Don't panic:  organize!
Whether you are meeting a publication deadline, over-booked, or procrastinating

Step 1: Get in the zone

• Think about it
  Mentally organize and think about developing your "story"
  Turn off the cell phone when driving, walking, waiting, etc.
• Keep a notebook to jot down
  thoughts on development and good phrases
• Talk about the topic
  Your approach can benefit from having a live person react to your “story” or project
  If the feedback is unclear, ask for clarification
  Don’t get defensive, don’t argue—make a note and move on
  (you don’t have time to debate: it’s a writing project!)
• Designate a distraction-free area to help you write
• Organize all you will need
  to avoid hunting and disrupting your process
• Make a rough schedule working backwards from the deadline
  Highlight major steps: due date, revision, draft, workspace organization, resource and information gathering
  If dependent on others, make your timeframe clear

Step 2: Write  It's as simple as that

• Don’t interrupt your writing process to edit or research
  Avoid over-working a problem area and leave it to the revision
  Don't get distracted by minor points--keep focus on the whole
• Draw up a quick outline or concept map
• Write out your thesis to be developed
  Specific and suitable to the assignment
• Introduce your topic sentence in the first paragraph
  Build it up with basic, relevant facts and context: who, what, when, where, why, how
  Appeal to and involve your readers
• Development:
  Anchor your paper and each paragraph with a topic sentence. Revise later…
• As you write, note in bold, or color what you are unsure of
  Revisit all comments when you revise
• Keep the “navigation” clear
  In the introduction, tell your audience what you are going to do,
  then do it

Revising

• Take the place of your editor or teacher: critique your own writing.
  Treat your assignment as someone else's  product for review
• Spell check.
  Use “search” to find words you overuse
• Print and read your project aloud
  Printed text is easier to edit.
  Does it sound right?
  Highlight problem areas to revise after you finish.
  (If you run out of breath reading a sentence, it is probably too long)

• Review sentences:
  Focus on one idea in each
  Short, focused sentences are clearer and reduce the need for commas
  Ideal structure: subject – verb – object.
  Avoid too many prepositional phrases
  Convert negatives to positives
• Keep your voice active and verbs strong
  Control/limit your vocabulary
  Beware acronyms, slang, jargon
  Special vocabulary should be kept limited, introduced early, defined, used consistently

• Limit the use of numbers in each sentence
  Double check numbers!

• Add graphics, illustrations, etc. with captions.
  Visual information should reinforce verbal information, and vice versa

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