Successful Writing Is Successful. Generally,

¶ … successful writing is successful. Generally, when the reader walks away with a sense of what the writer was trying to convey in his or her paper, the mission has been accomplished. This takes more than being good with words. It also takes the ability and struggle that comes from thinking about a subject, investigating that subject, considering sources, checking grammar and punctuation, and sufficient evidence to back a strong thesis. Writing can be compromised if any of these steps are overlooked or ignored.

Sources are incredibly important when one's paper needs sufficient evidence. When relying on outside source, it is best to ensure that they are reliable and credible. Prewriting exercises are invaluable to the writing process because a paper is rarely ever a rough draft and a final draft simultaneously. Without the prewriting process, a paper will not seem as polished or well thought out because it is not. A strong thesis is just as important as sufficient evidence because the reader will not be convinced anything other wise.

The point of writing a paper is to prove a point and this cannot be done without knowing what that point is or by proving a point by some other means than conjecture on the writer's part. Proper grammar and punctuation is extremely important when written because a reader may not be so convinced of the writer's point or intelligence if the paper is littered with mistakes. Ideas must flow in a paper.

A reader will not be able to read a writer's mind so it is very important to be clear and the paper cannot jump from one idea to another without a clear transition. Without transitions, a paper seems jumbled and disorganized. 2. It is important to evaluate references because sources must be credible. This is especially important in the Internet age when anyone can create a website and say anything they please. When writing a paper, resources need to come from organizations or people that have a reputation for being credible.

Issues to consider in regards to credible sources include the author's or organization's experience, the organizations with which the author is associated, and what the author has to say. Descriptions are vital to a paper because they give the paper originality. Ideas, thoughts, and impressions belong to the writer and if these can by conveyed successfully, the reader will not only know what the writers means but might also agree with it.

Either way, if a writer presents sufficient descriptions, the reader will not be left wondering about what the writer thinks or feels about a particular subject. All of these aspects work together and when a writer is successful at them, they work with the reader in that an impression has been made and a point gets across from writer to reader. 3. Free writing is helpful because it helps writer deal with the problems associated with writing. It allows the words to go onto the page without hesitation or doubt.

Writing without a care in the world can be liberating and if one can learn to turn the "editing instincts" (Miller 20) off, writing can be used as a "way of generating ideas for a paper" (20). Brainstorming, an "oral free writing in which a group of people jointly try to solve a problem by spontaneously contributing ideas" (20) is also a way to generate ideas. This process can also be performed alone by writing an idea on a sheet of paper and jotting down ideas.

Journaling is also a way to generate ideas in that the process begins as something informal and not a reaction to an assignment. Over time, observation, thoughts, and memories can provide insight to a particular subject. Questioning is useful because it allows the writer to "explore the subject from a variety of different angles" (21). Outline is also beneficial in the prewriting process because it allows the writer to think of ideas in a linear fashion.

This technique is helpful when recounting events or listing certain aspects or elements of a particular topic. 4. This sentence would be difficult to develop a paragraph around this sentence because the sentence is so broad. One could write an entire essay around this sentence. The better topic sentence would be to define a particular aspect of the weather and go from there. In addition, certain seasons could be compared to specific seasons or weather conditions. 5.

If the thesis is weak, the paper could go in many different directions and the result could be a poorly defended thesis. In addition, a weak thesis might not even describe the correct definition of the paper. The thesis needs to be strong so that each paragraph can defend it without the paragraph feeling lost or off-topic. A carefully crafted thesis statement will guide the writer. In addition, a strong thesis will make the writing process easier because it is focused. 6.

A good topic sentence but weak support indicates that the proof is not as strong as it could be. In this situation, I would look at my evidence and look for ways to be more convincing. I would make sure that each paragraph supported the thesis and did not veer off the subject. I would look at the outline and see where the paper is weak.

It would also be a good idea to start over with the thesis on a blank document and try to rewrite the outline with better/different evidence. I would also step back from the paper and consider questions about why I decided to write the paper and if this even comes across in the paper.

Other things to consider are if the topic is too broad or too narrow because each of these errors can result in a paper that is too flimsy because of a lack of evidence or too weighted down with too many facts. A reader cannot digest too many facts all at once and if there is not enough convincing evidence, a reader will simply not take interest in the subject or quit reading the paper altogether. 7.

The fundamental rule for subject-verb agreement is compromised when subjects and verb are separated from each other in a sentence. This is especially true when prepositional phrases are present. Subject-verb agreement can also be confusing when the subject follows the verb in a sentence. Complex subjects also cause problems because they can become confusing. For example, indefinite pronouns and compound subjects can become confusing when writing. 8. Coherence is the mortar of the paragraph because without it, a reader can become completely lost. Coherence is not necessarily how.