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Welcome to the Writing Center! August 27, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : Uncategorized , comments closed

We’re back! You’re writing, or will be soon. Think of us as your partners–friendly listeners and readers who will help you interpret assignments, untangle citation styles, clarify paragraphs, and assist you in proofreading.

Stop by (Christopher Center 1st floor), email (writing.center@valpo.edu), or IM for help.

Weekdays: 9-5
Evenings: Sun-Thurs 7-9
IM–until 10:30 PM Sun-Thurs

Check out our categories–You will find something to help you out, if you can’t come in.

Welcome Freshman Writers–That’s You! August 27, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Text & Context , comments closed

The Writing Center has great support for CORE and Text and Context! We know the texts and and love to talk about them as you prepare your essays.

Several of our consultants have taken CORE, are anxious to hear about your first few days on campus, and are looking forward to getting to know freshmen.

Christ College freshmen . . .you’ll find upperclass CC students as consultants. In fact, we have “CC Thursdays and Fridays” with consultants on hand. Spread out your laptop, notes, and coffee. CC writing consultants will be near by for individual or group consultations. Test a thesis, read aloud, or improve “flow” with us.

When at your computer at night Sunday – Thursday, come online with questions or a rant from 9 PM-10:30 PM. IM a consultant from http://www.valpo.edu/writingcenter.

Quotes Should be Working for You August 26, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Citation & bibliography, Education Unit, Love Unit, Quoting , comments closed

A quote is a powerful enforcer in your writing. The direct quote should underscore and clarify a point you have written about; it should not be doing the explaining for you. So, always summarize a quote before or after you use it. (Otherwise, you readers may think you don’t understand the quote or how it applies.)

Secondly, impress the reader with the authority of the quote. In your sentences tell something about the source–maybe the source is a well-known person like former president Jimmy Carter, or has an impressive title like Surgeon General, or perhaps the name of the article is the most impressive like “Annual Energy Outlook 2007″ from the US government Energy Information Administration. No one cares about the actual author, in this case. The title is the convincing part.

You’re probably thinking, what about the citation and bibliography? Isn’t all that information there? Yes, but your text is convincing if you show that you were able to interpret the significance of the sources, not just stick a few ideas together with some quotes. Your role as writer is to digest and interpret for the reader, not just find. And, anything you put in the text, you can omit from the parenthetical citation–in MLA or APA.

For examples, see this short how-to from us: How to Use Quotes, Paraphrases, and Summaries Effectively

Show More, Tell Less . . .Revising Narrative August 25, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Editing, Handouts, Love Unit, Style , comments closed

How many times have you heard this writing advice: Show us, don’t tell us. Readers prefer action over narrative so they can picture events as they may have happened. But how do you carry out this advice? You have already used adjectives and adverbs and told what happened . . .but this still may be telling, not showing.

With a few additions, you can easily revamp a passage to show.

(1) Add dialog: Let people talk to show their feelings and motives.
(2) Add movement: Let people move around to show what’s happening and what they’re thinking. You can imply many complex ideas with through people’s actions.
(3) Add examples that show: Give readers more than one example. In fact, this might be where you can add the dialog and action.
(4) Replace “is/are” verbs with verbs that show action: grabbed, argued, flung, considered, extolled, worried, announced, etc.

Compare these two paragraphs in this pdf–These examples will show you the idea, rather than our just telling you the steps! how-to-show-more-tell-less.pdf

CORE tip: Apply these techniques to revisions of your creation narrative paper. Maybe showing more will bring it to life.

The Very Quick Guide to Organizing your Paper August 24, 2009

Posted by jhicks in : CORE, Content, Essay Planning, International Students , add a comment

Many students organize papers in a deductive organization. This means the first paragraph has a clear statement of the thesis, including its major premise and significance. The rest of the paper presents paragraphs of evidence. A good thesis sentence has a key phrase that can be used throughout the essay.

Ideally, many paragraphs begin with a sentence that sums up the major point of the paragraph. The topic sentence will use key phrases from the thesis sentence.

The conclusion will further discuss the significance of the thesis. The conclusion might make a prediction related to the thesis, suggest ideas for further analysis at another time, or add one more thought-provoking point related to the thesis.