#this one specific author writes long sentences with NO punctuation and uses a weird sentence structure

[deathshallbenomore]

they tell you not to write long sentences because otherwise people won’t understand what you have to say but may I interest you in a revolutionary concept such as: punctuation.

[saaraofthesand]

Some writing advice for fic writers:

First, I write. I know how hard it is, BUT there’s a limit to my patience with some things.

1. Don’t write Racist undertones (i.e. “Her skin was as pale as the moon. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.”). STOP STOP STOP STOP.

2. AVOID BASIC SPELLING ERRORS (I’m not talking about non-native English speakers. Their errors tend to be grammatical and I never judge them because they’re doing their best.) I have a genuine question for people who’s fics contain these. WHAT ARE YOU USING TO WRITE YOUR GODDAMN WORK?

Word, Google docs, Grammarly. They’re all free and will catch basic spelling errors for you. You don’t even need a beta right away.

3. Don’t make your Paragraphs too long. Go read a book. How long are the paragraphs? Where are the breaks? When I have a question about novel formatting a lot of times I just grab the nearest one and see how it was formatted.

4. Don’t Use descriptors instead of names. (i.e. ‘the brunette’ or the egregious ‘pinkette’) I’m definitely guilty of this one in my early stuff, but readers HATE it. And I’ve found that my writing flows better without them, anyway.

5. Don’t write characters with mental/physical disabilities unless you’ve actually researched them. And I’m not talking about looking up the symptoms. Go find accounts of people with those disabilities explaining them. It’s always best to hear from someone who has actually experienced what your character will experience.

I even research my own disabilities because my characters have a different environment than I do which could affect whatever they’re experiencing. I swear I have seen some of the most ableist bs in fics just because someone clearly has no idea what they were talking about.

6. DONT WRITE YOUR WHOLE FIC IN LOWERCASE WTF.

7. Basic writing stuff:

“Spoken dialogue should be in quotes,” I said.

Remember, EVERYTHING, including punctuation, should be within the quotation marks.

An inner monologue should be italicized, I thought.

This creates a clear distinction between dialogue and thoughts.

There should always be a space after a period. (i.e. ._They)

The first letter in a sentence is capitalized.

The first letter of a name (i.e. Saara) is capitalized.

The first letter of any proper noun (i.e. Names, Places, Days of the week, Institutions, etc.) is capitalized.

An apostrophe ‘s’ indicates possession (i.e. Saara’s blog)

8. Their, there, and they’re.

Their is possessive (i.e. It was their bike).

There is either ‘a place that is not here’ (i.e. I need to go there).

Or

There can be a pronoun meaning ‘it is the case that’ (i.e. There is no question that he did it)

They’re is just a combination of ‘they are’ (i.e. They’re going to eat)

9. Two, too, to

Two is the number two (i.e. #2)

Too means ‘also’ or ‘in addition to’ (i.e. You can’t go alone, so I’m going too)

To can be used with an infinitive verb, like ‘to sleep’ (i.e. I’m going to sleep in my room). It can also be used as a preposition that means ‘toward’ (i.e. I’m going to the store).

10. Your vs. you’re

Your is possessive (i.e. it’s your phone).

You’re is a combination of ‘you are’ (i.e. You’re going to do it).

Specifics for Japanese media:

1. Do not use honorifics if you don’t know how they work. You can google which ones are appropriate in which situations, but if you don’t want to, you’re better off not writing them in.

2. Don’t use romaji without double checking the spelling. Something might sound different than it’s actually spelled. I do not speak Japanese but even I have seen SO many basic spelling errors where the author was writing by ear.

3. Learn a character’s first name. When you’re writing from their POV, it’s weird to refer to them by their last name. Also pay attention to how other characters refer to them in canon. What honorifics do their teachers use vs. their classmates? Do they use their given name, surname, or a nickname? Stuff like that.

Anywho, go off with your writing and lemme know if u have questions!

[ceridwyn2]

This may seem like a stupid (and unpopular with some) question, with AO3, is there a way to filter out some writers in search results? I’m doing a search through a particular fandom (no, not stating which one, as I’ve seen it across more than just one fandom) at the moment, and there is a lot of crap there amongst the good gems. I’m picky when I read fanfic 😅 , and a lot of times I don’t have time to wade through hundreds/thousands of stories to look for the good ones.

By the way, this ended up being a lot longer than I originally intended 😂 as I was thinking it through. What I like in the stories I read as follows:

A) Be grammatically correct

B) Spelling correct

C) Sentence & paragraph structure correct. Dialogue for each character in separate paragraphs.

D) Point of View: maintain one person’s point of view either for the whole scene or whole story. Especially important if stories are written in first person (I/My/Me) or second person (You/Them/They). These stories are often harder to write and maintain throughout well. If it’s first person, you’re only writing from one character’s point of view: on how *I* see/hear/experience the things around *me*. *I* don’t/can’t know what the other characters are thinking/feeling other than what *I* see/observe in their behaviour, unless they tell *me* what they think/feel. Writing in second person is equally difficult to maintain unless you’re very skilled at it. You’re writing as though your addressing the reader/person directly, as if you know them personally, intimately (does not need to be sexually) by using *you*. / Example: You love to write; you should do it more often. / If you’re of a certain age and remember the ‘choose your own adventure’ child/young adult books of the 70s-90s, they were in a person point of view.

Majority of fanfiction, and fiction in general is written in third person. Third person is like you’re the audience watching a tv show/film/play/book. You’re a non-active participant of what is happening and cannot affect the direction or outcome of the story. The primary subject of the scene is referred to by their name or rank and their pronoun(s), and is often the first character mentioned at/near beginning of the scene / Example: DCI Cassie Stewart walked into the incident room of her Historic Cases Unit, with a quick glance at her officers before heading into her office. It wasn’t long before her second in command, DS Sunil Khan, or Sunny, as he preferred, wrapped on the glass window pane of her office door. / That scene is dictated from her point of view, how she directs those around her and how those around her interact with her. Had it been slightly different, but same scenario: /DS Sunil Khan looked up as the door to the Historic Cases Unit opened and saw his boss, DCI Stewart, make her way to her office, glancing at the team as she did. Having got some new leads on their current case overnight, Sunny headed towards her office to notify her ahead of the day’s briefing. / This obviously changes whose point of view is the primary for that scene to Sunil.

Third person It allows the writer to explore different perspectives and viewpoints of different characters to move the story forward. However, that being said, to avoid reader confusion, pick one character - a main character, supporting character, or a villain - as the primary character of that scene and stick with their focus/perspective for the duration of a scene/chapter. If you want to express multiple character’s reactions or points of view to a specific same scene (like say a team of detectives coming onto a murder scene) and if it makes sense to do so, you can write the scenes same but different as each character will have their own take on what they saw/perceived/when they entered/exited the scene - but each character that you’re writing about will have a separate section, separated by punctuation marks, above and below the change of perspective. However, that can easily come across as too repetitive for the reader. Might be best to put that in a notes page each scene of how each sees the same scene - because you as the audience can visualise the characters as being there, when they arrived and what they observed. When you write the scene, write it from one character’s point of view, but as you have the other characters interacting with them, they can comment on what they saw observed, contributing to the overall pieces of information, without repetition, unless it contradicts or adds to a specific point being made.

E) Age correlateable. By which I mean, if someone’s going to write about established characters that are in their 40s, 50s, etc., their life experiences, maturity, have them act/respond to each other as such. I have read stories - or rather attempted to - but the mental maturity of the author was showing through characters in their 40s, 50s, and it was obvious the writer hasn’t grasped that maturity of the characters. Listen to the character’s voices (what they’re saying, how they’re saying, even what they’re not saying but expressing visually) you’re writing about. This really comes out when writing arguments and sex scenes, btw.

F) Physical/mental characteristics: If a character has an illness or physical disability, or like affecting joints or paralysed limbs, amputations, or anything that affects movement, be aware of that, esp if writing a sex scene (a whole other rabbit hole of bad writing exists there, see next item). If in an argument, you’re trying to express the character throwing something in anger, like a mug/glass, etc., for example, and the character has an injured/disabled arm, their strength to throw is going to be limited. Show the character’s frustration that the action they wanted had less effect at releasing that anger/frustration. If the character has a visual (partial or full blindness) or auditory disability (eg. hard of hearing, deafness in one or both ears, over-sensitive to sound/volume), take that into account. Esp in arguments, if one of the people in the scene has a tendency to mumble, they may not be understood as words run together are not easily decipherable either by sound or lip reading. Mental health /illness (eg PTSD /complex PTSD [cPTSD], depression, anxiety affects physical health responses. If the characters have mental health disorders, be aware and maintain that continuity through the story. Don’t need to mention it all the time but be aware it can affect movement/physical responses, behaviour. And unless you’re House, you don’t need to include every odd, weird, very rare symptom he seems to need to diagnose something for the character 😂 .

G) Sex scenes: some are done so well that it’s seamless and flows well with the other parts of the story, where the intimacy blends well. Others, very much no so. Unless it’s a specifically written PWP (plot, what plot) story, and those can work when written well. Trust me, I’ve read otherwise well-written stories ruined by a sex scene that reads like a bad porn with characters that otherwise had physical limitation(s) in the rest of the story but were suddenly able to pull off manoeuvres of someone 20 years younger and fully able-bodied. Like someone just tacked on an explicit sex scene on that didn’t mesh with the story as if they were two completely different people that happened to have the same names as the ones in the rest of the story.

H) Continuity. Whether your story is short or long, be aware of where your characters are/what they’re doing. Having a sense of timing. Helpful to have a notepad (digital or paper) sometimes to keep track of movement. They can’t be in two concurrent scenes at the same time. Passing off information between the characters; don’t assume one character (or group of characters) knows what the other(s) are doing, unless they are in contact with each other (visual/audio/both/text). Cause/effect. Action/reaction. There may be delayed effects or reactions (over scenes/chapters), but reference them back to the original cause or action and why there was a delay. For example, somebody witnesses or experiences a tragedy, war, fire, sexual assault, accident, or other traumatic experience, and it triggers a delayed emotional or physical response hours, days, months, years later. The character may or may not be able to explain to their partner, colleague, friend what it was that caused effect/reaction. Similarly, following onto earlier example of a thrown glass/mug/vase, if it smashes there could be subsequent injury from ceramic/glass/etc. like a cut finger/palm of hand if picking up the pieces/cleaning the mess. So maybe it requires a bandage or wrap. Continuity would include making further grasping of things discomforting or painful, maybe a comment from another person inquiring what happened later on if they’re noticing a bandage that wasn’t there the last time they saw them.

I) Alternate Universe stories. I don’t mind AUs when done right - so that even if the characters are placed in a different setting, their general personality traits are very recognizable. I’ve read quite a few that nail this perfectly. Others, not so much. When it works, it works. Otherwise it’s just slapping familiar names onto original fic just to get more eyes on a story.

[thewebcomicsreview]

Ko-Fi Commission: LeaseBound

Leasebound is a “gender-critical” (TERF) webcomic that attained notoriety after releasing a chapter with hateful depictions of trans people, leading to it getting banned from Smack Jeeves. It’s currently self-hosted on a comic press site without a cast page, archive, or even menu, and doesn’t appear to have a patreon (and likely won’t, given its content). It’s a small enough comic that I wouldn’t normally feel comfortable reviewing it, except that the creator explicitly encouraged me to and appears to be getting off on the bad press. 

The story starts with two characters finding out that they both rented the same apartment because the landlord was incompetent and double booked it.

And this particular landlord doesn’t have any other rooms available. There’s a host of logical objections to this set up, such as

Isn’t this fraud on the part of the landlord?

Wouldn’t a major deception like this void the lease?

Why don’t the women move to some other landlord’s apartment and sue the shit out of the woman who sold them a single apartment and surprised them with a roommate?

How does a huge apartment complex with at least 18 rooms have two people booking rooms that don’t talk to each other?

Is the groundskeeper also doing the paperwork and background checks? You don’t buy an apartment at the apartment store, it’s like a whole process.

Isn’t this just the fanfic “but there was only one bed!” trope taken to an even more illogical extreme?

But that road leads to becoming CinemaSins, so let’s just acknowledge that the premise is ludicrous and all the characters are morons so we can move on with our lives. Anyway, the characters introduce themselves as Jaden and Riley, and casually accept sharing a bedroom. They exposit a bit about how Jaden dropped out of college and Riley never went, and

Uh

RILEY: Sorry- I wasn’t trying to pry. JADEN: All good. Earlier you said you had a “few things” in mind RILEY: Right, yeah! I thought it was be good to set some ground rules. JADEN: You can add’ “more organised” to the list then too. Haha. RILEY: Wait, really?  JADEN: Stories for another time

What the fuck? What list? What is Jaden talking about? Why is there an apostrophe hanging out after “add”?

You know how in PS1 JRPGs the translation would be really bad and sometimes people would just say weird shit that didn’t seem to have anything to do with what was just said?

That’s how Leasebound dialogue reads, bizarre punctuation and all. The add’ with an apostrophe is baffling, but I also like how “Haha.” is it’s own sentence with a period at the end.

 Anyway, the rest of the chapter is about how Riley owns a cat but has to keep it a secret because she doesn’t know if the landlord allows pets and I guess didn’t think to ask when she was applying for the lease.

So, the status quo is established. Jaden and Riley wanted to buy a single apartment but got foisted with a roommate, but they’re happy because that means the rent is cheaper. Personally if I wanted a cheaper apartment and was willing to have a roommate I’d get an apartment with a roommate in the first fucking place but we really can’t keep complaining about how stupid the premise is we have to move on. So Jaden is in the living room and, hold on, sorry

This living room is massive. The kitchen has a fridge, and oven, and two matching sofas. In chapter 2 Riley’s going to fit in a four-seat table in here. This is supposed to be a studio apartment in Downtown City

Y’know, City. Not any particular specific real or fictional city with a name, but City.

And Jaden and Riley, neither of whom have college degrees, are so hard up for cheaper rent that they’re comfortable with the surprise revelation of having to share a bedroom with a stranger. But they’re also in a huge apartment in the middle of a metro area? This living room is nearly as big as mine, and I have three roommates and live in Cheaper Suburb. Why are you buying all this space at City square foot prices if money is tight? Get a smaller apartment, or if you really need the space get an apartment that’s not in the middle of City? The author of this comic is 23, has she not looked into getting an apartment? Bigger ones are more expensive.

Okay, okay, the premise is dumb. Let’s move on. Riley and Jaden make sm-

Why are you sharing a tiny bedroom if your Living room is party sized and has multiple sofas? Why not partition off some of the living room with room dividers from IKEA to make a faux bedroom with privacy?

Ahem, Riley and Jaden make small talk and order a pizza and it takes a long time and it’s not super interesting but it’s supposed to be cute and I can’t really fault a slice of life comic for taking its time. Riley’s worried that her girlfriend won’t like that she has a roommate (Riley why don’t you move in with your girlfriend?), and Jaden gets a call from work that they’re shortstaffed.

They’re so short-staffed that they’re going to send an employee out to go pick up Jaden. Can Jaden not get to work on her own? That seems like the kind of thing that would make her not want to move in to this specific apartment. Why would you move to an apartment that you couldn’t get to work from? You’re in the middle of City, and your job is a big nightclub in City, and City has public transit. You previously did not live in City, meaning you used to live further away from work than you now do. How did you get to work before? Isn’t picking up a Jaden a tremendous waste of an employee’s time? Even if the club is aware that Jaden can’t get in on her own and is willing to bend over backwards for her here, why not “Jaden, we need you at work pronto. Take a uber over, we’ll reimburse you”, which is dramatically easier for all involved? Why is everyone in this comic so fucking stupid?

Sigh

Well, Jaden goes to work, and that leads us off into the infamous chapter 3, “The T is for trouble”

We open the chapter with a bad-faith trigger warning that looks like a real content warning but is actually designed to get trans people really mad as Jaden heads to work and-

Hey hey, Rusty started putting links to her tumblr in the comic pages. Someone was expecting pages from this chapter to go viral, wasn’t she? Was the chapter where Riley and Jaden spend a few pages ordering a pizza not giving you enough engagement? But now that you’re the official #2 Terf Webcomic you get lots of angry people in your tags that you can reblog and be snarky at. Bet that makes you feel powerful. I know the feeling. I built my tumblr following by writing reviews and advice columns for five years, but you went from zero to hero in like a week and all you had to do was say mean things about trans people oh my god I figured it out

You’re Mary. Rusty Hearts is Mary Bradford from Dumbing of Age. You want the validation of the “wrong” kind of people giving you shit. That’s why you made sure all your transphobic comics had links to your tumblr and your getting pizza comics didn’t. That’s why you keep reblogging my ads for my comic that I place in your tags. That’s why you see me post the review and make a response like this

And you know what?

Nah.

I’m not going to include chapter 4. I’m not going to read it. I’m not even going to include chapter 3. There’s nothing that I can add to it that hasn’t been said by a ton of other people. I can post your anti-trans stuff and get the vapors about how bigoted you are, but at the end of the day I’m not the Social Justice Report. I’m The Webcomics Review. And your webcomic sucks. It’s boring, it’s stupid, it doesn’t make any sense. Your premise is ludicrous and quickly abandoned to bait and switch people into reading a political polemic (I did skim chapter four, it’s literally people standing around in a circle talking about how trans people are bad like a terfy Ayn Rand novel). Your characters are all morons in order to get to plot points you want to get to, and your first two chapters are a mountain of pointless exposition and characters being vaguely cryptic about their backstories.Your art is bad not just in that you can’t draw well, but in that you don’t bother to include details to give your world a sense of place, and the details you do include like that luxurious living room actively undermine your alleged story (to the extent that there’s a story at all).

But hey, you got your 15 minutes of fame (and zero patreonbux) from the anti-trans stuff. You got people to read your comic. Good hussle. Well done. Tatsuya Ishida does it better.

Leasebound gets zero genders out of a spectrum.

Like this review? Follow me on patreon, or buy me a Ko-Fi! Or even just read my own webcomic, Saffron and Sage!

[callousdegenerate]

Somewhat of a writing/literature tangent/discussion I guess:

I know my writing isn’t really perfect, but I always wonder whether it should be, whether we should uphold a high standard on writers or accept minor mistakes when writing according to one specific standard mold because everyone has their own method of writing and understanding of its “rules”. At the very least, clear distinction of words and intent are enough to guide people along. If you can gather the meaning of the text structurally, if it can be understood, I don’t see much a problem.

I see a lot of writers who struggle with grammar and punctuation but have very good story structure and dialogue, or people who may use simple language but churn out a very good narrative even with their limited word bank. Sometimes simple language is effective. You don’t need a paragraph-long sentence of descriptors to write poetry. I feel you shouldn’t be ashamed of writing simply, BUT you should still try new things to expand your skillset as well.

The concept of “standard” in literature is weird to me sometimes. Like yes, we want to have writers write in a way that flows nicely, is easy to understand and isn’t cluttered. Fanfic writers for instance are people I see at so many different levels. I’ve read people with awful spelling/grammar who still make good stories. I’ve read people with beautiful diction and perfect punctuation who write cluttered or confusing narratives. Idk if standards are even necessary anymore. Hell, there are published authors out there, renowned ones who still don’t write perfectly. Some may even think that they do simply because they’re published, because they forget that you’re always learning even when you’re really adept at something. I don’t particularly like cockiness in that regard.

It’s difficult to say that we should throw away the concept of “standard” when there will always be general guidelines that we follow in writing. Spelling, for instance, is something we will always expect to be correct according to whatever language the word is a part of, unless it’s necessary not to be. There isn’t a concrete way, but there are things we do adhere to. Punctuation is important, understanding of the words you use is important. Knowing your audience is important, etc. There’s ways to incorporate things like spelling/grammar/punctuation in bombastic ways that can sometimes stick out to readers while pissing off snooty critics who think there’s only one way to write.

People have discussed for ages how to teach writing. It used to be this thing we had a set list of rules for, but that’s really changed in time. We’re starting to consider people of different skill levels, of different lingual backgrounds, of different mental capacities. I was even taught that the way we write essays in gradeschool was entirely wrong and problematic. There both is and is not a “standard” structure to it. For example, you can write effectively and convey your points properly without padding or without sticking to a generic 5-paragraph structure. Maybe you’ll have like 12 smaller paragraphs that touch on different points. However, that same 5-paragraph structure can be effective in certain cases.

Everyone sees it differently. I think there are ways we will end up writing that adheres to some sort of rule set, but Rule Set A would not be the only way to do it. Those rules can easily be broken and can change vastly depending on circumstance. The point is that you write, you try to write as well as you can, and that you understand what you’re writing and for who. Don’t ever think you’ve reached your peak either--you are never done learning. Celebrate your successes but be critical and think critically.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a very good writer. I see things like dangling infinitives and run-ons in my work when I go back to it and I think it’s a little messy, but what my words mean to convey is not usually lost on the reader. The points I’m trying to make are usually understood. I could improve my writing more, certainly. I’m still learning. There’s things I don’t know, literary devices and grammatical terms I was not taught the definitions of but can conceptually understand. But I don’t think I’m at a bad spot either. I’m doing way better than I used to be, and I am hoping to keep working toward improving later on. I always try to apologize for writing so messily. I’m not confident in what I do a lot of the time, but I know that I have to try.

Anyway, not sure where this came from? I just wanted to get my thoughts on writing out a bit. I started having these thoughts in late college, but going back to writing and reading stuff again, I’m starting to affirm this more. I took a course my last semester on writing and teaching, and we went over a lot of interesting pedagogical views on literature and education. Even before then, the subject had come up in a few other semesters. It’s okay to set standards for yourself, but I don’t think there is one universal one. It depends on a lot of things.

A lot of the stuff I focused on in my last years in uni were about cultural aspects of writing, of how we view language and how we utilize it in a classroom setting. I briefly also touched on things like writing pedagogy and structure. I dunno, I’m not a big smart person, but I can get basic concepts enough to say my piece, even if in a simple way. But saying it in a way more than just one group of people can understand extends the reach of my audience. I used to stress so much about writing big fancy words and structuring my rhetoric with complicated clusters of sentences. In the end, it was far more effective to convey my points in a simple but still cohesive and thoughtful manner.

If you want to kind of throw your hat into the ring, feel free. I’m curious how others might see this.

[statusquoergo]

Hii. Bit of a different question here but do you have any tips on how to sound more intelligent in your writing. You always sound so well versed and concise, plus your writing is so elegant i was just wondering if you had any advice on that :)

Oh! Thank you so much, I’m so honored you think highly enough of my writing to ask my advice! Actually, come to think of it, this is the first time anyone’s ever asked me for writing advice… Well, I shall try my best. These are not hard and fast rules by any means, and I’m not saying this will definitely work for everyone all the time, but I’ll try to share some tips that help me with what I think you’re talking about.

Don’t use big words just because they’re big. Highly specific words are great! Even if they’re unusual and people might not have heard them before! But don’t feel like you have to use them to seem impressive. Sometimes a more precise description with smaller or simpler words is equally effective, or even more so, especially if the larger meaning of the sentence will be completely lost on someone who doesn’t know the word offhand. Plus that way, when you do throw in a bit of pretentious vocabulary every now and again, it stands out more and has more artistry to it.

Be judicious with your punctuation. Commas are wonderful, but they’re also incredibly easy to overuse. (Or under use, although I think that happens less often.) Em dashes don’t just break up sentences; they inject pauses into the narrative and make readers stop short. An ellipsis isn’t just a lull in conversation; it indicates that a character is trailing off and introduces a sense of uncertainty or distraction. Semicolons are nice, but sometimes it’s just better to break a sentence up into two.

Use details to your advantage. If your characters are going for a walk in the park, I don’t want to spend time reading an exhaustive description of every single tree they walk past—most of your readers have probably been to or seen a park before, they can imagine the general concept for themselves—but maybe one of them notices that the vendors in Central Park are selling jalapeño pretzels for three dollars apiece. That’s an incredibly specific thing to zero in on; depending on the context, just a small piece of information like that can tell you a lot about the character’s headspace. A few carefully selected details in the midst of a not particularly specific setting can go a long way toward drawing readers into a scene and putting their focus where you want it to establish the right ambiance, and you don’t have to waste a ton of time cross-hatching the whole entire landscape.

Don’t be afraid to break the rules! Don’t get me wrong, the rules are great to start out (whatever rules you were taught about how to write, I won’t presume we were taught the same; anyway the only one I can remember right now is “The word ‘very’ is a bad and lazy word and you should never use it,” which, fuck that), but there may come a point in time at which you start thinking something like, “Hey, I know I’m supposed to write this way, but what would happen if I did something that wasn’t that?” Do it. Absolutely do it. It might not work, but give it a shot. Writing is an endlessly adaptable medium and you can do whatever the hell you want with it.

Spend time inside your characters’ heads. I don’t just mean the omniscient narrator, I mean really delve into what your characters are thinking and feeling. I do this with a weird mix of first, second, and third person narration (like I said, don’t be afraid to break the rules), but you can do it whatever way works best for you; the important thing is to convey the depth of your characters’ emotions, what they’re feeling and why (maybe they don’t even know) and what it’s making them think and any other details that might help your readers identify with them. This ties back to what I said before about details; try to pinpoint an image or sensation that best encapsulates what the character is thinking or feeling right at the moment you’re describing and use that detail to convey the overall sensation.

Now I hesitate to say this, because I know this is everyone’s advice, but seriously, read. Read so much. Not that every book or story is going to be equally helpful in developing the style you want, of course; there are so many styles out there, and so many preferences, but if you can find a couple of authors whose styles you really like, read as much of their work as you can to put you in the headspace you want to write in. I personally like the surrealism of Haruki Murakami’s writing, but find whatever works for you! Oh, also music, and poetry, and sometimes film. Basically any art can be good inspiration. (Or not art; I wrote a scene the other day based on looking out the window.) And don’t be afraid of mimicry; as long as you’re not copying right out of the book, you’ll be fine, and with enough practice, your style will eventually become its own thing anyway.

Speaking of which, write. Write a lot. Quite sincerely, I got to where I am with a combination of reading authors whose styles I admire and writing my own stuff until I got to the point that I was able to write in the style I wanted without needing to go back to those reference materials all the time. You don’t have to write every single day, I’m not trying to guilt you or anything; sometimes you’re just not feeling it, and that’s okay. Really. It’s fine. But at the same time, don’t let your frustration hold you back because you will not get better if you do not practice. Also please edit your stuff. I write first drafts that I think I’m pretty happy with, and then I go back and edit them the next day and they end up absolutely covered with notes. Notes that help me refine my style! And make it more concise! But so many notes.

So, maybe some of this is a little bit helpful, I hope? I’m sorry I don’t really have any magic tricks to offer; adapting to a specific style takes time, and it’s hard, but if you keep at it, it’ll eventually become second nature. Please feel free to ask any more questions, if you have them!

[theworststudent]

As some of you may know I’m currently writing my master’s thesis, and also working on a novel (or two). I’ve always loved writing, and reading. So here are some of my tips for academic writing, that apply to creative writing too :) 

Disclaimer: I am not an expert obviously (but I do usually get A’s on written assignments whelp)

1. T h i n k and outline This may seem super obvious, but sometimes I want to make a deadline so badly that I forget to think about what I’m trying to say. Then I get frustrated because nothing’s coming out of my hands and I’m stuck (/defeated). So think! Close your eyes if that helps you. If you’re not writing in your first language, it may help you to think about things in your native language first, and then translate them (no matter how fluent you think you are!!). 

Then I usually create an outline. It may be obvious and kind of boring, but I think teachers want you to do this for a reason. Think about each paragraph you’re going to write, maybe give it a one-sentence-summary. Make it as concise or as detailed as you want! I’ll include an example of my introduction outline here. 

2. Parts of a whole So, what I mean by this is, sometimes we can see a task or project as a whole. It’s enormous and terrifying, and we don’t know where to start. What helps me is to break it down. Forget about the whole, and focus on the parts.  If you’re currently working on the introduction, then focus on that. In fact, introduction is still kind of a whole, so focus on that one paragraph you’re currently writing. Then on a specific part of the paragraph, then on a sentence, a word, etcetera.  Think like Neil Armstrong: a small step in your thesis writing process (like making a bridge sentence to connect two articles) can be a giant step for your whole.

3. Let your creativity flow That being said, I believe that creativity is a process, and that all writing - including academic - is creative. So if you suddenly get inspiration for your discussion, or your abstract, then just go work on that! This can also increase your confidence. If you show yourself that you can write something, it can get you out of that ‘oh my god, I suck and can’t do anything’ vibe (which we all get from time to time, believe you me!) Be mindful, however, and catch yourself procrastinating. If instead of writing, you’re meticulously editing your references (guilty), gently bring your attention back to the task at hand. It may also be a sign that you need a break. Move around & eat something & the usual tips. 

4. Inspiration can come at the weirdest times Like when you’re on the toilet (gross, maybe, but very true!!), or when it’s two am and you’re kinda tipsy. So my advice is to carry a notebook wherever you go. Okay, maybe not to the toilet, but you get the idea.  Wait a sec, I’m actually being super old-fashioned, because you’ll probably have your phone on you!! Use it to make notes! Sometimes I just get a word in my head, and I think “ooh I want to use that word”, so I jot it down somewhere. Or I suddenly have a brilliant comment about a certain author’s thoughts. Et cetera..

5. Allow for change & don’t cramp up As I’ve tried to make clear, writing is a process. Don’t be afraid to change things. Don’t think of things as final, at least not for a while. Heck, I think I’ve changed every sentence of the prologue of my novel a couple of times, and I’ve been working on it for a week.  Give yourself time. Write something, write something else on a different topic (I usually work on something new, and then review something I’ve already written), and come back to it the next day. Think of your thesis as an ugly, pink, wrinkly baby panda that’s slowly morphing into a cute black-and-white cub, and then into a majestic grown beast.

6. Steps, not leaps Again with the Neil Armstrong vibe, what!!  I think it’s better to write too much, and give it a good edit after a couple of days, then to write too simplistically and be unclear. Feedback is super helpful for this (see next point), because often something is obvious in your head but not to the reader. Take the reader by hand, and tell your tale step by step. I take a lot of inspiration from Haruki Murakami on this. He’s the king of writing three sentences on the same subject. Try that! If you paraphrase an author, try writing that sentence in your own words. And then in slightly different words. And again. Maybe work those three into one or two new sentences. Again, your draft doesn’t have to be perfect, and it will always need editing. 

7. Ask for help I always let my boyfriend read my stuff, because he is kind, but picky, and I can immediately give comments on his comments. So find a friend/relative/classmate/person and ask them to read your thing and point out things that are unclear to them (it helps if they are outsiders). If they say ‘I don’t get what you’re trying to say here and here’, your reaction will probably be ‘what I’m trying to say is ....’, and that’s what we want!! That right there is super valuable. Write that down and use it.

TOP TIP: Freewriting is da best My first ever university teacher taught me this. If you kind of have a vague idea about what to write, but are not sure, then freewrite. Take pen and paper, and don’t look directly at the page, but at the table/wall/your non-writing-hand/whatever. Close your eyes if you can. Or type on your laptop or pc, with the brightness waaay down low, so that you can’t see what you’re typing. And then just write away! This is daunting and kind of scary, but as Nike said, just do it. Don’t worry about capital letters or punctuation. In fact, don’t worry about making sense. I’ll give you an example. 

okay i just half closed my laptop and now im freetying which is always kind of weird at first but you have to get into it and ust let your fingers go whetever aaargh im making so many typos. so anyway if you dont know what to type about you literally type that, and then wait until you get a thought doesnt have to be on topic or whatever can be about that song thats been in your head for days

Kind of like this ;) It’s nice to do this when you know you have to write about something, but you don’t know exactly what to say. I do this when I have to write a bridge between two paragraphs, when making connections, when I have doubts about an author’s statements.

Sorry this turned out freaking long, but I hope it helps some of you!

If you want more horribly lengthy advice, hmu :)

[yourgoodfriendraichel]

Answer all the author asks >:) (if u want)

HUNKER DOWN MY FRIENDS AND LET ME LEARN YOU A THING ABOUT MY FAVORITE TOPIC: ME!

I like to pretend I am a writer, and so I will now tell you writerly things about myself. (Thank you writer buddy)

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

- any story i’m “holding off writing” is because it is simply a terrible idea tornado in my brain and doesn’t have anything tangible enough to write down yet. This is debatably true of many, many things.

2) what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

- I’m a little embarrassed with my one self-insert fanfic I actually posted back when I was thirteen, but on the whole I’m not embarrassed about anything of mine existing, it’s part of my brain, though I am somewhat embarrassed about people knowing about it, or my really bad formatting and spelling stuff.

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

- I write front-to-back, sort of, while taking the time to write favorite/fleshed out scenes as I come up with them. So, I aspire to write from the start of the book to the end, but sometimes I don’t have anything for the next scene, but I have this other scene that’s been in my head for a week, so I’ll go ahead and write that down.

(There are 22 more of these!)

4) favorite character you’ve written

- aaaaahhhh too many! I- I don’t have a favorite?! (Also a bunch of them are clearly related in my brain as being similar people in different worlds). Right now my baby is Lona, a princess magician who needs a damn hug. Everyone she loves keeps dying. She is also a strong, short child and can lift her lanky friend over her head. It’s amazing. And I swear she’s not as over-powered as she sounds. 

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

- I’m not sure? I don’t think I’ve written anyone surprising yet. I have a mentor figure in one story who’s dramatic backstory kind of snuck up on me? But no particular character has surprised me yet.

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

- ??? I don’t know? I feel like I’d have to have something completed to do that... Oh, I may want to change things about my big long Gravity Falls future-fic, but going back through three different platforms to change it, and to expect people to read the changes, is stupid, so it shall remain mediocre for all time.

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

- I’m definitely enthusiastic about writing, though I do have trouble getting up the guts to talk to people about my stories, which is absurd, because I love my stories, and having anyone else invested might help me stay motivated.

8) favorite genre to write

- I really don’t know. Poetry might actually be the most fun to write, since it has the least rules for me, and at most has rules on form. I don’t need no stinking outlines! I don’t need no stinking forethought! I just need feelings. (PS: this is not true of all poetry, this is just the kind of poetry I end up writing).

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

- music music music music music. And for fanfic/things that were once fanfic and now i have made them my own it’s always good to just bury my head in the source material sometimes. I also like making aesthetics and stuff for characters, but that’s less for inspiration, and more to get rid of some of that creative energy when I can’t think of what to do with the actual story.

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

- Alone, with music. Or not, if I forget, but usually with music. That how I’m most productive, at any rate.

11) what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

- Plotting. I still think it’s horrible, but I think I’m better at planning and plotting than I once was. Also just grammar and punctuation and the teachable stuff like that, obviously. I started writing at, like, ten.

12) your weaknesses as an author

- Plots, villains

13) your strengths as an author

- Ideas, dialogue

14) do you make playlists for your current wips?

- ABSOLUTELY. Everything has a playlist. EVERYTHING.

15) why did you start writing?

- I have told stories without writing them down my whole life, with toys and imaginary games. It was just a matter of having the time, skills, and motivation to actually write them down.

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

- I’m not exactly sure what ‘haunt’ implies. I do have my own brand of Mary Sue from the old days that I have a lingering love/hate relationship with. (She is wonderful, and a valuable part of my life as a writer, but WE MUST NEVER SPEAK HER NAME.)

17) if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

- Your typing will improve with practice, not with mavis beacon. Your stories are good, even if you never want to show anybody. Honestly, I think that’s probably a good call, but definitely don’t stop writing them.

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, and The Kazam Chronicles/The Last Dragon Slayer by Jasper Fforde. Also two that are very important to me but may not have directly impacted my style: Peter Pan (by J.M. Barrie), and I, Robot (by Issac Asimov).

19) when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

- HAHAHA It’s all in my head.

- Ok, I say that, but I have strange sketchy outlines at the top of my files, and logistical run-downs of magic systems and what-not. I totally keep notes. But weird notes, and most of it is still in my head.

20) do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

- Oh spurts, for sure. When I hit a long stride it’s a magical day where the writer’s block wall didn’t show up for a blessedly long time!

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

- This is who I was, and it lead to who I am, and oh many I remember how much I loved this character. This was great. But also no one else may look at it if it’s more than three or four years old.

22) are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

- Probably? Almost certainly? But none of the stories I’ve written have called for it yet, so IDK what to tell you.

23) any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

- Having an english teacher that made me start writing work above my grade level even though I could barely get my work done. Any specific compliments I have ever received. I’m sure there are other things, but I can’t think of them right now.

24) have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

- I have done a startling amount of math around the world, country, and state populations, as well as the size of various colleges, for a story about magical children. The logistics of the world are staggering, and keep me from having to figure out the actual plot. I’m not an expert, necessarily, but it is an interesting line of research.

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

- I used to have this sort of thing on the top of my head, but now I can’t think of anything for the life of me! How about this, it’s the corniest fucking thing, but I like it:

It all started in the student center. She appeared in the doorway of the lounge, expression intent and hair bright blue. The intensity of her whole existence jumbled the words in his mouth, and gave her the opportunity to speak.

God, it sounds like some stupid hipster man’s novel intro BUT I LIKE IT, DAMMIT. These two characters also sing disney songs at each other in the middle of the night and it’s cheesey but it’s CUTE. I am a giant sap.

[rachelcarsoncenter]

By Martín Fonck, Saskia Brill & Noemi Quagliati

“Stuff happens off camera, the pen only moves so fast, you can only sit in one chair, not all the chairs in all the room. This is good, honest objectivity because it has good, honest limits. The instruments for observation are here, not over there, and definitely not everywhere all at once. What you read has a partial perspective” (Watts, 2018:6)

In February 2020, we, the members of the doctoral program from the RCC, invited Laura Watts from the University of Edinburgh as our guest speaker for the Lunchtime Colloquium. We were curious to hear about Laura’s work not only because of her interesting research on energy landscapes, but also for her experience in creative and speculative writing. Laura is an ‘Ethnographer of Futures’ as well as a writer, artist, and poet. Her research, based on the Orkney Islands, explores ‘landscapes on the edge,’ where she asks how futures are imagined and made.

Landscapes and temporalities play a huge role in many of our own projects and in our writing processes. We therefore asked Laura to present her ethnographic experience and perspective on speculative futures at the RCC lunchtime colloquium. We also wanted to organize a writing workshop in which we could learn from her experiences in a more informal setting, and explore creative, speculative, and experimental ways of writing with landscape. She agreed, and so we invited doctoral students from our program and fellows of the RCC to apply to the workshop with an image of the landscape they are working with. Even though we didn’t have a concrete idea of what exactly would happen in the workshop, we expected that these images of landscapes would help to provoke writing in new ways. And since we did not only want to talk about writing, but to have space for our own creations, we decided to base the workshop on practical exercises.

We started the workshop on a Friday morning at 9am. The desks in the conference room were prepared with the images of our landscapes as well as pens and blank paper for everybody. As the participants entered the room, they roamed around, going through the images as you would in an exhibition before finally stopping at a familiar picture. When we started, we were sitting in front of our selected landscapes, ready to explore possibilities of writing about and with them.

Landscapes laid out on the tables the beginning of the workshop

To start the day with a bit of inspiration, Laura gave us a presentation about the craft of writing and her vision of scientific narratives. She reminded us that when we write, we produce knowledge and worlds. With that comes the responsibility to reflect thoroughly. Going back to the beginning of science in the 17th century, she illustrated how the production of scientific knowledge began with the requirement of evidence (Daston, 1991), alongside a specific use of language. This language was characterized by the separation of the author from the setting.  The passive voice was also used to create a sense of objectivity. This style has been central for the creation of authority, which has then generally been attributed to white men. Scientific language thus strongly incorporates gender and power into the process of knowledge production and is therefore entangled with an epistemological and emotional position.

Laura Watts giving her talk “Speculative Worlds – A Writing Craft”

She then remarked that, although technologies and experimental setups have fundamentally changed over time, the language used in science has not. By stating this, she also invited us to find new, contemporary uses of language for our respective scientific setups and communities. Exploring creative ways of writing allows us to put ourselves into different perspectives and spaces from which we can then imagine futures. Laura showed us the effects that the setting, voice, punctuation, rhythm, repetition, sentences shape, etc. can have on the message conveyed. She invited us to give space for the exploration of creative ways of writing with our landscapes and to not be afraid of making mistakes. Recognizing the presence of landscape in our research and the emotions it provokes is an empirical and honest exercise.

After this really inspiring input, we moved to the first practical exercise of today:

Choose an entity of your landscape and make it speak!

We had 15 minutes to come up with a sentence or a short paragraph which we were to present afterwards. Selecting the entity, we wanted to let speak dragged us deep into the composition of the landscape—thinking about what the entity would say from a previously unconsidered point of view revealed its many dimensions. We wrote a few words, crossed them out again and tried anew. We soon realized that a landscape in itself portrays a limit. Concrete spaces and specific perspectives have to be chosen. The limited amount of time forced us to think fast, to not overthink and to go with the flow. The following presentations of the individual works revealed the many different ways in which this task could be approached. We heard underground water, moonlight, reindeers, trucks, rocks, and molecules speak—to mention just a few. They expressed concerns about changes within the landscapes, reflections on their own state of being, thoughts on their role in the world, or their fear of death. And even though we only had a few minutes to come up with these different forms of expression, every single contribution had a beautiful sense of depth, creativity, consciousness, and/or humor in them that deeply impressed the rest of the group.

In the following discussion, we did not only discuss the opportunities this change of perspective can offer. Concerns about ethics, the limits of thinking through non-human experiences, and the rationale behind the exercise were also raised. Speaking for an entity is challenging. Some of the participants felt blocked during the first minutes. However, it was interesting to see the different ways in which the pieces of writing addressed this problem. What to do when you feel that blockage? First, try to leave your ego behind and start exploring. Maybe it is not necessary to name the limits of the landscape with words. The structure, the rhythm, or the voice can also help us to give a shape to these limits. The ending is also a crucial aspect of our stories. It is, in fact, what ultimately gives a plot its meaning. The very last sentence can even change the plot all together. It sets a limit to the story that is being told and the temporalities we think with. It is thus not just about how we write, but how we conclude. With this in mind we went on to the second task for today:

Chose that same entity and make it speculate about its future!

We had again 15 minutes to come up with a sentence or a short paragraph. This exercise made us think in temporal dimensions very different from our own as humans, be they those of an insect that has no more than a day to live, or chemicals that will exist for eternity. What would an insect fear? What the hopes of a sward? What does a truck work towards? And what would a rock be waiting for? It certainly felt weird, maybe even unsettling, to think that way. But as soon as we put ourselves into the “shoes” of “others,” the landscape changed its appearance. The focus shifted. The future changed.

In the presentations that followed, the contributions were extremely diverse and used language in a beautifully figurative way—even though (or perhaps because) many of us don’t speak English as our first language. For us as scientists it felt scary yet refreshing to speculate about what could be to come, not knowing exactly what is or will be, daring to make assumptions about a distant future based on the present. And it felt equally scary yet refreshing to use a language beyond academic structures. Laura’s invitation was to not feel limited by the different audiences we have in mind while writing. If you want to explore new ways, start writing for yourself. How does the text speak to you? Which emotions does the text provoke for you? Only start thinking about the audience when you come to edit the already written text.

Writing, discussing and thinking about writing with landscape

We as organizers are deeply grateful. We are grateful for Laura’s time and the knowledge about the craft of writing she shared. We are grateful for the curiosity of our fellow students and fellows in taking part in this little adventure. We are grateful for everybody’s courage in presenting “first drafts.” We are grateful for the collective and creative space that emerged that morning in the 4th floor conference room. We are grateful for the critical questioning of methods and approaches. And we are grateful for the delicious food we had in the breaks alongside inspiring, cheerful, and deep chats. For us, this felt like a good way to do academia otherwise. To hold space for experimentation and exploration. To dare to speculate. And most importantly to do that collectively with our landscapes.

At the very end, Laura gave us one last task:

Write your experiences or thoughts about this workshop today as if you were tweeting about it!

Here are some of the results:

Thinking in place, space, time, across scapes and shapes, finding words for wolds, imagining consequences. Strudel in my head #writingwithlandscape @LauraWatts @RCC

#writingworkshop with @LauraWatts: Writing from an environmental point of view can change your perspective. #writing #otherwise

“Writing with Landscape” workshop at @carsoncenter: “As the time goes by, the blank space on my sheet gets smaller – covered by the black ink of my pen. Thinking through, with and about writing means to do our job properly. Thank you @laurawatts.” #AcademicTwitter

The Entanglements across times & dimensions

of conversations never had

shifting identities – desires memories longings

and a possibility of convergences. Of hopes.

The assumption of Authority, Modesty, and One

Truth. These are our symptoms. Dear Doctor, how do we write in less

fossilized forms?

Today was about breakdown, building from the ruins & the importance of creativity.

The craft of words. We bring our landscape. We explore writing. First, giving a voice to an entity and then speculating about futures. However, impossibilities emerge. In fact, in landscape there is always a distance. But writing is always a way of giving a shape, a rhythm to destruction.

Writing with Landscape—A Workshop with Laura Watts By Martín Fonck, Saskia Brill & Noemi Quagliati “Stuff happens off camera, the pen only moves so fast, you can only sit in one chair, not all the chairs in all the room.

[outputshrimp8-blog]

Summary Response Essay - The Small Details



Essay title format

The “Small Details”

1.) What do we call these readings -- stories, short stories, or essays?

Technically, they are essays. (Essays can tell stories: an entire essay can tell a story, or a part of an essay can tell a story, or an essay can tell several different stories. However, a short story is normally the term given to a fictional writing which tells a story. What we’ve read is nonfiction, so the proper term is essay.)

2.) How do you refer to the writer in your paper?

The first time you mention the writer's name, use her or his FULL name -- Patti See, Davina Ruth Begaye Two Bears, or Jennifer Crichton.

Every time thereafter, use either the writer's LAST name, or FULL name, or a variety of both.

Using M s. See, Ms. Two Bears, or Ms. Crichton is also appropriate.

NEVER use only the author's FIRST name.

Be sure the names are SPELLED correctly!

3.) Your own title (examples):

A Single-Source Essay

A Summary-Response Essay

A Summary and Response to Patti See's "Outside In"

Patti See's "Outside In" : A 200 7 Update

You should NOT quote, bold, underline, italicize, capitalize, or enlarge your own title.

4.) Writing other titles in your paper:

Underline or Italicize (but not both) the titles of longer works like books, newspapers, and magazines, and be consistent with which one you choose.

Higher Learning --> Higher Learning or Higher Learning

Newsweek --> Newsweek or Newsweek

Star Tribune --> Star Tribune or Star Tribune

Use “quotation marks” around the titles of shorter works like essays.

Outside In --> "Outside In"

I Walk in Beauty --> "I Walk in Beauty"

"Who Shall I Be?" The Allure of a Fresh Start --> "'Who Shall I Be?' The Allure of a Fresh Start"

Be sure to quote accurately. Copy the text exactly, word for word, all punctuation marks, etc. Sloppy quoting is a form of unintentional plagiarism -- you are mis-representing the words of another writer.

Be sure to use quotation marks.

Be sure to introduce all quotations using a “signal phrase.”

Be sure to end all quotations with a parenthetical citation which includes the page number from which the quote was taken.

6.) Using ellipses to shorten quotations :

Original: “But students like the ones who wrote those notes can also be found on campuses from coast to coast -- especially in New England and at many other private colleges across the country that have high academic standards and highly motivated students.” (from Zinsser, page 95)

Sample: According to Zinsser, students under pressure “can also be found on campuses from coast to coast … that have high academic standards and highly motivated students” (95).

Original: “I think the observable reluctance of the majority of Americans to assert themselves in minor matters is related to our increased sense of helplessness in an age of technology and centralized political and economic power.” (from Buckley, page 37)

Sample: Buckley thinks that “the observable reluctance of the majority of Americans to assert themselves … is related to our increased sense of helplessness in an age of technology” (37).

7.) Is it required that we have quotes in our essays?

No. And do not quote just for the sake of quoting. Only quote if you have a really good reason to. Otherwise, you can summarize or paraphrase information from the essays to put in your own essay.

There is also no specific number of quotes needed in your essay.

8.) In your introduction:

Try to avoid phrases like “In this paper, I am going to write about …” or “I will argue that …” or “I hope to show you that …” or “I chose this essay because …”

These phrases are O.K. for the first draft, but revise them out by the final draft.

You do not need to include background information about the author in our introduction . Doing so was a suggestion. If it fits, or if you feel it is necessary or helpful, put it in. Don’t force it. And, if you want to put it in but not in the introduction, you might consider putting some information later in your essay, perhaps even in the conclusion. But, again, this is only a suggestion. You won't "lose points" for not doing it.

You do not need a "forecast" statement in your introduction as part of your thesis statement, but one is sometimes helpful, not only for your readers, but also for you as a writer as you are drafting. Just be sure that, in the final draft, the forecast statement "matches" the rest of the paper.

Other introduction ideas:

Explain what attracted you to the essay you chose.

Tell a personal story that relates to the essay you chose.

Startle your reader with something -- an image, a statement, a quotation, etc. -- they wouldn't expect.

Start with an important quotation from the essay you chose.

Click here for more information about introductions.

See also LBB, pages 66-68.

9.) In your summary paragraph:

Can we combine the summary with the introduction? No, let's keep them separate in this essay. That's why I'm calling it a "free-standing summary" -- it can stand alone.

Can we include our own ideas, feelings, or opinions in the summary? No, the summary should be straight reporting -- keep it objective.

Does the summary have to begin with the author's full name and title? Yes.

10.) In your conclusion:

The typical / standard conclusion is a restatement of your thesis statement (central idea) and your main points (body paragraphs). This is "OK," but it can be over-used. Perhaps try something else.

Since your essay was primarily a "response" essay, perhaps evaluate the essay you chose as your conclusion strategy. Evaluation means making a judgment about something -- was it good or bad, effective or ineffective, well written or not, useful or not, etc.

Or, perhaps analyze the essay you chose as your conclusion strategy. Analysis means to break something apart in order to study it better -- what are the parts, and how do the parts work together?

Other conclusion ideas:

Get the reader to think beyond your paper. How you do this is up to you. For example:

Ask the reader a question -- get them thinking.

Call the reader to action -- get them to do something.

Startle https://thesis-dissertations.com with something they wouldn't expect.

Click here for more information about conclusions.

See also LBB, pages 68-69.

11.) Short paragraphs:

Carefully study any "short" paragraphs -- paragraphs less than five typed lines or less than about three sentences (although there is NO "magic" length for a paragraph). Sometimes, a short paragraph is used as a transition paragraph, which is OK, but most of the time, short paragraphs indicate either ( A ) a lack of development, or ( B ) a need to be combined with another, related paragraph.

12.) All paragraphs:

Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence, and everything in the paragraph should relate to and support that topic sentence.

Remember to format this paper as you've formatted all past papers -- double-spaced, 1.0-1.25" margins on all four sides, and a 12-point "normal" font ( Calibri or Arial or Times New Roman). See LBB, pages 521-530 for more information, details, and a model.

Your final draft should be at least 2 pages long but no longer than 4 pages long.

See LBB, pages 55-57 and 69-70.

16.) Comma Splices, Run-Ons, and Fragments:

Click here for information about comma splices and run-ons.

Click here for information about fragments.

Also study the HANDOUTS given in class.

See LBB, pages 348-363.

For example: Can’t, won’t, couldn’t, it's, you're, etc.

See LBB, page 377.

Some professors say to avoid ALL contractions -- it has to do with the level of formality in academic writing (see LBB, pages 86-91. My opinion is to use them sparingly, but use them if the alternative sounds “weird.”

[transparentjellyfishdeer-blog]

101 College Essay Examples for 13 Schools Expert Analysis



SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

101 College Essay Examples for 13 Schools + Expert Analysis

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I’ll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 13 different schools. Finally, I’ll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 125 full essays and essay excerpts, this article will be a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You’ll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author’s present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author’s world, and for how it connects to the author’s emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don’t take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don’t want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don’t bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Enchanted Prince Stan decided to stay away from any frog-kissing princesses to retain his unique perspective on ruling as an amphibian.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you’re in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

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Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these (plus some essay excerpts!).

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Carleton College

Connecticut College

Hamilton College

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Universal Application, both of which Johns Hopkins accepts.

Tufts University

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

7 Common Application essays from applicants admitted to Stanford, Duke, Connecticut College, NYU, Carleton College, Washington University, and the University of Pennsylvania

2 Common Application essays (1st essay, 2nd essay) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a smaller collection of essays that are college-specific, plus 22 essay excerpts that will add fuel to your essay-writing fire.

Smith College

Tufts University

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example #1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

“Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?”

“Why me?” I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window’s seal like I’d seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I’d been in this type of situation before. In fact, I’d been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. “The water’s on fire! Clear a hole!” he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I’m still unconvinced about that particular lesson’s practicality, my Dad’s overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don’t sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don’t expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: “How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?”

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It’s family. It’s society. And often, it’s chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

I had never broken into a car before.

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

“Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?”

“Why me?” I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window’s seal like I’d seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It’s the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren’t going to get food or dinner; they’re going for “Texas BBQ.” The coat hanger comes from “a dumpster.” Stephen doesn’t just move the coat hanger—he “jiggles” it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn’t just uncomfortable or nervous; he “takes a few steps back”—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Coat hangers: not just for crows' nests anymore! (Götz/Wikimedia)

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I’d been in this type of situation before. In fact, I’d been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word “click.”

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

“Unpredictability and chaos” are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like “family of seven” and “siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing,” Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: “in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.”

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase “you know,” so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father’s strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn’t occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

"Mr. President? There's been an oil spill!" "Then I want our best elementary school students on it, STAT."

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: “How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?”

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It’s family. It’s society. And often, it’s chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen’s life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad’s approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can’t control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like " twists and turns" and " don’t sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he " learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

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Example #2: By Bridget Collins, Tufts Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 608 words long)

I have always loved riding in cars. After a long day in first grade, I used to fall asleep to the engine purring in my mother's Honda Odyssey, even though it was only a 5-minute drive home. As I grew, and graduated into the shotgun seat, it became natural and enjoyable to look out the window. Seeing my world passing by through that smudged glass, I would daydream what I could do with it.

In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World. While I sat in the car and watched the miles pass by, I developed the plan for my empire. I reasoned that, for the world to run smoothly, it would have to look presentable. I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back. The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers. I was like a ten-year-old FDR.

Seven years down the road, I still take a second glance at the sidewalk cracks and think of my Fixer-Uppers, but now I'm doing so from the driver's seat. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? I always pictured a Fixer-Upper as a smiling man in an orange T-Shirt. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me.

Bridget the Fixer-Upper will be slightly different than the imaginary one who paints houses and fetches Frisbees. I was lucky enough to discover what I am passionate about when I was a freshman in high school. A self-admitted Phys. Ed. addict, I volunteered to help out with the Adapted PE class. On my first day, I learned that it was for developmentally-disabled students. To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked. Three years have passed helping out in APE and eventually becoming a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. I love working with the students and watching them progress.

When senior year arrived, college meetings began, and my counselor asked me what I wanted to do for a career, I didn't say Emperor of the World. Instead, I told him I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. He laughed and told me that it was a nice change that a seventeen-year-old knew so specifically what she wanted to do. I smiled, thanked him, and left. But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper. So, maybe I'll be like Sue Storm and her alter-ego, the Invisible Woman. I'll do one thing during the day, then spend my off-hours helping people where I can. Instead of flying like Sue, though, I'll opt for a nice performance automobile. My childhood self would appreciate that.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

Bridget takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but her essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through https://www.the-essays.com/admission-essay of the strengths of her essay.

A Structure That’s Easy to Follow and Understand

The essay is arranged chronologically. Bridget starts each paragraph with a clear signpost of where we are in time:

Paragraph 1: “after a long day in first grade”

Paragraph 2: “in elementary school”

Paragraph 3: “seven years down the road”

Paragraph 4: “when I was a freshman in high school”

Paragraph 5: “when senior year arrived”

This keeps the reader oriented without being distracting or gimmicky.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back.

Seven years down the road, I still take a second glance at the sidewalk cracks and think of my Fixer-Uppers, but now I'm doing so from the driver's seat. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? I always pictured a Fixer-Upper as a smiling man in an orange T-Shirt. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me.

I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. …But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper.

What makes this essay fun to read is that Bridget takes a child’s idea of a world made better through quasi-magical helpers and turns it into a metaphor for the author’s future aspirations. It helps that the metaphor is a very clear one: people who work with students with disabilities are making the world better one abstract fix at a time, just like imaginary Fixer-Uppers would make the world better one concrete physical fix at a time.

Every childhood Fixer-Upper ever. Ask your parents to explain the back row to you. (JD Hancock/Flickr)

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Bridget sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know her.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Bridget's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks her younger self’s grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World.

I was like a ten-year-old FDR.

Technique #2: invented terminology. The second technique is the way Bridget coins her own terms, carrying them through the whole essay. It would be easy enough to simply describe the people she imagined in childhood as helpers or assistants, and to simply say that as a child she wanted to rule the world. Instead, she invents the capitalized (and thus official-sounding) titles “Fixer-Upper” and “Emperor of the World,” making these childish conceits at once charming and iconic. What's also key is that the titles feed into the central metaphor of the essay, which keeps them from sounding like strange quirks that don’t go anywhere.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Bridget emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers.

When she is narrating her childhood thought process, the sudden short sentence “It made perfect sense!” (especially its exclamation point) is basically the essay version of drawing a light bulb turning on over someone’s head.

As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they?

Similarly, when the essay turns from her childhood imagination to her present-day aspirations, the turn is marked with “Or do they?”—a tiny and arresting half-sentence question.

Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me.

The first time when the comparison between magical fixer-upper’s and the future disability specialist is made is when Bridget turns her metaphor onto herself. The essay emphasizes the importance of the moment through repetition (two sentences structured similarly, both starting with the word “maybe”) and the use of a very short sentence: “Maybe it could be me.”

To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked.

The last key moment that gets the small-sentence treatment is the emotional crux of the essay. As we watch Bridget go from nervously trying to help disabled students to falling in love with this specialty field, she undercuts the potential sappiness of the moment by relying on changed-up sentence length and slang: “Long story short, I got hooked.”

The best essays convey emotions just as clearly as this image.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Bridget's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Explain the car connection better. The essay begins and ends with Bridget's enjoying a car ride, but this doesn't seem to be related either to the Fixer-Upper idea or to her passion for working with special-needs students. It would be great to either connect this into the essay more, or to take it out altogether and create more space for something else.

Give more details about being a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. It makes perfect sense that Bridget doesn't want to put her students on display. It would take the focus off of her and possibly read as offensive or condescending. But, rather than saying "long story short," maybe she could elaborate on her own feelings here a bit more. What is it about this kind of teaching that she loves? What is she hoping to bring to the lives of her future clients?

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3 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?

Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?

Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?

Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it. Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

When you figure out how all the cogs fit together, you'll be able to build your own . um . whatever this is.

#2: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

#3: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

What’s Next?

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

[idiottantrum-blog]

Ellipses and You. . .

We need to have a chat, people writing internet comments.

On behalf of many good and decent citizens out there in the world, I would like to take a moment and educate you on a fun little punctuation tool called the ellipsis. Why, you ask? Well to put it simply it's because you're using it so fucking wrong it makes the rest of us want to go to your house and smash your keyboard over your hands until there is nothing left of either but a pulpy soup of letter keys and metacarpals.

The insult to people who weren't raised by jackals that is ellipsis use in internet commenting has gone on long enough. You don't need to put 8 dots after every complaint about millennials you cobble together under an article about avocado toast you didn't actually read, Sharon, you heinous shrew. They are called commas and periods, fucking learn when to use them.

I am not claiming my mastery over the written English language is impeccable, I'm like 80% certain I misused a comma before the name Sharon in a paragraph belittling a hypothetical woman for not using punctuation correctly. However, I do make at least a marginal attempt not to type like I'm slipping in and out of a coma between every sentence and want the reader to experience what that feels like through my use of punctuation. I don't think it's too much to ask that others do the same.

In case you are not familiar with the terminology, an ellipsis looks like this: ". . ." Three dots each separated by a single space. There is a lovely source you can check out here, which explains in what some might describe as excruciating detail exactly what the ellipsis is and how it is used. The TLDR version is as follows:

The ellipses in it's formal use is a punctuation mark that is used to annotate where something has been omitted from a quote. The informal or colloquial use of an ellipsis is the one with which we are going to be concerning ourselves. It is used to indicate when a thought trails off before it is finished, or that there is otherwise some marked pause or hesitation which requires something with more punch than your standard comma provides. It's like the pause for dramatic effect mark.

Here is an example:

"Six ellipses in three sentences is worse than. . . UGH!"

What is it worse than, person being quoted? Hitler? Adult-onset chronic swamp ass? Nickleback? We don't know specifically because of how you appropriately trailed off, leaving your thought incomplete before changing gears, but goddamn if we don't understand the emotion of helpless frustration you are currently feeling over some pigeon-toed jackanapes not knowing how to write like a civilized human.

So! Now that we all understand how to appropriately apply ellipses to our everyday internet commentinglet's look at some examples of people who are single handedly responsible for ruining society for the rest of us.

Let's start with our friend from the beginning of the post, why don't we?

Perfect example of somebody who doesn't know what the fuck he is doing around a keyboard but isn't going to let that stop him from trying to make people feel bad on the internet.

Sir, you wrote four sentences and ended three of them with ellipses. Why? Were you trying to give the reader ample time to recover from each of your fucking burns before continuing on to the next one? Am I supposed to be like "OH FUCK A RON WHITE ONE LINER FROM 2004 THIS GUY JUST SLICED MY FUCKING NIPPLES OFF WITH HIS RAZOR SHARP WIT HOW CAN I EVEN CONTINUE READING. . . Oh, thank God, he's incorporated some convenient dots forcing my brain to take what feels like an inappropriately placed pause while reading his comme-OF FUCK MY WAFFLES JUST AS I WAS RECOVERING FROM THE FIRST ONE HE JUST HIT ME WITH SOME FORREST GODDAMN GUMP SOMEBODY GET A MOP BECAUSE I JUST SPILLED MY GIBBLETS ALL OVER THE FLOOR FROM THE INTENSITY OF THE GUT PUNCHERS THIS GUY IS THROWING OUT ONE AFTER ANOTHER."

The only guess I can take as to why people use ellipses this way is that they think it gives each sentence more gravitas, not understanding that all it does is make the reader think the author is slightly less literate than a fourth grader who only scored in the 20th percentile for not writing like a fucking asshole.

In fact, the only sentence this person DIDN'T end with an ellipsis in the comment above was the last one which is in fact the only one he fucking wrote where it would have made sense! Not only did he select that particular sentence as the only one that somehow didn't need drama dots added to it, he didn't punctuate it at all. There are nine periods in that sentence you corndog, you couldn't have spared one more for the end of your thought?  You've failed me, guy who is apparently mad at a person or group of people he considers stupid. You've failed us all.

Alrighty, you used the correct form of 'their' so credit where credit is due, but I have a lot of problems with this next one. In no particular order:

You shouldn't be allowed to make your profile picture a sweet adorable puppy and then start herniating yourself yelling about fake news and democrats, it's false advertising. I don't like being lulled into a false sense of security by that 10/10 good doggo only to get purple-nurpled by the fact that the comment appearing next to it was written by a butthole.

Demwits is a pretty ok burn, but the fact that they emphasized it demWITS instead of DEMwits the way they should have ruined the wordplay. Like, the part of the word dimwit that you replaced with 'dem' from democrats is where you place the stress when you make the pun, get it together, we're trying to have a society over here.

One of those ellipses has four dots instead of three because apparently they weren't satisfied butchering their comment with the use of poorly placed pauses, they had to be inconsistent about it.

While those are bad enough, I could overlook it all if it weren't for this part:

Let me explain why this is an abomination through use of a visual aid representing exactly what "...LOL..." would look like:

Take heed lest you too should ever be inclined to write . . . LOL . . . in the fucking middle of a thought and come off as if you were kicked in the head by an emu at a petting zoo when you were a child.

I could go on for ages about how abusing ellipses in your internet commenting makes you sound like a half-assed Captain Kirk on a mission to boldly go where no one with at least a sixth grade reading level and any sense of self respect has gone before, but instead I'll leave you with what to me is the most perplexing question I find myself asking in all of this:

Why is it that you see ellipsis abuse used almost exclusively for the purpose of ranting about politics by far right people over 40 years of age?

 I don't know if FOX news has some sort of weird subliminal messaging that makes people misuse punctuation but goddamn if it doesn't seem like 90% of the people I see do this are Gen X/ Baby Boomers typing their little fingers down to stumps, about liberal snowflakes beneath some Tomi Lahren video. Think about it. Have you ever seen this comment?

"The Large Hadron Collider is a marvel of science and technology.............. CERN is really pushing the boundaries of how we understand the universe around us.......who knows what we might learn........... from their research....Higgs Boson.....Amazing"

 I certainly haven't. It seems like it's exclusively some red-in-the-face white person telling libtards to go fuck themselves beneath an article about how they made it legal to shoot endangered baby seals in the mouth because it will somehow help oil corporations oppress Native Americans or something. Always. 

Hopefully we've all learned a little bit about how to use ellipses today and a whole lot about each other. Namely that there are a lot of us out there who are just the worst. Go forth now my children. Go forth and spread the gospel of being slightly less of a trash bag full of used bandaids. Do it for me.

Do it for us all........................................................................................