Writing Services

Writing Services at the University Learning Center

WritingServices The Writing Center • One-on-one & small group consultations • Schedule appointments 2 weeks – 24 hours in advance • All appointments are scheduled for an hour • Recurring appointments are available The Writing Lab • Drop-in lab with a “floating” tutor • For independent writers who want access to resources OWL (Online Writing & Learning) • Handouts, writing guides, and useful links • Submit papers for e-response

WritingServices • All writing tutors are UNCW students who are faculty recommended and maintain a minimum GPA. • All tutors certify through a nationally certified tutor training program. • Writing tutors can: • Help you with any kind of paper • Help you at any stage of the writing process • brainstorming and planning • drafting and developing • “cleaning up” and finalizing • Help you learn how to revise and edit

WritingServices Located in DePaolo Hall 1003 Sunday 2:00 – 9:00 Mon – Thu 9:00 – 9:00 Friday 9:00 – 5:00 To Make Appointments, go to our website: www.uncw.edu/ulc/ Or call 910-962-7857

Why this presentation? You’re taking a “Writing Intensive” course, a requirement of University Studies, which is: “designed to help students develop their writing skills throughout their college careers by taking upper-level, writing intensive courses in a range of disciplines, including their major fields of study” WI courses will: “help students understand the importance of and the requirements for successful discourse in a variety of subject areas and recognize that written communication skills are universally important for excellence in all fields of study.”

Why this presentation? WI courses will: “foster learning through writing, using written work to cultivate a complex and in-depth understanding of course concepts.” And, WI course Learning Outcomes include: Locate appropriate sources of information to support written arguments. Evaluate and use evidence to generalize, explain, and interpret content. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical use and citation of the ideas of others used as supporting material in written work. Demonstrate the ability to write critically, using the conventions of the discipline covered in the course. Analyze and evaluate the claims, arguments, and theories presented in course materials using appropriate methods (e.g. analysis).

How to Write All writers need two things to be successful. This is true for ALL writers, whether you are a successful novelist or you are simply writing a grocery list, whether you are a student or a person with a career. The most important two things writers need are: A PURPOSE & AN AUDIENCE Once you have an idea about these, then you just need to write …

How to Write This is how people write (for school, work, & life): They “brainstorm” This is often solitary and usually fast This is always informal (lists, short paragraphs, etc) They draft This is often solitary (though not always) and usually slow This is usually the hardest part of writing anything They revise This is almost always collaborative and usually slow This is messy (cutting, adding, moving) and challenging They finalize This is often collaborative and usually fast This is focused and narrow (editing for style, tone, etc)

How to Write The two ways to draft are: 1. Write to FINISH You know exactly what you want to say before starting You revise and edit as you write You write in one, long, time-consuming session You are exhausted at the end of your writing session, but … You are often ready to turn in your final draft with minor editing. This approach is great for procrastinators (all of us, sometimes, right?).

How to Write The two ways to draft are: 2. Write to START You start writing to figure out what you want to say You save revising and editing for later You write in several, short sessions over several days or longer You are usually energized after each short writing session You revise and edit in short sessions too, so you have to plan for time to do that This approach produces the strongest writing, but requires good time management.

How to Write Some revising tips: “Revise” means to see again (with a fresh perspective), so plan on time between drafting and revising if possible. Find a good, critical outside reader. Identify topic sentences and modes of support for each paragraph and idea – develop support where needed. Create an outline of your draft using those topic sentences – ensure your points are in a reasonable order. Read just your introduction and conclusion. Does the conclusion “answer” the problem posed in the intro? Schedule an appointment at the Writing Center.

How to Write Some editing tips: Read aloud with a pencil in hand – make corrections as you go. Read your draft backwards, line by line. Make sure each sentence makes sense. Eliminate extra words. Identify all transition terms – check placement and effectiveness. Use spell-check and grammar-check, even though they don’t catch every mistake. Find a good, careful outside reader.

How to Write Formal Academic Research Papers can have SEVEN parts: An Abstract Introduction Background, History, Literature Review OR Methods Results Argument, Critique, OR Discussion Conclusion Works Cited, References, OR End Notes Check out this handout.

How to Write Formal Academic Research Papers must follow the guidelines and format recommended by the style guide used in the field. Here are some style guides used at UNCW: AAA (American Anthropological Association) AIP (American Institute of Physics) AP (Associated Press) APA (American Psychological Association) APSA (American Political Science Association) ASA (American Statistical Association) Chicago/Turabian CSE (Council of Science Editors) IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) MLA (Modern Language Association)

Edit for a formal tone/style Formal writing, whether academic or professional, should be: Clear and “plain.” Do not try to impress with “big” words or “flowery” language. Consistent and concise. Use terms common in your field; reuse them as appropriate. Get to the point and stay there. Easy to read. Vary your sentence and paragraph length for an easier reading experience. Smooth to read. Use transition terms between and within paragraphs so the reader isn’t distracted by topic shifts.

Edit for a formal tone/style Avoid the following: Clichés (e.g., “crystal clear,” “selling like hotcakes”) Slang (e.g., “amaze-balls”, “that’s how I roll”) Colloquialisms or regional language (e.g., “y’all,” “you betcha”) Contractions (e.g. “don’t” = “do not”) Useless qualifiers (e.g., really, very, amazingly, extremely, basically) Text terms (e.g. “LOL,” “U2,” “@”)

Edit for a formal tone/style Avoid all forms of the verb “to be.” This includes: be, is, am, are, was, were, being, and been. Removing this verb will help you: Avoid passive construction NO: JFK was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. YES: Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK. Edit out wordy writing NO: There are many students who are struggling to pay for overpriced textbooks. YES: Many students struggle to pay for overpriced textbooks. Strengthen the force and liveliness of your writing. NO: It was last week when Lauren was running in the park and was attacked by a skunk that was rabid. YES: Last week, a rabid skunk attacked Lauren as she ran in the park.

Edit for a formal tone/style Use consistent tenses. For most formal documents, use present tense. This is because most of this writing refers to what you are doing now or secondary sources, which you are reading now. Ex. “Forbes estimates that Rowling is a billionaire.” For some academic papers, use past tense. This is true when referring to historical events, past experiments, or personal reflections. Ex. “Rowling was jobless and on social security when she wrote Harry Potter.” Use future tense when making predictions. This can happen when discussing future experiments or conditions to come. Ex. “Rowling will publish her first book for adults later this year.” MOST IMPORTANT: remain as consistent as possible! If you have to use another tense, return to the primary tense ASAP.

Edit for a formal tone/style Some other things to remember … Never refer to an authorby their first name! Don’t use personal pronouns (I, we, our, etc) or “you”; write in the third-person point-of-view. Avoid using too many rhetorical questions: Should we care about the homeless? Is Congress avoiding the issue? Can we ignore the increasing number of people on the streets? Are we afraid our taxes will increase if we build more homeless shelters? Can the reader feel more overwhelmed by unanswered questions?

Edit for usage DO NOT CONFUSE THESE WORDS! To/too/two To: a preposition meaning toward Too: means also (“After she spoke, I spoke too.”); or excessive amount (“I ate too much.”) Two: the number 2 Their/there/they’re Their (possessive): They took off their coats. There (place): She put the book over there. They’re (“they are”): They’re having a good time. Then/than Then refers to time (I did it then) or transition (Then I went to the store). Than refers to comparison. “I received a worse grade than Henry on the biology midterm.”

Edit for usage DO NOT CONFUSE THESE WORDS EITHER! Your/you’re Your (possessive): It is your coat, not mine. You’re (“you are”): You’re the best friend I have ever had. Its/it’s Its (possessive): This shirt looks weird. Its collar is too tight. It’s (“it is”): Where is the book? It’s on the bookcase. Affect/effect Affect (verb): The death of my dog deeply affected me. Effect (noun): The death of my dog had a deep effect on me. Who/Whom Who (refers to subject): Who loves you? I love you. Whom (refers to object): Whom do I love? I love you.

Edit for usage OH, AND DO NOT CONFUSE THESE WORDS EITHER! Weather/Whether “Weather” refers to climate conditions (like rain or snow). “Whether” is a conjunction suggesting an alternative. Definitely/Defiantly The first is synonymous with “absolutely.” The second is how you behave when you defy authority.

Edit for usage Avoid vague pronoun usage: NO: Jones is sometimes compared with Smith, but he is quite different YES: Jones is sometimes compared to Smith, but Smith is quite different. NO: Jody found the hammer in the car that her uncle had used. YES: In the car, Jody found the hammer that her uncle had used. NO: In the average television drama they present a false picture of life. YES: The average television drama presents a false picture of life.

Edit for usage Some other things to remember … “A lot” is two words. “Cannot” is one word. “Should of” is wrong; it’s “should have” (or “would have” or “could have”). Don’t use archaic terms. No one says “thus”? Or “alas”? So don’t use these words in your paper. You can ask someone to spend the night. Not “Knight.” Definitely not “nite.” You might lose your wallet if your pants are too loose.

Edit for grammar and punctuation Run-ons consist of two or more independent clauses that are run together without proper punctuation. There are two types of run-ons. A fused sentence incorrectly joins or fuses together two independent clauses without any punctuation: The sun is shining we are going to the beach. I enjoy going home my family is glad to see me. A comma splice incorrectly joins or splices together two independent clauses with only a comma: The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. I enjoy going home, my family is glad to see me.

Edit for grammar and punctuation Five ways to fix a run-on: Separate the independent clauses into two sentences The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. The sun is shining. We are going to the beach. Join the two independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. The sun is shining, so we are going to the beach. Join the two independent clauses with a semicolon, a transitional expression, and a comma. The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. The sun is shining; therefore, we are going to the beach. Join the two independent clauses with a semicolon. The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. The sun is shining; we are going to the beach. Join two independent clauses with a subordinating conjunction. The sun is shining, we are going to the beach. Because the sun is shining, we are going to the beach.

Edit for grammar and punctuation Colons: What comes to the left of the colon must be a complete sentence. Ex: There are three colors on our flag: red, white, and blue. Semicolons: What comes to the left and to the right of the semicolon has to be a complete sentence. Ex: There are three colors on our flag; those colors are red, white, and blue.

Edit for grammar and punctuation More help with grammar and punctuation: Commas Dangling Modifiers Split Infinitives Active Voice Parallel Sentence Structure Confused Punctuation

Final Words Remember: PURPOSE and AUDIENCE Also: We are here to help you at Writing Services at the University Learning Center. Schedule an appointment, drop-in, or submit your paper online. DE 1003 - 910-962-7857 www.uncw.edu/ulc/writing

References Fogarty, Mignon. Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. MacMillan Holdings. Web. Fussell, Laura. Punctuation. PowerPoint Presentation. 2012. Lunsford, Andrea. Easy Writer: A Pocket Reference. 3rd Ed. Boston: Beford/St. Martin’s, 2006. Print. Robitaille, Julie, Robert Connelly, and Sheila Allen. Bridges and Banks. Mason, Ohio: CengageLearning, 2009. Print.

Writing Services