TEN TIMED WRITING TIPS

As you prepare for Thursday's timed wrting, keep the following in mind:

1. Your opening sentence should include the name of the novel, the name of the author, and something of significance about the work (preferably related to the focus of your essay).

2. Make sure your thesis statement has 2-3 clear, debatable parts. Each part of the thesis must be something that can be argued rather than a fact. For example, if part of your thesis states that Winston has a relationship with Julia, there's not much more you can say about that. You would need to argue that Winston's relationship with Julia demonstrates a major theme in the novel (and then, of course, mention WHAT THAT THEME IS).

Also, try to avoid a convoluted, overly wordy thesis. You don't want your reader (ME) to have to read it over and over again trying to figure out what you mean.

3. Avoid figurative language, unless quoting from the novel. EXAMPLE of language to AVOID: " Winston is on cloud 9 when he is able to read a copy of Goldstein's book."

4. Use active voice rather than passive voice. EXAMPLE: "O'Brien invites Winston to his house" is better than "Winston is invited to O'Brien's house."

5. Set a goal of including 7-9 specific examples from the novel in your essay.

6. Don't repeat yourself to fill space.

7. Watch your time. I'll give you an end time at the beginning of the writing, and you need to make sure you don't run out of time before your conclusion.

8. DO NOT BEGIN YOUR CONCLUSION BY WRITING "IN CONCLUSION"!!!! Just jump right in by making an overall statement about the topics you've covered in the essay.

9. Write as legibly as possible. Keep in mind that if I can't read your handwriting, I can't give you the credit you may deserve.

10. HAVE FUN!!! Ok, just kidding. But seriously.....writing a solid essay with thoughtful examples and academic/ scholarly vocabulary can be very satisfying, especially when you start to get better and better at it. See this as the beginning of our journey to becoming master essay writers.

***DON'T FORGET TO BRING A COMPLETED TIMED WRITING DRAFT FOR SUBMISSION TO ME BEFORE YOU SIT FOR THE WRITING IN CLASS. THIS SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE JOURNAL YOU DID IN CLASS.