Habits of Effective Writers

1. Organize and argue. Writing is about raising important issues and making persuasive arguments, not about filling pages. The key to expressing your ideas effectively is good organization. Follow a sound design and build your paper with clear sentences and coherent paragraphs. See The Elements of Style, Rules 12, 13, Reminder 3; “Essentials of Writing”.

2. Be concise. "Clutter is the disease of American writing." William Zinsser warns, "We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon." Ruthless editing of unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences will improve your writing dramatically. See The Elements of Style, Rule 17, Reminders 6, 11, 14; "Sentence Revision" and “Essentials of Writing” .

3. Write what you mean. Know what you mean, know the meaning of words, and choose the words that precisely express your thoughts. See The Elements of Style, Reminder 16, Chapter 4; “Commonly Confused Words” and “Essentials of Writing” .

4. Write with force. Express your ideas directly. Vague words hide good arguments, but they don't camouflage bad ones. Using strong verbs in the active voice will make your writing more forceful. Keep subject and verb close together.  See The Elements of Style, Rule 14, 15, 22, Reminder 8; "Sentence Revision" and “Essentials of Writing”. 

5. Write for a reader. Your professors are a captive audience. In your professional lives you will not have that luxury. Most readers are busy and impatient, and you will lose them quickly if you make their job difficult and painful. Develop the habit of reading your writing as another person.  Read your sentences aloud. Test your work on the peer tutors at the Writing Center.  See “Essentials of Writing”.

6. Revise and rewrite. The bad news is that writing is hard work. The good news is that with hard work, you will become an effective writer. Make drafts a habit, even when they are not required. In addition to editing on screen, edit hard copies of your drafts in the cold light of day. Use the Writing Center. See The Elements of Style, Reminder 5; "Revision: First to Final Draft" and “Essentials of Writing”.

7. Avoid common errors. Rules of grammar organize communication, and your readers will judge you by your knowledge of these rules. Do not feel overwhelmed by the number and complexity of these rules. Learn to avoid common errors, which account for most of the red ink on papers at Hamilton. Learn other rules of grammar by paying careful attention to comments on your paper and asking questions about rules that you do not understand. On the reverse side of this page are common errors. Learn to avoid these errors, and you will be a long way toward the goal of correct writing.

HOURS:
Mon.-Thurs.: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Fri.: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sun.: Noon - 11 p.m.
Open additional hours for computer use.


TO SCHEDULE, CANCEL, OR INQUIRE ABOUT A WRITING CONFERENCE:
Call (315) 859-4363 or stop by the Writing Center
(K-J 152).

• To email your draft: wcpapers@hamilton.edu
• Drafts longer than six pages should be submitted 24 hours in advance.