Student Writing Tools

Writing Your Paper

Organizing Your Time:

• 5 Time Management Tips for Teens

• 8 Time Management Tips for Teens

• 10 Tips for Time Management for Teens

Before You Start Writing:

• Understanding Your Assignment

• Understanding Assignments

• Generating Ideas

• Brainstorming

• Narrowing a Topic and Developing a Research Question

• The Writing Process

Research:

• Choosing the Best Sources and Evidence

• Basic Steps in the Research Process

Are your sources reliable?

• C.R.A.A.P.O. Test 

• CRAAPO Graphic

• CARS Checklist

Organizing Your Ideas:

• Outlining

• Outline for 5-Paragraph Essay

• Research Paper Project Manager Plan

• Creating Your Own Outline

General Writing Info:

• Types of Essays

• Essay Structure

• Basic Essay Structure Image

• Writing About Literature

• Annotated Bibliography

 * Tip - Preview the “Style” and “Grammar and Mechanics” sections in the final column to minimize mistakes in your first draft. 

MLA Formatting:

• MLA Basics

• MLA General Format 

• Formatting Your First Page

• Sample Paper

• Citing Within Your Paper

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

• Using Tables, Images, and Appendices in MLA

• Signal Verbs

The Beginning:

• Hooks

• Writing a Thesis Statement

• Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

• Thesis Statements for Literary Analysis

• Introduction Paragraphs

• Detailed Breakdown of Introductory Paragraphs

The Middle:

• Paragraph Basics

• Writing Body Paragraphs

• More on Body Paragraphs

The End:

• Concluding Paragraphs

• Conclusions

• Works Cited

• Creating Works Cited in Google Doc

• Citing AI

 Before You Turn It In:

• Proofreading and Editing Strategies

Style:

• Academic Voice

• Active vs. Passive Voice

• Anthropomorphism

• Writing Clearly and Concisely

• Transitional Phrases

Grammar and Mechanics:

• Grammar and Punctuation

• Run-ons and Comma Splices

• Sentence Fragments

• Commonly Confused Words

• Parts of Speech

Some of the links in this chart may seem redundant. Sometimes, all it takes is different wording or a different layout to make sense of the same information. Use the information that best helps you during the writing process. 

Happy writing!

Don’t forget to stop by the Writing Center or make an appointment for support!