Writing involves a very structured process. Whether you are creating a book report, short story, thesis or essay, there are several very simple techniques that can help get you out of a rut and on your way to an “A”.

Prewriting – For starters, you need a solid main idea and inspiration is all around. Perhaps you already have a topic (great!) or you need to choose something you feel confident writing about (a bit more challenging, but not impossible). If you need a creative idea, consider flipping through old notebooks or borrow a chapter from real life or your childhood until something jumps out at you.
Building – Now that you have a framework, begin building your overall idea. Determine your main points. If your project involves research, look for solid sources (not online fluff or mere opinion). Refer to lecture notes and textbooks. If your project is more creative, try free writing or brainstorming on things that related to your main idea. Just write! You can always edit later.
Writing – Congratulations…you now have the building blocks of your first draft! Now select your strongest points and eliminate weaker ones. Structure is also important. You want to stay on topic and make logical transitions from one topic to the next. Your work should flow easily for readers.
Polishing – Revising and editing are good habits that great writers NEVER skip. Look out for typos, correct confusing sentences, rewrite sections that don’t quite sound right and add anything you feel may be missing. Make sure you’ve expressed all your intended points. You want to adjust the overall paper to ensure everything is exactly as you would want it interpreted by the reader.

Voilà! You have a finished work that is thorough, clear and tells a compelling story. This checklist is simple, but one that even the most talented writers (like those at paperdue.com) use every time they churn out a great paper. Invest a little time in these steps and win at the game of quality writing.