Be Concise

When writing final papers, many students worry so much about fully explaining their ideas that, at times, their writing can end up being wordy. Unfortunately, this can lead to weak writing. Concise writing is not always the shortest, but it IS the strongest. Your goal should always be to choose the most effective words possible, so that your writing can pack the strongest punch! Follow these tips below to give it a try:

• 1. Replace several vague words with more powerful, specific words. 

  • Wordy: Our Web site has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best dentist.

  • Concise: Our website presents criteria for determining the best dentist.

• 2. Interrogate every word in a sentence--is it providing something important to your paper?

  • Wordy: The teacher demonstrated some of the various ways and methods for cutting words from my essay that I had written for class.

  • Concise: The teacher demonstrated methods for cutting words from my essay.

• 3. Combine your sentences--sometimes information does not require its own sentence

  • Wordy: The supposed crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico aroused interest in extraterrestrial life. This crash is rumored to have occurred in 1947.

  • Concise: The supposed 1947 crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico aroused interest in extraterrestrial life.

The Qualities of a Solid Thesis Statement

• Length - Depending on the number of points mentioned, a thesis can be short or long. However, it is typically only ONE concise sentence.

• Position - A thesis statement should be placed at the beginning of an essay because it is informing the reader what the writer is going to discuss. Tip: usually placed in the introduction paragraph, within the last two or three sentences. 

• Strength - For a persuasive thesis to be strong, it needs to be arguable. This means that the statement is not obvious, and it is not something that everyone believes is true. 

How To Develop a STRONG Thesis Statement

1. Make your thesis statement DEBATABLE

• • Bad Thesis: "Pollution is bad for the environment" 

    • Why? Because it is something that everyone generally agrees on. You don't need to convince anyone of this.

  • Better Thesis: "At least 25% of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution" 

    • Why? Because people can have many differing opinions about how to solve the problem of pollution, or about the government's role in solving this issue.  

2. Make your thesis statement NARROW

• • "Drug use is detrimental to society" is too broad to be an effective thesis statement. Some of the issues are:

    • The term "drugs" could refer to many things, like illegal drugs, recreational drugs, all medication, etc.

    • The term "detrimental" is also too broad. In which ways is drug use detrimental? This could refer to public health, societal morals, the economy, and a number of other things. 

  • "Illegal drug use is bad because it encourages gang violence" is a narrower, more effective thesis statement.

General Tips:

• • Use terms such as "typically," "usually," or "on average" to help narrow the scope of your thesis. 

  • Have your thesis statement act as a mini-outline for the rest of your paper. That is to say, make sure to identify your main points in your thesis statement. 

This was adapted from "Developing Strong Thesis Statements" from Purdue Online Writing Lab

Three main aspects of a good conclusion:

• Restate the main idea of your essay, or your thesis statement

• Summarize the three sub-points of your essay

• Leave the reader with an interesting final impression

This was adapted from Purdue OWL.

Contrary to popular belief, writer's block isn't just something that happens to brooding 40-something year old men who need to make their publisher's deadline. In fact, writer's block happens to EVERYONE! While the reasons behind the writer's block differ depending on the situation, rest assured that--with the help from this guide--you can find a rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for your writer's block!

These are just a few methods that may help you get over your writer's block! 

More methods, such as "Begin in the Middle" and "Play a Role" can be found on the Purdue OWL website here!