While it’s always nice to receive a good grade on an English test, nothing beats coming up with your own unique way of delivering your thoughts. For students who’ve had to bite the bullet and take a writing assignment from a professor, this may seem impossible. But with a little creative thinking and brainstorming, you may find a way to write your answer in a way that makes your professor smile. And when you succeed, you can feel confident that you’ve developed your skills as a writer.
Look For Clues
When you’re asked to write about something you know little or nothing about, the best approach is to do some research first. You may discover that there are several well-established procedures or products for solving a certain problem. With that information at hand, you can write an answer that will not only be insightful but will also be unique to you.
Start With A Why
When you’ve determined that there is a particular problem or challenge that you’re willing to discuss, it’s time to move on to the next step. The first thing you need to do is to identify the underlying cause of this issue or problem. Why is this happening? Once you’ve got that down, you can proceed to the next step. It may be something as simple as needing more storage or needing a printer that can handle a lot of paper. Regardless, you’ve got a clear direction now.
Choose Your Tools
The very first tool you’ll need is a notepad. It may be the most rudimentary of writing utensils, but as any creative person will tell you, nothing stops you from being unique except for your own limitations. For some insight into what you might write, allow yourself to be inspired by any one of the following:
- A problem you’re working on solving
- A solution you’ve found for a problem
- A question you’re frequently asked
- The experience of a friend or relative
- Something you’ve seen or heard
- What you know
- Your own thoughts
Whatever you choose, simply keep in mind that it’s up to you and you alone to find the voice of the writer. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to being a creative writer. You alone can be the judge of what will work best for you. And when you do find the right tool, you’ll know it.
Make It Personal
Writing from an outsiders perspective is always a good idea. It can humanize a subject, making it less of a dry academic exercise and more like a discussion with a friend. The more you can make it personal and approachable, the more your professor is likely to engage with your work. The more they engage with your work, the better your grade.
Proofread And Edit
The last step before submission is to run your work though a spellchecker and then edit it for grammar and style. Spelling mistakes, run-on sentences, and informal syntax can all make a difference in the way your professor will perceive your work. The worst thing you can do is rush through your work in a panicked attempt to get it done. Instead, take your time with it and make sure everything is perfect. It will only take a few more minutes to ensure that your professor is going to love your work when they turn the grades in at the end of the day.
Keep Dressing Up
If there’s one thing academics are always looking for, it’s originality. Even when you’re writing about an obvious and well-known issue, you can still stand out from the crowd by injecting some originality into your work. For example, if you’ve written about an issue concerning gender identity and you’ve determined that males can also feel like females, you can write about your own experience in a way that makes your professor sit up and take notice. It’s not enough to say that men can also feel like women; you’ve got to bring something new to the conversation.
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