Paper topics are like rivers: the broad ones are very shallow, but the narrow ones are deep.  Focus your topic, […]

Put your finger on the person/thing doing the verb (called the “agent”) in your sentences.  If you can’t find one, […]

When researching, find more resources than you actually need.  You can then narrow down to the most useful ones for […]

Write your thesis statement early, and re-write it often.

Sometimes it’s easier to write a good introduction if you write it last.

In general, if a work is too small to publish on its own, then it should have quotes around it […]

A semicolon is a very useful tool, for  ; it can combine any two sentences one might normally combine with […]

Count the number of times you use the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, etc.) on any given page.  […]

At some point, every draft goes better with an outline.  If you are a very structured thinker, make your draft […]

When proofreading your paper, try to set it aside overnight first.  You can edit more effectively if you’ve forgotten what […]