Writing is Like Playing Soccer

Writing is Like Playing Soccer

by Lexi Pollard

If you aren’t a fan of doing the writing your college education requires, try to relate writing to something you do like.  For example, I like playing soccer.  To be a good soccer player, you have to practice.  To be a good writer, you have to practice, too.  Practicing in soccer is--practicing.  Practicing in writing is... blogging!

I see a blog page as a practice field.   If you struggle with brainstorming and haven’t tried out blogging yet, you'll find that it does the same thing for your writing "game" that soccer practice does for your soccer game.  It gives you strategies to call upon when you're facing your opponent: the writing assignment.

In the case of papers with prompts, there are rules, too. Like in soccer, I am confined by the boundary lines.  If I stray too far, I go “out of bounds,” and get a penalty.  In soccer I can’t be off sides if I’m waiting for a teammate to pass me the ball in an offensive position. The team needs to be correctly positioned.  In my paper, everything needs to be correctly positioned as well: MLA, APA, structure, transitions, evidence, analysis, etc. All of the components work together for that hoped-for A, while the team works together for that win. Everything, and every player, has to work hard in order to produce success.

I can juggle a ball while I blog or brainstorm or outline, combining two things I love. However, humans aren’t perfectionists at multi-tasking. So, if you can relate writing to something you love to do, maybe you can find parallels and enjoy writing a little more.

Why Your Conclusion Probably Isn’t Very Good - By Jay Greene

Why Your Conclusion Probably Isn’t Very Good

Jay Greene

You did it.  You just finished the last body paragraph of your essay.  All the brainstorming, freewriting, outlining, drafting, and revision led to this singular cathartic moment: the end of your paper – except that you’re not done.  Not really, anyhow.  You haven’t written your conclusion.  And there, on your screen, the cursor blinks impatiently, waiting.

A lot of people have a hard time writing a good conclusion.  They get to the end of their paper, and they think, “What more could I possibly have to say about this topic?”  They are essentially spent -  emotionally, physically, and intellectually exhausted -  which explains why a lot of strong papers end with weak, three-sentence conclusions that sound like they were written by a disillusioned 7^th grader.  For a reader, it’s like eating a fantastic 4-star French dinner, and then being served a half-eaten tapioca pudding cup for dessert.  It leaves one disappointed, unsatisfied.  Since the conclusion is the last thing the reader reads, it is essentially the taste that will linger on the reader’s palette when they are evaluating (or grading) your paper as a whole, for better or worse.  But there is hope, friend.

It’s all about keeping perspective.  Keep in mind what the conclusion represents in your paper:

Introduction:  Here’s what I’m going to talk about.

Body:  Look, here’s me talking about it.

Conclusion:  Here’s what I talked about. (Here is what mattered about my topic.)

In other words, you are summarizing (reminding your reader) what you have argued in your paper.  Remember, papers are long, and sometimes a reader momentarily forgets a point you made at the beginning of your piece.  The conclusion is your last chance to bring everything together in one place to make sure the reader comes away with every main point that you wanted him/her to understand.  Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Restate your topic and why it was important for you to address it.

-          If you’re struggling to begin your conclusion, try leading with something like, “As we have seen, racism continues to be a huge problem for …” or, “From our analysis of [blank], we see that…”  There are countless ways to begin, of course.

• Restate your thesis/claim (in different wording than in your introduction, obviously).

-          “I have argued that…” or, “I have attempted to show that…” are examples of how to lead into this.

• Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position.

-          You might say, “Though some might argue…” and then go on to defend your position briefly.

• End by encouraging further thought about the topic from your audience. (Leave the reader with something to chew on.)

-          In other words, wrap up your essay with a punchy, thoughtful little gem about your topic that leaves your reader nodding slowly.  For example, in a paper about “Satan as epic hero in Milton’s Paradise Lost,” a decent final sentence might sound like, “Milton has gone through exhaustive lengths to establish his Satan as an epic hero; however, he has also gone through equally comprehensive measures to intentionally hobble his character, thus ensuring that his ‘hero’ falls far short of the very pantheon of epic heroes to whom he is indebted.” Or SOMETHING like that.  The point is simply that the sentence must have that definite feeling of being your final word on the matter.  Don’t simply end the paper abruptly, leaving your reader dangling. 

Remember:  You can do this!  Now get out there and end that paper!

Mel's Writing Checklist - Basic Guidelines

Mel’s Writing Checklist

 Basic Guidelines

1.      I don’t use contractions, do I?

In scholarly writing (what you’re doing for your classes!), contractions are officially outlawed.

Example:

Don’t: Romeo and Juliet isn’t a happy story because the main characters don’t survive.

Do: Romeo and Juliet is not a happy story because the main characters do not survive.

2.     Did I use Times New Roman, font size 12?

Generally speaking, everyone knows they can’t pick festive fonts for their research papers. However, for those of you who use Microsoft Word it can be a bit tricky. The default font is not Times New Roman—it is Calibri, size 11. Also keep in mind: when you are doing your MLA page number heading, don’t forget to change that font and size too!

3.      Did I spell numbers, like 1 and 5?

According to the MLA Handbook, you spell out numbers that are two words long (one, five, thirty-two, eight thousand). If it is longer than two words, you use the numerals (4,234 and 104)—unless the number is the first word of the sentence!

Example:

Don’t: William Shakespeare wrote 10 tragedies, 17 comedies, and 10 histories.

Do: William Shakespeare wrote ten tragedies, seventeen comedies, and ten histories.

Haiku - By Jay Greene

Ending an MLA Style In-Text Citation (By a Babbling Brook)

Quotation mark first,

Then: cite in parenthesis

 Period. Frog jumps.

MLA Format (On A Snowy Winter’s Eve)

12, Times New Roman

Name; page number in header

Double-space.  Snow falls.

Writing An Introduction (During A Summer Storm)

Hook reader, present topic

Start broad, funnel down à

Thesis.  Warm puddles.

Fun Stuff Tuesdays

Down here in the Writing Center, we drink a lot of coffee. We also like to play tricks on each other--nice ones, mostly. So we asked ourselves:

What's the funniest thing to put in someone's coffee?

A tiny rubber ducky and/or a note at the bottom that says, "You just drank decaf, stupid!" - Evan

A fish - Melanie

More coffee while they're walked away... To trick 'em! - Amy

Sprinkles. Or glitter. - Lexi

Marshmallows - Jenna

ICE - Amanda

Poison... Straight up! - Brandon Y.

A finger - Callie

A spoon (ironically) - Jay

Trust - Jeff

Their cell phone - Melissa

Brandon Y. - Brandon T.

Fun Stuff Tuesday - Valentine's Day Edition

Well, folks, it's Valentine's Day today. If you're bitter you're at work instead of cuddling with your sweetie (like we are down in the dungeon), you'll understand why this year's Fun Stuff Valentine's Day Edition is so, well, pessimistic.

What is your favorite celebrity breakup?

Katy Perry and Russell Brand (although I'm really sad about it) - Amy

Leonardo DiCaprio and that one model. HE'S MINE NOW! - Melissa

Lindsay Lohan and her career - Brandon T.

Arnold and Maria. Don't let that "other" family bug you--you've been paying them for years. - Amanda

Fifty Cent and Chelsea Handler. Now I don't have to wear a dress - Evan

Taylor Swift and John Mayer

 (cradle robber) - Lexi

Newt Gingrich and sanity (it's always been a rocky relationship) - Jeff

Charlie Sheen and his kids - Jay

How to Make the Best of Your Appointment - By Alex O.

Consultant Alex shares some important tips to remember during your appointment at the Writing Center in this guest blog post.

How to Make the Best of YOUR Appointment

The Writing Center can be an extremely useful tool during any phase of the writing process if you utilize it effectively. An appointment that lacks direction can leave you at the same phase as when you began. Remember, it is not the tutor that writes your paper. In the end, it is up to you to make the most of your appointment and improve your own writing. The number one way to do this is to come prepared.

Coming prepared to the Writing Center can make or break the appointment. But what does this mean? Here are a few things to consider before coming to your tutoring session:

·         What do I want to accomplish during this meeting? This can range anywhere from composing a thesis, brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, or any other help that you may need.

·         What parts of my writing am I struggling with? Being aware of your problem areas and letting your tutor know will help both you and the tutor look out for the problem.

·         What is my prompt asking? As simple as it sounds, knowing what the assignment is asking of you is crucial to a successful tutoring session. If you do not know what the task is asking of you, then the appointment will not be beneficial.

·         Do I have all necessary materials? Think about what materials you need for your tutoring session. Do you need any books, prompts, extra credit forms? Remember, the Writing Center does not provide forms to verify your visit.

Help the Writing Center help you by reviewing these simple questions prior to your appointment. We look forward to seeing you soon! Happy Writing J