The Keys to Effective Writing: Practice, Perseverance, and Proficiency

The ability to write effectively is a necessary life skill. Formal academic writing is used throughout one’s academic career, in job applications, and communicating with employers. Effective writing requires a strong vocabulary, a proficient knowledge of grammar, and the ability to read well. Effective writing can not be mastered or composed overnight; efficient literature is crafted meticulously with multiple revisions, many years of experience, and a strong grasp of literary nuances.

Formal academic writing is not a skill that can be mastered in a short time period; the more practice one has with essay writing, the more accustom he or she becomes with the use of effective diction, the development of natural and smooth flowing arguments, and the ability to captivate the reader. An intriguing first sentence will captivate the reader and include information or statements that excite the reader.  An ineffective hook sentence is, “‘Mutation’ by William Cullen Bryant is a short poem published in 1824” (Uyeno, “Fall Journal”) because the sentence merely states facts. A more appropriate hook sentence includes information or statements that excites the reader. An alternative hook sentence could be, “The most rewarding successes in life are those in which the individual must overcome challenges and adversity in order to achieve.” This sentence captivates the reader by including the most important message of the “Mutation” poem, so the reader wants to continue reading. Practice with formal academic writing will improve the writer’s ability to transition effectively between arguments. Concluding sentences that only summarize an argument are one dimensional and make the flow of the essay choppy. The sentence, “It is important that IMG offers opportunities to students that would otherwise be unavailable because of financial or academic barriers” (Uyeno, “Choice”) does not introduce the reader to the next argument; further practice with formal academic writing would develop the ability to incorporate the next idea, which in this scenario is increasing the quality of competition in high school football in Florida. A more effective transition sentence would be, “IMG offers opportunities to students that would otherwise be unavailable because of financial or academic barriers, which increases the level of competition of high school football in Florida.” Practice with formal academic writing will improve the writer’s understanding of the interconnectedness between arguments, which is necessary to formulate transition sentences; this will lead to the improved overall quality of writing, and will help to improve clarity and succinctness.

Revising one’s essay multiple times will help the author improve the essay’s flow and message by improving the coherence and conciseness of the writing. Coherence can be improved by using effective and specific direction in one’s writing. The claim, “Both Whitman’s writing and skating down the Rideau Canal contain limited structure, have a simplistic principle and an underlying sophisticated beauty” (Uyeno, “Mash Up”) uses the incorrect term, “simplistic.” The term does not effectively convey the author’s belief that Whitman’s writing and skating down the Rideau Canal are straightforward activities. The term simplistic has a negative connotation that appears to conclude that the two activities are overly simple. Along with using accurate diction, one should write concisely to deliver a direct message. The sentence, “IMG offers a unique high school experience that is not the right fit for everyone ” (Uyeno, “Choice”) uses the general and  inefficient phrase, “right fit.” A more specific phrase would be, “ may be the wrong social and academic structure for every student.” Revising formal academic essays allows the writer to communicate the message more clearly, while using literary nuances to improve the flow of the essay.

Literary nuances are minor improvements to grammar or diction that can change the flow or mood of an essay. It is important that every word serves a purpose, as seen in, “This is seen as the average SAT score for IMG students in 2013 was 1438, about 60 points lower than the national average” (Uyeno, “Choice Essay”). The phrase, “This is seen as” is unnecessary and can be replaced with, “IMG emphasizes athletics first, while guiding students through the academic curriculum; evidently, the average SAT score for IMG students in 2013 was 1438, about 60 points lower than the national average.” Unnecessary words or errors in writing mechanics can cause the reader to question the writer’s validity and distract them from the message. The incorrect comma before, “however,” in the sentence, “In this excerpt, Whitman writes in the first person, however he speaks for humanity as a whole” (Uyeno, “Mash Up”) should be replaced with a semicolon to join the two independent clauses on either side of “however.” Mastery of literary nuances will organize and dictate the flow of a clear message.

Writing is becoming an increasingly more important skill today because of the increase in electronic communication such as twitter (follow me @cuyeno17), text and email, that rely on one’s writing skills. The ability to convey a concise written message demonstrates a writer’s grasp of vocabulary, grammar, and ability to make their ideas and opinions known. Such an important skill is not mastered easily and requires meticulous attention to details. Writing is a basic medium of expression that provides a first impression of the literacy of the writer and can dictate the manner in which a person is perceived by others.

Don't believe me? Watch the video to see why America's business leaders value writing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiUUQafcsqc

Also, here is the star-studded IMG football team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFnFq_52Vj0

Until next time.