Gateway Student Support Services Counselor Phyllis Waldron presented “Write it Right: How to Write Anything Better,” a workshop that provided students with many hints and tips to make their essays, papers and compositions better. 

   Waldron began the workshop by using some memorable quotes to explain the importance of writing well. Waldron included her favorite quote from Mark Twain: 

   “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is like the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug,” Mark Twain. 

   Waldron then gave several tips for effective prewriting, including: 

• Free writing: letting thoughts flow unrestricted from your brain onto the paper or computer screen.
• Brainstorming: making a list of thoughts that relate to the topic and then organizing them.
• Mapping, clustering and branching: similar to brainstorming but utilizes pictures and diagrams; for the more artistically minded.

   After she gave tips for prewriting, Waldron moved on to writing a draft. She said that each paragraph should have a topic sentence that states the topic and how one feels about the topic. In addition, a well developed paragraph should have a well focused topic sentence, be unified with specific supporting details and have transitions and repetitions to show how ideas are related. 

   For revisions, Waldron told students to allow time between the draft and the revision of the draft, to read the draft aloud and to have a friend read it. These tips help make papers as clear and as easy to read as possible. 

   Waldron provided these final tips for good writing: 

• A composition should have a clear purpose.
• Each paragraph should have a good lead sentence.
• All words should be chosen carefully.

   Waldron stressed that good writing is extremely important. 

   “Good writing is like a good first impression,” Waldron said. “It can really open doors for you.”

   For more information about Gateway Student Support Services, this workshop or upcoming workshops, students should contact Phyllis Waldron by e-mail at waldronp@uamont.edu or by phone at 460-1154.