Writing
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Switch your document to a font you dislike or don't know well before checking it for errors.
If the text is harder to read or unpleasant, you tend to look at it more closely. Staring at the same layout too long makes the words blur together.
- This may screw up formatting, which could be distracting.
- One person questioned if disliking the font would make them less likely to read carefully.
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Read your work in reverse order, either sentence by sentence from the end or word by word within sentences.
Going backward breaks the flow and context, forcing you to focus on individual words rather than letting your brain fill in gaps.
- One source argues you should not do this because you need context from the preceding word.
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- Scan your writing from the end to the start, one word at a time, to spot typos.11
Print your document on paper and review it with a pen.
Seeing the text in a different format helps you take a step back, view it with fresh eyes, and spot typos or errors that are missed on a screen.
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Wait at least 24 hours without looking at your essay before reading it aloud for proofreading.
Returning to the text after a break allows you to read with a fresh mind.
- One approach suggests waiting a week instead.
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text, words, errors, document49
Read your text sentence by sentence backwards to catch errors.
Change the font of your document to force your brain to pay more attention and avoid visual autopilot.
Your brain often sees what you mean rather than what you wrote; changing the font requires more brainpower to process.
- Do not choose Comic Sans.
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Write your draft, then ask an AI tool to grade it on a scale of 1-10. Refine it using the tips until it reaches about a 9/10.
This process helps improve fluency with your thoughts.
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Insert an obvious error about two-thirds of the way through a document to verify if the proofreader actually read the entire text.
This ensures their opinion is genuine.
- When asking friends for favors, do not try to 'get' them or be a dick.
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To cross out sensitive info, repeatedly write the alphabet over it until it is fully illegible.
Overwriting renders the text almost undecipherable, unlike simple lines which leave some legibility.
- One commenter called this advice dumb.
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Stop writing while you are making progress and know what happens next.
Doing this prevents getting stuck.
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Create a bad initial draft, then criticize it until it is good.
People suck at creating things from scratch.
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- Write a mediocre draft quickly to overcome perfectionism, then revise it later.2
Do not try to sound smart in writing or speech.
It usually results in sounding stupid.
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Read your text sentence by sentence backwards to catch errors.
This helps pick up spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors, as well as common phrasing that is typically overlooked while writing.
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Let your first draft sit for a period of time before reviewing it.
It helps disassociate yourself from the text.
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Use a screen reader or text-to-speech tool to have the computer read your document aloud.
A neutral voice speaking exactly what is written helps catch spelling errors (which are pronounced wrong) and some grammar mistakes that might otherwise be missed.
- It will not help with homophones.
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Review your paper after taking a day off to spot flaws.
Flaws become more apparent after a break.
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Simplify note-taking by printing in all caps if it improves legibility and speed.
It works for some people.
- Not everyone can do this effectively.
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After reading your work carefully yourself, have a close friend or colleague spell-check and fact-check it.
There is no replacement for someone else proofreading your work.
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- Enlist another person to review your writing.7
Read your text in a monotone or robot voice to slow down and concentrate on each word.
This helps pull out errors.
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Use the numeric keypad to enter data so you can keep your eyes on the paper.
You don't have to take your eyes off the paper.
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Have someone unfamiliar with the topic proofread your work to identify unclear explanations and obvious errors.
They can spot where the text doesn't make sense or where you haven't explained something.
- This assumes the topic isn't extremely advanced.
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Read your writing aloud to another person.
They often catch mistakes that you miss.
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Adjust your volume range dynamically for pep talks and let your voice express genuine emotions for eulogies.
If you do not emote, the audience will not believe you.
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Edit your document in pen on a printed copy, then transfer changes to the digital file.
You end up going over the text twice, finding even more to edit when returning to the computer.
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View the mirror image of your visual designs to spot obvious flaws with a fresh perspective.
Seeing the reversed image provides a new viewpoint that reveals errors.
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Read as much as possible, especially in the genre you want to write, to improve your writing skills.
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Insert an obvious, easy-to-fix error for superiors or clients who look for flaws.
Letting them pick up on this error pleases them, assures them they are included and listened to, and gives them a positive impact on the project while allowing you to proceed with real work.
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Write nonsense text over handwritten data instead of scratching it out to make the original harder to see.
It is more difficult to see the original text compared to simple scratching.
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Redact the spaces between words as well as the words themselves.
This prevents people from guessing the original writing based on word length.
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If you are reading a biography or work by a specific authoring a distinct voice, try composing your own messages in that person's style to adopt their vocabulary.
It helps you internalize their tone and phrasing.
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Perform a 'smell test' on contracts: if something still feels off after hearing an explanation, investigate further.
The smell test determines if something seems OK or off on a basic level.
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Do not include reminders or notes within the text of your draft.
Others often forget to remove them before sharing the final version.
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Take short breaks between reading sentences and paragraphs to reset your brain.
Allowing your brain to reset improves focus when reading sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph.
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When encountering cumbersome phrasing, ask the writer what they are trying to say and document their answer.
This approach is amazingly effective.
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Keep the 'To' line empty while drafting and proofreading an email.
This prevents accidentally sending the email while it is incomplete or unedited.
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Publish an imperfect first version of documentation or drafts to invite edits and improvements.
Having something to work off allows others to add to it, change wording, fix formatting, or add tables.
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Check the sources cited in your references to find additional information and deeper context.
You will find more information this way.
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Draw sloppily drawn '8's with curved and boxy edges over letters to obscure them.
This is an old typewriter trick that will obscure almost every letter in the alphabet if done right.
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Use the search or find feature in text editors to locate specific text for replacement.
It is a good alternative method.
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Join a group like Toastmasters to practice impromptu speaking if you lack a regular partner.
Speaking on the fly requires relying on patterns practiced beforehand.
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Avoid using minimizing words like 'just', 'simply', and 'only' in written instructions.
'Just' implies simplicity that may not apply to everyone, and 'only' often applies restrictions out of context.
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Summarize sources in your own words rather than quoting entire paragraphs to demonstrate synthesis and avoid appearing rushed.
Quoting entire paragraphs word-for-word makes it obvious that the paper was done at the last minute.
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Increment an embedded number in your password to bypass policies requiring frequent changes.
The policy does not detect embedded numbers.
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Avoid watching TV or Netflix while studying or writing to prevent chaotic input from scrambling information.
Background media scrambles information into chaotic input.
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Eliminate useless words and phrases, such as 'that' or speaking-context fillers, to make writing more compact and punchy.
It improves efficiency.
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Use 'TK' as a placeholder for text to be added later.
This letter combination is rare and traditionally used for further editing.
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Look up at the audience periodically during a prepared speech.
It breaks 'Reading Autopilot' and increases engagement, preventing the speech from becoming a bland recital.
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Revise the draft to improve organization, structure, flow, completeness, and word choices before editing.
Errors fixed during editing might be changed by revision anyway, so it doesn't make sense to worry about them before finishing revising.
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Duplicate your file before making major structural changes, such as moving sections or cutting paragraphs.
Accidental large cuts combined with other edits can exhaust the undo buffer, causing significant content loss.
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Replace filler words and unnecessary phrases with silence during speeches.
In asymmetrical speech delivery, silence does not signal an incomplete statement or invite interruption as it might in conversation.
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Vary sentence length and structure to make reading more interesting.
Variety is important for engagement and is often underestimated.
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Perform final formatting only after editing is complete.
Fixing formatting issues interrupts your writing flow.
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essay, writing, paragraph, write22
Draft the main content before creating the opening and closing sections.
You cannot summarize or introduce material that has not been written yet. Completing the core text first clarifies what the framing sections should cover.
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- Draft the conclusion or summary of your essay before writing the body to establish direction.2
- Write the conclusion first to keep yourself on track while writing the body, then write the introduction last.2
Avoid rigid 5-paragraph essay formats for advanced papers like AP courses.
They may work for standardized tests but do not suffice for higher-level academic work.
- A 5-paragraph format may work for SAT, ACT, or state standardized tests.
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Start with an unfiltered, rambling rant or brain dump to get thoughts flowing before organizing them.
It helps get thoughts out when you can't get anything on paper.
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Plan your essays thoroughly rather than winging it, even if it feels like extra work initially.
Winging it can result in disconnected pages and take longer to write.
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Structure your essay outline with an Intro, three main ideas, and a Conclusion.
This prevents the essay from sounding disjointed by ensuring you have three ideas to support your argument rather than just listing facts and opinions.
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Take notes on everything you might use, including page numbers, and build chapters in bullet points before writing full prose.
This process leaves your essay half done.
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Start writing immediately because you cannot edit a blank page.
You can fix bad writing later, but you cannot fix what you haven't written.
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Limit each sentence to one thought, each paragraph to one idea, and each chapter or heading to one argument.
It makes essays more readable and sentences more concise.
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Write the introduction and conclusion of a project first.
The opening describes what you will tell the reader, and the closing summarizes what you have told them.
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Start writing with the most exciting or fun scenes to build momentum.
Getting into the writing flow makes the harder scenes easier.
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Keep the essay prompt visible while writing by typing above it so it stays just below your cursor, or split your screen to view the prompt and essay side by side.
This allows for easy reference without scrolling.
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Focus on constructing clear, basic arguments rather than demonstrating deep subject knowledge to score well on timed essays.
One person scored very well using this approach despite not considering the essays good.
- Based on one person's experience
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Write the first paragraph with an opening sentence for the overall report, three sentences covering three sub-topics, and a closing sentence summarizing what you are proving.
This structure helped one person get through high school and college.
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Avoid editing while you write; instead, keep writing and editing as separate processes.
Editing during drafting slows progress and reduces output.
- Some suggest marking weaknesses in italics to return to later, but this is considered a terrible idea by others who advocate for completely separating the two tasks.
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Write down a tentative list of points you want to mention before writing.
It provides direction and reassurance that you won't forget ideas, allowing you to focus.
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Create your thesis statement before writing the introduction.
This helps set a clear thesis statement before starting the intro paragraph.
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Include counterarguments and refute them to strengthen your argument.
profs love refutation
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- Mention a counterargument to your position and dedicate a paragraph to dismantling it to add sophistication to your essay.1
Focus on supporting your argument with counter-arguments and logical progression rather than using formulaic structures.
These elements are key to strong writing.
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Dedicate significant effort to writing the introduction sentences first.
Creating a solid foundation makes completing the rest of the essay easier.
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ink, pens, pen, higher13
Elevate your hand above the writing surface when writing left-to-right to prevent dragging over and smudging fresh ink.
Use pencils for archiving since they do not fade over time like ink does.
Ink fades with time, whereas pencil marks only disappear if wiped away.
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Store whiteboard markers standing up with the tip down to keep ink flowing to the writing end.
Gravity directs available ink to the tip rather than leaving it scattered in the pen.
- This assumes caps are put back on.
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Use Sharpie pens for instant-drying, bold black writing that does not bleed.
It dries instantly and doesn't bleed.
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Hold the pen higher to raise your hand and avoid smearing the paper.
This makes your hand higher so you don't smear the paper.
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- Elevate your hand above the writing surface when writing left-to-right to prevent dragging over and smudging fresh ink.2
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Roll the ballpoint pen on the rubber sole of your shoe to get it working again.
Shoes do not have skin oils that can clog the ball.
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Fuse shattered colored pencil leads by heating them with a hairdryer on high.
The wax binder in art pencils melts when heated, allowing the lead to fuse back together.
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Use Zebra Sarasa pens, which come in different colors.
The writer swears by this line of pens.
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Rub your eraser on denim jeans or similar cloth before using it to improve graphite removal.
It helps the eraser work much better.
- Avoid using fabrics like basketball shorts.
- Ensure you do not press too hard with the pencil initially.
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Use higher quality pens like Pilot Precise v5 or v7 instead of Bic.
They are worth every penny compared to cheaper options.
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Switch from gel pens to ballpoint or rollerball pens to reduce smearing.
Gel pens have higher ink viscosity and tend to smear more than rollerballs or ballpoints.
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Try using a fountain pen for writing on paper without backing.
It requires less pressure.
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Press gently when using whiteboard markers to avoid damaging the tip and wasting ink.
Pressing hard damages the tip and squeezes fluid out faster than intended, similar to squeezing a wet sponge.
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Use <strong> and <em> tags instead of <b> and <i> to convey meaning rather than just appearance.
They indicate 'This is a strong statement' or 'this should be emphasized'.
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Double-seal envelopes containing sensitive information with clear tape so the recipient knows if it has been opened.
The envelope cannot be steamed open without ripping the paper.
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Remove the recipient's email address while drafting and add it back only after finalizing to prevent accidental premature sending.
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