Writing: Getting Started

Getting started on writing an essay for class, or anything else for that matter, can be incredibly challenging. Having the confidence to share your writing or knowing that it is ready to submit is even harder. Below are just a few resources that can make the process just a little less intimidating. 

1. Write shitty first drafts, then write a second draft, and a third draft, and so on. Eventually you will have written something that is not too embarrassing to share. 
2. Use the resources available to you. Almost all universities have writing centers and your tuition dollars are paying for the center - USE IT. 
3. Try reverse outlining. If you aren't sure that your paper is fully coherent or that it flows logically, making a reverse outline can help you clarify your main arguments and check for the logical flow of your paper. 
4. Read your work out loud. It feels really weird to do this, but it is an excellent way to look for grammatical errors and the flow of your writing. If what you wrote feels stilted and awkward to read out loud, it will feel the same for others to read. 
5. Use a checklist before you submit anything. This will help you catch last minute errors, ensure your citations are there, and verify that you met all the assignment criteria.

If you want to think more about writing, whether fiction or for an assignment, I highly recommend reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (excerpt linked above).