• Start early. Academic writing usually takes longer than writing a paper in high school.
• Read through your articles, web sites and other sources of research.
• Use your research question to guide your writing. Make sure you support your main point or thesis. Make an outline before you start writing.
• Use specific examples, evidence, quotations from books and articles to make your arguments.
• If you are having writer's block, try to focus on getting your idea's down in rough format.
• Set your assignment aside for at least a day before revising. You will have a fresh perspective.
• Read aloud to catch errors. Proofread more than once. Show your draft to a TA or skilled friend for proofreading.