Essay Writing - First Draft, Revisions and Proofreading

Katie DaRin: Hi! My name is Katie DaRin with SMARTHINKING.com, today we are talking about how to write a better college paper. In this next segment we will talk about revisions, writing a rough draft and proof reading.

Now you are ready to write your first draft, do the revisions and proof read. Use your outline and elaborate on it to begin your first draft. Sometimes you might encounter Writers Block, there are a few ways to beat the writers block.

For one, get organized, go back to your outline, and change things around if you have to. Find your natural rhythm when writing and maybe set goals for yourself and reward yourself once you have done them. Discuss your essay with a friend or a classmate and exercise even helps to clear your mind as well.

After you have written your first draft you will need to revise it. Remember to leave your piece of writing alone for a period of time before beginning the revision process. During the revision process remember to revise, review and change parts of essay to ensure good flow, organization and cohesion.

Also edit, evaluate, and rewrite the text. And make sure to proofread. Carefully read the document, and ensure it is free from mechanical and spelling errors. There are few proof reading strategies that you should keep in mind, read your work aloud, have a friend read your work aloud while you read your essay silently to yourself. Read your sentences beginning at the end and working toward the beginning, write down any errors you find along the way.

Coming up next, we will talk about reference page, footnotes, and other formatting issues.