A literary dilemma faced by literally everyone
For all the books and papers published in the known universe, there have been thousands as many writers trying to perfect some form of their craft. Writers have been trying to embrace the secret to writing well since the moment someone decided to put pen to paper and record spoken language. Since the first recorded literary moment, people have tried and failed a thousand times over trying to find just the right combination of words and sentences to express their thoughts while also getting people interested enough to read their work.
Results have been mixed, to say the least. Writing is not easy, and anyone who says otherwise is lacking in veracity, skill, or a good editor. Writing can be difficult, writing can be soul-crushing, but writing can be self-actualizing. At the very least, writing is a talent worth polishing. Academic papers may disappear after four years, but reports, letters, and studies will form the backbone of most students’ lives regardless of opinion. In the case of certain papers, the difficulty lies in making words interesting, not making words accessible.
The question then becomes how to write well for assignments. Indeed, how do we write well? In academia there are generally two kinds of literary works: Factual and Opinionated. Factual literature sticks to the rules and plays it safe; there’s no excess and everything follows a strict set of guidelines to insure standardization. Opinionated literature takes the rules and plays outside of them. For those taking notes, heed this warning: Academia is primarily factual.
Within the realms of university and college, tenure and assistantship, professor and student, rules and guidelines are everything. English papers might be contextually different from papers published by physics professors, but the end goal is the same – convincing other people of an idea. Classes don’t matter, sources don’t make a difference, and style manuals are irrelevant; academics try to prove that they’re right by showing how and why others might be wrong using anything they’ve learned in class, any valid source that agrees with an opinion, and any manual of style.
The truth is writing becomes better through practice, exposure, and criticism. Never stop writing, never stop seeking out good and bad literature, and never disregard the opinion of a critic. Taking criticism well should be a mandatory course for every student at some point in their careers, because it would appeal to every student and apply to every program. Being able to rationally respond to a person disagreeing with one’s opinion is not a skill every student leaves university with.
However, if all else fails, don’t worry too much because there are resources on campus that are more than willing to help.
Writing Services is a team of volunteers that supports University of Guelph students by reviewing papers, editing assignments, and offering advice to better the literary voice. They are available by appointment of through walk-ins at McLaughlin Library.
“Students at all levels (undergraduate, graduate) and at all levels of experiences and expertise with writing can benefit from visiting writing services,” explained Lenore Latta, a Master’s student who works at Writing Services. “Students can come to writing services at all stages of writing: brainstorming ideas, outlining, or drafting. A consultant can act as a sounding board for ideas, can ask questions to encourage the student to think critically about their topic or organization, and can review aspects of a written document with the student and talk about options for improvement.”
Appointments can be scheduled for 50-minute intervals (for consultation with Writing Peers ad staff writing specialists) and 25-minute intervals (for consultation with Graduate Student Writing Advisors).
For students interested in getting involved with Writing Services, applications to become a Writing Peer Helper are handled through the Peer Helper Program.
Furthermore, teaching assistants and professors post office hours where they’ll be more than happy to provide some form of writing assistance. Most professors will not read individual papers and offer gratuitous amounts of advice, but they will absolutely be comfortable with discussing assignment details and expectations with curious students. Advice to all writers and students: if an expert offers to give an opinion, it’s best to take it into account even if it sounds unimportant.
Ultimately, I’m forced to go back to an earlier statement. Writing well means writing a lot and practicing a lot.