Editing and Coaching for Essays and Papers

Although this page is intended to give you some idea as to how I might be able to help you with the writing process, it’s mostly free advice from someone who has written many essays (along with books and a thesis) and has graded even more. I’ve also attached a link to an essay of my own, in case you’re interested in seeing what my work product looks like.

So here’s my advice:

• Start with the issues of time pressure and procrastination, and deal with them as follows: As soon as possible after you get an assignment for an essay or paper (don’t put it off), take ten minutes, get out a blank sheet of paper or a blank document on your screen, and quickly jot down some thoughts about what you’re going to write. What’s the subject matter? What type of paper is it - expository, persuasive, narrative, or something else? What points, just off the top of your head, do you need to research? If it’s going to be a persuasive piece, what’s your basic thesis, and what arguments do you think you might make in favor of it? Also, if it’s persuasive, what objections to your thesis will you need to address? What kinds of evidence or other material will you need to gather and/or research in support of your arguments?

• Taking just ten minutes to do this - though you’ll probably find without realizing it that you’re taking more than ten minutes - is huge. Putting thoughts down on paper automatically gives them a degree of organization. And the notes you’ve jotted down will have defined the task, at least in broad terms, and given you something concrete to work with.

• Start early. If you’re someone who likes to say to yourself, “I do my best work under pressure,” then ignore that. Start early when there’s little or no pressure. In my opinion, the “work under pressure” canard is largely nonsense. The reason you think you work so well under pressure is simply that the pressure forces you to focus. Try this, though: focus your thoughts when there is no pressure. What I find when I do that is that my mind senses the freedom to roam, and insights begin to creep in. I can tell you, too, that when I grade papers, I can usually ferret out those that were produced under pressure at the last minute, and they’re almost never as good as the ones that have been developed over time.

• Start early with what, though? An outline would be good. Remember, though, that the outline is not the paper. Outlining is a highly individualized process. Some people are good at creating tremendously detailed outlines, and then essentially just fleshing them out in order to produce the final product. Others (like me) tend to produce sketchy outlines, skeletons that get rearranged in the course of the actual writing process and from which whole new appendages grow as we write the actual paper. Yet I will not work without at least some semblance of an outline. As Churchill said: “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.” But know thyself. Do you love a detailed plan to which you carefully adhere, or do you prefer a loose sketch that serves only as a rough basis for seat-of-the-pants writing?

• Start early with writing too. Even if you’re one who likes a detailed outline, get some actual writing done early on in the process. If you haven’t yet completed your whole outline, write a section of the paper for which you’ve completed a part of the outline. The wonderful thing about early drafts is that you’ve got time to edit and revise them. Not only is that likely to earn you a better grade, but you tend to enjoy the process more because you’re producing a more polished final product. Imagine yourself as a woodworker constructing an elegant coffee table. Think of how satisfying it would be to put the final touches on your work, polishing the table to a high gloss that brings out the luster of the wood - and how disappointing it would be to have to deliver the table to the customer without having done so.

• In fact, ideally, once you have a reasonable first draft, let it sit for at least a day before you start chopping and changing. There is a marinating effect that occurs when a draft is allowed to sit for a while.

• Be sure that you’re clear as to the point of your paper. If you’re writing an expository piece, what exactly is it that you’re aiming to explain? If you’re writing a narrative, what is the “moral” of the story and what is the arc that the storyline will follow? If your piece is persuasive, then what is your thesis and what are your arguments in support?

• If you look at the sample essay that I’ve attached to this page, you’ll see that although it’s primarily persuasive, it has elements of both persuasive and expository writing, with a little narrative thrown in here and there in order to illustrate a point. The expository section is part of the build-up to the arguments, and is intended to explain the concepts that I intend to argue about. My exposition, however, is not entirely neutral. Overall, it’s part of a persuasive essay, and therefore it emphasizes the features of the concepts that are most germane to my arguments - although I try to do this in a way that does not create straw men.

• Use a consistent system of citation. There are lots of these, ranging from the APA (American Psychological Association) to the Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook (for journalism), the Harvard Bluebook (for legal writing), and a whole bunch of others. Ordinarily, for a college assignment, the course syllabus will specify the style system that you’re to use. If it’s not clear from the syllabus or the assignment details, then it’s entirely reasonable for you to ask the professor.

• In the courses that I teach, I assign a single term paper that is due at the end of the term. I also assign a term paper prospectus that is due a few weeks into the term. The prospectus is to provide, essentially, an abstract of what the student proposes to write about, together with some initial ideas as to sources that the student plans to use in his or her research. I then give each student feedback on his or her prospectus, which helps them to organize their thoughts and their research, and increases the chances of them producing an excellent final product. I believe, however, that that’s a fairly rare practice, even though students say they find it to be extremely helpful. I suggest that you try to replicate that process to an extent by making a note of your central ideas. Some professors might be prepared to discuss your initial ideas during office hours, and to give you some direction. If that’s that case, then I urge you to make full use of it (you’re paying tuition, after all).

• Here are some don’ts: Do not plagiarize. This is an absolute rule. If in doubt, cite the source. Not only is plagiarism unethical, immoral, and indicative of poor character (I would not hire a known plagiarist) but digital checking systems are so good these days that the plagiarist is very likely to be exposed. Also in that vein, do not ask or commission anyone to write a paper for you. That is not only dishonest, but incredibly lame. If you can’t write your own papers, what on earth are you doing in college? When I work with undergraduate students, I give them useful feedback, but under no circumstances do I any work for them. I flag issues and raise questions, but I do not alter the text or rewrite anyone’s work. Moreover, I accept student work only on the conditions set out in the following paragraph.

If you are a college or graduate student, then in order to work with me you’ll need to provide the written consent of the professor or instructor for whose class you’re writing the paper. This consent needs to be on the Permission Form to Confirm Editing Services for Student Texts, which is published by the Editors’ Association of Canada. At your request, I will send you the form with my parts completed. You must also provide an email address for the professor / instructor, so that I can confirm such consent and offer to provide to the professor / instructor a copy of the comments and feedback that I provide to you. If you are an undergraduate, my services will be subject to the Editors’ Association of Canada Guidelines for Ethical Editing of Undergraduate Student Texts. If you’re a grad student, they’ll be subject to the Association’s Guidelines for Ethical Editing of Graduate Student Texts. I realize, of course, that this may make it difficult or even impossible for you to work with me, but it is not in anyone’s interest for us to work together in circumstances where the relevant professor or instructor has not approved of it.