I am very much acquainted with the fact that writing is not effortless or stress-free. I'm a professional writing student, and when I witness my professor pull out a rubric for a 10-page paper, I still experience feelings of anxiety and uneasiness. The good news is that everyone struggles with methods of writing, even the so-called "experts." However, there are countless resources and preparations out there to help you to successfully excel you in your writing skills.
Outlines
Learn what type of outline makes you feel the most comfortable and useful. Before I began to effectively utilize outlines in my writing projects, I would consistently get this stirring sensation in my brain, wondering how I was going to begin, or even end, my writing projects. Starting a paper without any idea on where it's going to lead is exceptionally alarming because there's a good chance your paper will not flow, as an essay should, and it may not make any sense by the time you begin to write the conclusion. Outlines are the solution to this very issue. And although they sound time-consuming and tedious, they will help you to achieve an excellent foundation to your essays. Traditional outlines, charts, lists, webs, etc. are many forms of outlines, so you don't have to experiment with just one.
Review basic grammar and spelling rules
Reviewing basic grammar and writing rules is extremely necessary if you're not familiar with the basic rules of grammar and spelling. There are an abundant of resources you can utilize when learning these basic techniques, such as dictionaries, school workshops and booklets, grammar apps, like Grammarly, and many others to assist you in becoming more comfortable with the basic foundation of writing before you start an academic essay, blog, etc. When writing for a particular class or work project, the last thing you want to think about is if you spelling a word correctly. You want to focus on the prompt or the subject of your paper. Make it easier on yourself by learning the basics, and thank yourself later for lowering the stress of your overall project.
Further your reading habits
I'm a lover of books, so reading doesn't feel like a strenuous job; instead, it's a much-loved hobby. And, I feel like more individuals would enjoy reading if they found genres that generally interested them. Think of your favorite movie genre and base the types of books you read off of those genres. Build up your vocabulary by diving into books that challenge you, but also, read books that excite you. Furthermore, it doesn't have to be books that you're reading. Newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, blog, and music lyrics are all filled to the brim with knowledgable information and various writing techniques to learn from. Read on!
Communicate with professors
Professors are there to support and thoroughly improve your education. Meet with professors before/after class, or during their office hours, and allow them to critique your writing projects and offer beneficial advice. In doing so, you'll better understand the mistakes you're making in your writing and find ways to improve particular writing techniques for future writing projects. Take advantage of the numerous resources in your classrooms. Peer reviews, writing conferences, lectures, assigned readings are all methods to further your academic career. If you're in college or have been in the past, you realize how much you're putting toward your education, and it would be silly not to take advantage of the resources on your campus.
