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Writing tip #5: don't try to write a perfect paper on your first try

Are you trying to write a perfect paper on your first attempt? That appears to be efficient, but in the end it usually is a waste of time. Writing and revision are separate processes; the first makes more use of the creative right brain hemisphere, while the latter appeals primarily to the critical left brain hemisphere.

Let writing of your first draft be free and creative, and don’t pay attention to details such as the correct wording, spelling or grammar (without losing sight of your research question and your text plan). You will make progress more quickly and you will enjoy it more as well. Let your ‘inner critic’ wait until the revision round. Then revise your text in stages: first improve the content and the argumentation, then the structure, and only then the style and the grammar.

At every step of the writing process you can get help from the tutors of the Writing Centre EAValso during the summer months!

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