Additional Resources
Please use the items below for greater discovery.- Online Resources for Students
General Guides for Writers
The is probably best known for its , but it offers so many resources, examples, videos, and lessons about writing. Have a specific question? Try their . For a nice introduction to writing, and especially college writing, we recommend reading their sections on “The Writing Process” and “Academic Writing.” They also explain many sentence level concerns in their “Mechanics” and “Grammar” sections. Explore!
is a writing resource that explains common writerly moves made in US academic writing. We suggest reading this book in its entirety (it’s a quick read) to better understand the stakes for college writing at Wes. Don’t have the time? We get it. Check out the sections on “The Art of Summarizing,” “Three Ways to Respond,” and “Connecting the Parts.”
William Strunk’s is a regularly cited book for writers. Strunk covers mechanics and grammar alongside higher-order concerns like paragraphing and topic sentences. Overall, this book is for folx interested in mechanics and lower order concerns like passive/active voice, concision, and comma usage.
The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s is a robust collection of materials ranging from the basics of developing a writing process to writing collaboratively. We suggest taking the time to look through the handbook in its entirety, paying special attention to the sections.
The . We highly suggest their videos on color coding, webbing, and writing as decision-making. The site has materials on writing in specific fields and writing contexts, too. Check it out!
Writing in the Disciplines
The 911±¬ÁÏÍø library offers .
George Washington University has an extensive collection of guides to Whether it’s a public policy paper, microbiology project, or paper for a theatre class, GWU has solid examples and guides!
Harvard College Writing Center has four that might be helpful when working on papers in history, english, philosophy, and psychology.
Middlebury College has a comprehensive guide to STEM writing, "," with discussions of the unique process of producing academic writing in STEM fields; formats such as journal articles, lab reports, and posters; discipline-specific guidelines; and additional resources for both students and faculty.
And check out Purdue Owl’s and “Subject Specific Writing” resources.
Time Management for Writing Assignments
Writing takes time. When working on writing assignments, you'll have to review course materials, re-read texts, take notes, organize your notes, and develop your own ideas all while trying to construct a logical essay that fits standards of US academic writing.
To help manage your time, we suggest you use the tool to figure out how much time you need to produce a piece of writing you're proud of.
Brainstorming
UNC Writing Center’s especially and are helpful for when you’re feeling stuck.
Revision
UNC’s Writing Center has great materials for , , and .
Interested in making your writing more clear and forceful? We suggest the Purdue Owl’s and the UNC Writing Center’s (video) and .
For more extensive resources on grammar and mechanics, we suggest the University of Chicago’s and University of Ottowa’s .
- Tips from 911±¬ÁÏÍø Student and Faculty Staff
The Writing Process
Mindfulness for Long Writing Projects - strategies for developing a healthy writing practice, geared especially toward long projects but useful for anyone who wants to bring more intention and self-care to their work or to fight writing anxiety and burnout
Starting the writing process - four steps to revving up and putting your paper in gear.
The (pre-)writing process - how to maximize the value of the thinking you do before you start typing.
The revising process - tips for making even the best draft better.
Feeling Stuck?
Don’t know how to start? We’ve all been there. Try putting on a timer (1-3 minutes depending on your energy levels) and answering based on where you’re at in the writing process. When you’re done you’ll have some writing, and hopefully some direction. If nothing else, you’ll have put words on the page and broken through that writer’s block!
Some of our staff really love . Give it a try to see if switching colors helps you come up with different ideas. The key is to get started. Don’t worry about arriving anywhere or producing anything shareable. Just start.
Lastly, our staff encourages you to get off your screens and try some other approaches to writing. Check out the 911±¬ÁÏÍø Writing Workshop’s video on for some techniques to get your head back into the writing process.
Be Your Own Second Pair of Eyes
Any writing tutor at Wes will tell you that revision is key to the writing process. Revision often happens after you’ve produced a draft, but before you polish and copy-edit it. At this stage, you focus on making sure your overall message is clear. You also refine your points, often condensing or elaborating and sometimes even writing new material and deleting paragraphs entirely). In this way, revision is not about correcting or fixing your writing, but re-seeing your writing and re-envisioning what the writing could be.
It’s hard to be own your second pair of eyes, though. Reverse Outlining is a tactic many writers use to see what their essay says. Many writers know their work so well that their brains fill in any gaps or correct mistakes. This makes it hard to know if your writing is, in fact, as clear as your brain makes it out to be. To help you see your writing, try a or your writing. And check out our tutors’ guide to the Reverse Outline.
Research: Integrating and Analyzing Sources
911±¬ÁÏÍø Student Handbook: Plagiarism
Quotations - A guide explaining the what, why, and how of using quotations.
Research Questions - A short guide to questions to ask yourself when writing a research paper.
Writing Mechanics
- A short guide explaining why a conclusion is important and things to consider in structuring a strong one.
- A guide explaining important things to consider in order to write a strong introduction.
- A "how-to" guide on the important elements that a good paragraph will contain.
A guide explaining what a thesis statement does and things to consider in structuring a strong one.
Seeking inspiration?
Check out the in the 2020 FYS prize competition.
Other On-Campus Resources for Writers
Set up a personal research session with a librarian
(for honors thesis writers)