, who is played by my favorite comedian Steve Carell. Michael Scott is a middle aged man who has a huge ego and very much needs to be liked by everybody. The cast has a very nice blend of actors and actresses that portray a wide verity of personalities that can be found in just about any office across America: from Dwight, the obnoxious Assistant Regional Manager, to Jim, the practical joker, and everything in between. Having worked in office settings before, I truly appreciate the humor. However, one doesn’t need to have worked in an office to find the show hilarious. The Office is by far one of the best TV shows to watch when looking for a quick, whole hearted laugh.     

Democrats or Republicans: Choose Your Poison

The first article I read was Trifecta of Torment, by Nicholas D Kristof. Kristof discussed the much debated topic that has plagued our country since its infancy, which political party is better suited to run the country. The author used what I’ll call the “gaming” style when talking about the subject (meaning he talked about the Democrats and Republicans as if they were ball game and could be given points to see who the winner is). Kristof also used many fallacies in my opinion: hasty generalization, post hoc, and either/or fallacy, while his argument appeal of choice was pathos. I came into this article with an open mind, and as I read the article I found myself agreeing with the author as he stated the facts plainly, but as Kristof started to build the foundation of his argument I disagreed with him completely. When he stated his facts, the sources he got them from all seemed to be coming from the same places and lack verity. He also only used the facts that suited his argument. His use of Pathos wasn’t well executed because he tired to appeal to the unemployed as well as the tax payers in a way that was condescending in my eyes.

The second article I read was Obama’s Lock in 2012 by Peter Beinart. He talked about how President Obama basically has secured his office for the next presidential campaign. He used false analogy and logos for his argumentative appeals. Beinart used past presidents as examples of how everyone, save four, had gotten their party’s nomination as well as winning their second term election. I thought that the arguments that were made were very valid and made sense. He used logos in a very thoughtful and logical way. The author presented his facts with solid examples which aren’t controversial like the facts that Kristof used when he wrote his article.

The third article I read was Connecticut on the Ropes by Gail Collins. Connecticut in this midterm election is where the Republicans are looking to see if they can secure the Senate seat. Collins argues that the voters aren’t worried about who the candidates are, meaning the candidates are all people who the author thinks shouldn’t be people running for the Senate seat because of their odd personalities as well as business choices. The argument tools that were used by Collins in this article was, appeal to popularity with logos and pathos combined to present her opinion. I thought that the author did a very good job because of the points she made, she talked about how the candidates that are running are all very…colorful people (to put it politely). The part that I thought Collins could have done better to present her opinion was if she showed that the Democrats had more “normal” people running for the Senate seat.    

Multiple Personality Disorder?

When I took the enneagram test this weekend, it basically told me what I already knew from the beginning, that I have more than just one personality. My top scores were 8, 1, 2, and 5. 8 being the top score was Aggressiveness, with my second place being three personality types: perfectionist, helpfulness, and detachment.

 So basically, if anyone is unsure what a type 8 is I’ll sum it up for you. I am what one calls a control freak. If I see something that can be done better, I will take charge. Also I like people being straightforward with me, because I’m straightforward with them. In turn type 1 goes hand-in-hand with type 8. I love being organized and I can easily see how things can be done in a more efficient manor. Personality types 2 and 5 are what I’ll call my less domineering side. I tend to look at the world more objectively, and can see when others need my help, and I am usually able to help them. 

As I mentioned before, when I took this test I wasn’t surprised that I had more than just one personality. The test results showed that my top scores were only separated by a single point. Why aggressiveness scored higher by one point? I have no idea. Maybe it’s the mood I was in while I took the test, or maybe aggressiveness is my “true” personality. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I thought that this test was fairly accurate.