Relationships & Partners and Writing Skills Tips. (A Writing Advice Guide Book

Thirty Minute Essay & Beginning Drafts-Gabriel

Why would anyone want to write an essay in thirty minutes? Is there any benefit in the exercise? What's the best approach?
Although writing a complete essay in thirty minutes is not easy, it is both possible and worthwhile. In fact, some assessment tests, including the SAT, now include twenty-minute essays. Certainly, you can't expect to do your best writing in half-an-hour; but the pressure to compose an essay quickly will help you refine your skills. In a sense, writing a thirty-minute essay is no different than writing a regular essay, only faster! Here are a few steps to follow.

Organize your ideas. Define two or three main points within 5 minutes. Jot them down on the margin of your paper.

Be sure to respond to the question! Be careful not to stray from the topic.

Write your essay. Make your introduction interesting and use lots of supporting details to reinforce your main topic. Be sure to include a conclusion. The writing should take between 15-20 minutes.

Proofread and then revise. Be especially careful to omit careless spelling and grammar mistakes. This should take 5-10 minutes.

Some students complain that they can't write enough in thirty minutes; that it takes them too long to articulate their ideas; or that they don't know what to write. That's why practicing thirty minute essays is valuable; the more you write them, the easier they become. However, keep in mind that it's better to compose a brief, well-written essay than a longer, poorly written one. And if you can't think of anything to say, begin freewriting what comes to your mind. Forget about being articulate or wise and just write!

Writing Exercise Prompt 1.
Write a thirty-minute essay. Your teacher will provide a topic. When you're done, exchange your essay with a classmate's. Offer each other constructive criticism.
In a few days, repeat this exercise.

Beginning Drafts
Now that you've set the groundwork for your story, you're ready to begin the first draft. It's time to write! This is where the real work begins, for even if you have original characters and a strong plot, it's the writing that makes the story good.

Before beginning, you might want to review the earlier lessons on style, tone, parallelism, repetition, word choice, and so forth. After all, the demands of writing composition are the same for fiction: You must establish a consistent tone, a definite style and a consistent point of view. Keep the writing concise and rich with details.

In addition to the language itself, you should always be attentive to how you are telling the story. What types of writing will you use? When will you rely on description? Do you want to open with dialogue? When and how will you describe the main characters)? Have you included enough setting? Here are a few tips for the structure of the story.

Have a strong, clear opening: You want to interest the reader right away. Don't "warm up" the story. However, this doesn't mean that the opening has to be sensational.

Develop the events clearly. Although you know the sequence of events, be sure that the reader does, too.

Have a clear ending that leaves a strong impression on the reader. This doesn't mean you have to write a "happy" or "sad" ending. In fact, some stories end without the central conflict being resolved.

Now, although writing is very demanding, your first draft should flow freely. The first time through, you want the story to evolve naturally, leaving room for surprises. Don't be too concerned about perfecting the language. That will come during revision, when you're likely to exclude lots of the material.

Note: The only requirement for these five days is that you continue drafting your story.
When you finish the first draft, begin revising. Try to complete a full draft of the story in five days.

Now the next chapters are pure lessons exclusive to poetry only.