Successful Writing 5e : W. W. Norton College Books

Chapter One: Writing in College
Strategies for Writing in College Courses
- Analyzing Your Writing Situation
- Limiting Your Writing Topic
- Laying Out a Plan of Organization
Some Criteria for Academic Writing
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Two: What Makes Writing Successful?
Specific Characteristics of Writing That Works
- Good Writing Says Something of Consequence
- Good Writing Is Clear
- Good Writing Is Well Organized
- Good Writing Is Economical
- Good Writing Is Grammatically Acceptable
- Good Writing Has No Spelling Errors
Extra Touches
- Vigor
- Authentic Voice
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Three: How Do Writers Write?
Different Ways of Writing
- Explanatory Writing
- Exploratory Writing
- Writing That Explains and Explores
The Stages of Writing
- Preparation and Planning
- Drafting
- Incubating
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Four: What Is Your Writing Situation?
Audience
Purpose
Persona
- Your Language Choices
- Tone
- Authenticity
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Five: Drafting
Getting Started
- With an Illustrative Example
- With a Quotation
- With an Anecdote
- With a Description
- With a Summary Paragraph
Common Patterns of Organization
- Reasoning from Evidence
- Assertion and Support
- Definition
- Cause and Effect
- Comparison and Contrast
- Classification
- Narration
- Choosing and Combining Patterns
Knowing When You Have an Adequate Draft
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Six: Writing Clearly
Illustrating General Statements with Specific Examples
Making Your Readers See Something
Putting People in Your Writing
Choosing Concrete Words
- Avoiding Deadwood Nouns
- Choosing Strong Verbs for Clarity
- Using Adjectives and Adverbs Sparingly
Adding Metaphors for Clarity
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Seven: Holding Your Reader
Choosing a Good Title
Writing Strong Leads
Keeping Your Writing Tight and Unified
- Links and Nudges
- Repeated Words
- Using Conjunctions to Connect Sentences or Paragraphs
Keeping Paragraphs and Sentences to a Reasonable Length
Chunking Your Writing into Manageable Units
Avoiding Antagonizing Your Readers
Making Your Writing Look Good
Using Figurative and Connotative Language Sparingly
Avoiding Stereotypes and Offensive Labeling
- Sexist Language
- Using Racial and Ethnic Terms Carefully
- Maintaining a Civil Tone
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Eight: Crafting Paragraphs
The External View of Paragraphing
- Some Guidelines for Breaking Paragraphs
The Internal View of Paragraphing
- Generalization with Supporting Details
- Question and Answer
- Statement and Illustration
- Assertion and Explanation
- Other Common Paragraph Patterns
Crafting Opening Paragraphs
Wrestling with Closing Paragraphs
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Chapter Nine: Revising
An Overview of the Revision Process
A Plan for Revising in Stages
- Stage One: Large-Scale Revision
- Stage Two: Small-Scale Changes
Getting Response from Others
- Some Guidelines for Working in Groups
When Should You Stop Revising?
Q&A
- For Practice
Chapter Ten: Editing
Some Guidelines for Editing
- Review Any Specifications for Your Document
- Check Details for Accuracy and Consistency
- Check for Awkwardly Repeated Words
- Check for the Most Common Errors
- Check Your Spelling and Run a Spell Checker
- Consider the Way Your Writing Looks
Proofreading
Q&A
- For Practice
Chapter Eleven: Considering Design
A Few Uses of Document Design
Planning a Design
- Questions to Ask as You Plan a Design
- Sketching Out a Preliminary Design
- Estimating Costs
Considering Type
- Fonts
- Type Styles
- Type Size
- Color
Considering Layout
- Direction
- White Space
- Chunking Information
- Positioning Graphics and Artwork
Designing for the Web
- How the Web Is Read
- Web Site Structure and Web Page Design
- Model Templates for Web Pages
Q&A
- For Practice
Chapter Twelve: Writing Research Papers
Selecting a Topic
- Pick a Good Topic
- Define Your Purpose
- Identify Your Audience
- Formulate a Research Question
Researching Your Topic
- Set Up a General Search Strategy
- Use Primary and Secondary Sources
- Do Original Research
- Make a Research Outline for Using the Library and the Web
- Find Things Out for Yourself
- Be Open to Serendipity
- Take Notes
- Manage Sources and Quotations
- Manage and Evaluate Electronic Sources
Writing Your Paper
- Get Started
- Choose a Plan of Organization
- Write a Draft
- Get Responses
- Finish Your Paper
Q&A
- A Sample Research Paper: "Artemisia Gentileschi: Artist Against the Grain"
Chapter Thirteen: Sending Electronic Communications
Writing for Online Readers
Emails Dos and Don’ts
- Privacy
- Snap Responses
- Unwanted Email
Handling Casual Correspondence
Handling Academic and Professional Correspondence
Attachments
Q&A
- For Practice
Chapter Fourteen: Giving Oral Presentations
Sizing Up the Situation
- Find Out Where and When the Talk is Scheduled
- Find Out Who Your Audience Is
- Determine the Purpose(s) of Your Talk
Writing Out a Rough Draft of Your Talk
Outlining Your Talk—and Planning Your Visuals
Deciding on Props and Visuals
- Some Guidelines for Using Visuals
Practicing
Delivering the Talk
Answering Questions Carefully
Getting Feedback
Q&A
- For Practice
- For Writing
Model Documents
The First Page of a Print Academic Paper
An Academic Paper with Graphs
An Academic Paper with Headings and Visuals
A Plan for a Two-Page Spread in a Report
A Plan for an Academic Paper on the Web
A Summary
A Simple Presentation Slide
A Simple Proposal
An Application Letter (Printed)
An Email Application Letter
A Print Résumé
A Scannable Email Résumé
A Newsletter
A Simple Brochure
A Poster
A Flyer
A Program
An Agenda
A Press Release
Mastering the Conventions of Documentation
MLA Style
APA Style
Index

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W. W. Norton & Company : College Books

Successful Writing

Contents