Author: jankilby

To succeed as a writer, subscribe to such magazines as Writer’s Digest, The Writer or Poets and Writers. Consult the annual market guide books of the Writer’s Digest company. Buy books on writing or read them in your local library.

Writing essays as part of an application process requires skill.  Those seeking admission to medical or nursing schools or graduate programs must develop it. Individuals competing for scholarships, grants,  writing residencies, jobs, leadership or mentoring programs or other academic or professional opportunities must do so, as well.

In working with my clients, I offer several suggestions. Use the language of the question in that of your essay. Organize your points in the order in which the question requires them. Support your ideas with examples. Follow the rules regarding format, character or word count and deadline. Have your draft critiqued by someone with experience and expertise in writing and editing. Submit only the documents requested.  Ask questions in advance if you are unsure of what to do.

 

 

 

William Zinsser was a well-known journalist, author and teacher of non-fiction writing at Yale University. In his book On Writing Well, he emphasized the value of clarity, simplicity and brevity in writing. He believed that this approach allowed one to communicate his humanity. He passed away in 2015, but his website at http://www.williamzinsserwriter.com is still maintained. Visit it to read some of his essays and learn more about his life and work.

Check your documents to see if they have the seven C’s of effective business and technical writing. They should be clear, concise, correct, complete, considerate, courteous, and concrete. This is the formula proposed by authors Herta A. Murphy and Herbert W. Hildebrandt in their college textbook Effective Business Communications.

 

I like the way that Miles Wilson, a faculty member in the MFA program in creative writing at Texas State University, once described the nature of a short story. I heard him give a speech on the topic several years ago.

He said that a short story presents a slice of life in which something dramatic happens to the main character, after which he’s never the same. His circumstances might not have changed, but his way of seeing them or himself is different.

Ask for feedback when you want to improve your writing. Those with expertise and experience in editing and writing can accelerate your progress in producing higher-quality work.

Learn to see criticism of your writing as a gift. Teachers, mentors, and editors who care about your success will give it

A deadline is your friend. This helps you plan your writing from the start until the end.

The best writing sounds like it is being sent from one human being to another. One way to achieve this is to picture your intended reader sitting across a table from you. This can help you know what to do.

The best writing involves the author’s mind, heart, and soul.