1.
Be clear. Get to the
point. Avoid wordiness. Don't overdo it when a simpler phrase will
suffice. This makes you look pompous
and pretentious.
2.
Use standard essay structure: an introduction that previews
topic and approach, paragraphs each with a topic sentence and supporting
sentences, and a conclusion summing things up.
3.
Spell all proper names properly. If you don't know how or aren't sure, look them up. Check them in any case. (Imagine writing a judge, school principal,
Congressman, or your boss about something and spelling their name incorrectly. You will look foolish. You will start off on the wrong foot.)
Spell-checks don’t catch everything.
4.
Use appropriate quotations and references to support what
you claim. Don't simply say "Plato
thought that a culture's art could be immoral." Cite the passage, use a brief quote, give the page reference,
offer one of his examples. Back up what
you claim. In the same way, during your
future professional life you may need to quote from a lease, contract, or
manual; it’s good to get into the habit of nailing things down.
5.
Do not plagiarize (do not copy from someone else's work
without giving due credit). This also means, do not simply paraphrase—that is
also stealing! In any case, do not copy or quote other work too
extensively. An essay (report, letter,
proposal, statement, article) should be your own work.
6.
Draw upon all of the material that is available to you. For our course, that means the Korsmeyer
textbook, the Freeland book, and all the examples of art shown in class or
discussed by the various authors in the readings. Not to draw on these suggests that you have been lazy,
inattentive, and/or stupid. Clearly,
you have missed the boat.
7.
Use complete sentences.
Avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments.
8.
Clarify pronouns.
Avoid using "this," "it," "he",
"she," "they," etc. where the antecedent of the expression
is unclear or ambiguous.
9.
Never start a paper with a quote from the dictionary. This is one of my pet peeves, but many
professors share it. To do this is an
escapist and a trite move that shows you are about as original as 10,000 other
students in the past. It is BORING to read a dictionary definition since they
are neither “deep” nor “philosophical.” Hence, they are irrelevant to our
course!
10. Avoid all forms of
vagueness. Re-read your writing out
loud to see if it makes sense.
11. Work on
continuity. Don't leap from topic to
topic. Provide transitions between
paragraphs to help the reader follow your line of thought. Use an outline to structure your paper if
you are having problems with transitions.
Plan the structure in advance.
12. Proofread,
proofread, proofread. There is no
excuse for obvious errors of spelling or sentence construction. Ask a roommate or friend to read your paper
to note errors.
13. Communicate. Help readers follow you, rather than
mystifying them about what your plans, ideas, and viewpoints are.
14. Say something
interesting. Why should anyone ever
read your writing unless you are yourself interested in what you have
written?
15. (This last one is
the most difficult.) Strive for a
unique style that is "you."
Are you suave and elegant or witty and clever? Are you forthright and forceful or delicate and
discriminating? What do you want to
reveal about yourself to others? Your
writing does this every bit as much as other things that you probably care
about (your clothing, hairstyle, preferences in decorating and music, friends,
major, etc.).