Dear Readers,
As the weather starts to cool and the leaves turn vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds, we are excited to welcome everyone back to Symmetry for the upcoming school year. As Co-Editors-in-Chiefs, Emma and I are thrilled to work with new and returning Symmetry Editors. We hope that the publication’s articles will provide useful and enjoyable material for readers throughout the calendar year. To get us started, check out some writing tips and tricks we’ve compiled to help you feel more confident in your classes this term.
Writing tips and tricks to help navigate the school year
Some of these tips and tricks may sound familiar if you have taken any of the four writing courses in the BPR program or have had the pleasure of being taught by the writing professors here at the Mount. What I find useful about these tips is that they provide value to all writers at all levels.
– Write every day or as often as you can. Even if it is only a free write for a few minutes. This will help with writing papers, communication pieces, resumes, and cover letters. Writing often will help not only improve your skills but will also expand your comfort zone.
– Find an editing partner you trust. Having someone look over your work can provide a new perspective and fresh feedback. In return, editing someone else’s work can give you the practice to improve your editing skills. The more you edit, the more you will feel prepared for writing and editing while on a co-op.
– Always scan for clichés before submitting your work. Clichés are often overdone, unoriginal, and don’t challenge your writing skills. Before submitting any assignment or sharing a writing piece at work check for these overdone phrases. I am often guilty of writing them, and this tip has been useful to me over the past couple of years.
For a list of common clichés and ways to remove them in writing, I recommend checking out this article 200 common clichés in writing (and how to avoid them).
– Read more. This may be an obvious one however, it works. Not only does reading help you to become a better writer but it can also help you figure out what you enjoy writing about. Once you know what you like to write, the first tip will become an enjoyable task rather than a chore.
– Another useful tip although not specifically related to writing but helpful to any student who is a procrastinator, is to book an appointment with MSVU’s learning strategist. The learning strategist services can help students figure out their study style and how best to get motivated for assignments.
Book recommendations on improving your writing
Anyone who has taken the PR writing courses in the BPR program will most likely own a few if not all these recommendations. I refuse to resell them even after completing all the writing courses in the program. These books have become a staple in my writing practice.
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
- On writing well by William Zinsser
- Telling True Stories from Harvard University and Edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call
- Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark (My favourite)
Hopefully, these tips and recommendations give you a head start on a new semester here at MSVU. Wishing all our readers an exciting and successful fall semester! Stay tuned for our October articles.
Article By: Emily Brown
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Symmetry Public Relations
