What Do I Do When I Get a Writing Assignment?

When I get a writing assignment I am usually extremely overwhelmed. However, this does not last long. I start by figuring out the main purpose of the assignment. Am I going to be writing a research paper, a narrative, an argumentative essay, or what? After I figure out what kind of writing I’m going to be doing I find the different requirements and deadlines for the essay. I try and write down all of my due dates in my planner so I do not miss any. Once I do that, I start to think about my topic. Am I assigned a specific topic? If not, I tend to stick to things I’m interested in or are somewhat familiar with. I find it easier to write about something I enjoy. Pre-writing is something I have grown out of as I’ve gotten older. When I was in Middle School, it was engraved in our brains that making an outline is the only way to write. Sure, it certainly does help, but it is not the only way to write. I like to write my thesis first. From here, I can usually begin to write my essay. I like to have my sources close at hand so I can quickly reference them, if need be. Once I finish my rough draft, I go through and make sure there are no mistakes. I usually get some friends to read through it before I start rewriting. I’m not going to lie, I don’t usually change much when I rewrite. That doesn’t mean I don’t fix my mistakes, though. Once I make sure that everything is perfect, I submit the assignment! That is how I go about all of my writing assignments. Happy writing!