Adapted from "Writing for Beekeepers" by Carl J. Wenning
which appeared in American Bee Journal, July 2001
August 2004
As some of you already know, I'm a fairly successful freelance writer. Between July 1999 and December 2003 I had over fifty 3,000-word feature articles accepted and published in -- of all areas -- beekeeping. During this time I have written articles on a monthly basis about almost every conceivable topic in beekeeping, and then some. I've had articles accepted month after month without exception (minus one month my hard drive on laptop computer crashed and I had to recreate the article I was then working on).You might say that I know something about how to write successfully. I'd like to share some of my knowledge and experiences with you to help you write an essay in a way that pays significant dividends.
One of the questions I often receive from my readers and other freelance writers is “How can you write so much, month after month?” The best answer to this question is this, “It’s easy when one has a system.” It wasn't’t always this way. I can remember times in high school and college when writing was a real burden. It was exceedingly difficult for me to compose an essay that was even two or three double-spaced pages long. Nowadays, it’s difficult for me to adequately express my thoughts on almost any topic in less than 10 such pages – the typical length of one of my American Bee Journal articles. Why the difference? Having never departed the academic setting where writing is a large part of the work, I have learned how to write through practice over the course of many years. I have also discovered that there are techniques for writing that make the task more productive. Nonetheless, the real basis of learning how to write in a productive fashion was given to me on my mother’s knee when she mentioned that if I were to write only one page per day, I could produce a 365-page book in a single year. The idea, she told me, is to keep the task manageable. Break the big task down into manageable parts. I have never forgotten that lesson, and it’s the basis for nearly all of my writing success today.
Qualifications for Writing Perhaps the single most important prerequisite for writing essays – such as those you will be asked to write as part of you Physics Teacher Education program – is developing the qualifications to write. That is, in order to write about a topic, one has to know something about it. Today I write with ease about selected themes in science education, physics, astronomy, economics, and beekeeping. This is so because I have developed a certain amount of expertise in portions of these subject areas. One need not be an expert in all areas of a subject in order to write intelligently about selected topics within those areas; one writes only about those things with which one is familiar, has a certain degree of understanding, or can provide valuable insights. It would be a big mistake for anyone to write about those subjects of which one knows nothing. For instance, attempting to write about “gifted education” without proper background preparation would be folly in most cases. Such a paper would team with uninformed personal opinions and would be generally worthless from a professional perspective. Students should attempt first to become experts in an area before attempting to write about it. This generally means referring to professional research literature, reviewing secondary literature, doing Internet searches visiting authoritative sites, or consulting the resources provided by the course instructor. Once the student’s mind is filled with a vast amount of knowledge, only then should an effort be made to begin writing.
Another qualification for writing is knowing how to write. Putting “pen to paper” requires that the would-be author knows something about the mechanics of writing. Over the years I have poured over authors’ handbooks reviewing basic procedures for sentence and paragraph construction, punctuation, writing styles, and so on. I also have had a number of highly knowledgeable and critical readers review my articles for professionalism, logic, accuracy, completeness, and style. I have learned a thing or two from pointers they have been willing to offer. Much of my writing skill has come from hour after hour of practice. Just like any other skills in sports, art, music, languages, debate, and so on, skill in writing results from years of practice. Practice generally helps an artisan to learn and hone certain techniques, often by trial and error. Sometimes the path to expert skill can be shorted by coaches who have learned helpful techniques and are willing to share their expertise, and this is what I propose to do in the current essay.
Helpful Techniques There are several helpful techniques that can improve one’s ability to write. Among the most important is having ideas worthy of writing about. (In Physics Teacher Education the course instructor will define the topic; students will have to determine how best to address the topic!) Another is to know what is expected of you in the essay. Look at the assignment and examine it carefully. If you don’t understand what is needed, then consult the course instructor. Review the assessment rubric if one is provided. In PTE courses, hyperlinks to rubrics are typically found in the “Student Tasks/Assignments” section of the course syllabus.
After a topic has been determined and a list of ideas for inclusion in the essay generated, this should be followed by an organizational effort in which thoughts are arranged in a logical fashion. This means that topics are arranged from introduction and background, to presentation of major concepts, and to meaningful summary and ending. Novice writers (e.g., most PTE majors at the junior or senior level) should begin to write only after they have formulated a detailed outline. This step should NOT be skipped. An outline helps to organize and detail one’s thoughts, lends itself to rapid revision, and shows the logic of the thought involved in the presentation. Considerable thought should be given to outlining the essay before actually beginning the writing. Failure to do so often results in MUCH MORE TIME being spent in the writing and revision of the essay. Know before you plan; plan before you write.
Once a well-organized and detailed outline has been prepared, the author should feel free to write first about those ideas for which he or she feels the most passion. In doing so, the author will end up writing the easiest parts of the essay first, and words will readily flow. Writers would do best to skip over the more difficult parts until last. Sometimes sections are moved around when it is determined that one section will more logically precede or follow another. Only after the basic concepts to be presented in the article have been roughed out should the author begin working on the introduction and conclusion.
When writing, authors need to be comfortable and have the proper setting, conditions, equipment, and time. This generally means having a place to call one’s own, writing at a time when one is disposed to do so, and when one won’t be incessantly interrupted. A quiet home office away from the hustle and bustle of school and household activities is a must. The setting need not be formal. It might be a bedroom with a closed door; it might be a basement or upstairs room set aside for the purpose of writing. The best time to write will depend on local conditions and the preference of each author. The office should be outfitted with a computer containing up-to-date word processing software, and the author should know how to use it well. As far as time requirements, that will depend upon the general writing procedure of each author.
As one writes, the author should use the most opportune times. I tend to be most productive at night. I sometimes write after everyone else has gone to bed or before they get up in the morning. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and, instead of tossing and turning in bed, I go to my home office to write for an hour or two. Authors should take frequent breaks, even if for no more than 5 or 10 minutes. Authors probably will find that they are most productive during the first few minutes of any session. It is not uncommon for some writers to compose for 15 to 45 minutes at a time, sometimes adding only a few dozen words to the body of an essay. That’s just the nature of word crafting. Even experienced authors find themselves returning to an essay many dozens of times before it is finished.
During the first pass on an article, my writing is often very rough. I am concerned more with getting the main ideas down and making a logical argument than I am in producing a polished work. I have been told many times over the years that I am a good writer. I am usually quick to point out that this really is not the case. My usual response is, “I’m a poor writer, but I am a good reviser.” If there is a single most helpful technique in writing, it is this – revise, revise, revise. Each time an author sits down to write, the work should be reviewed from the very beginning. After that, revisions can take place in various paragraphs throughout the essay at random. Review each paragraph making certain that paragraphs start with a topic sentence. Subsequent information in that paragraph should be related to that topic sentence, and support its basic thesis. When new ideas are presented, begin a new paragraph. Also review grammar sentence by sentence. Use grammar check and spell check utilities as well, but this can be left for the very end. When working on revisions, also revise for the following: overall logic of the composition, effective transitions, word choice and phrasing, subject-verb agreement, and spelling and punctuation.
Read the nearly finished essay aloud or, if in possession of a text-to-speech synthesizer, have the computer read it aloud. Listing to the spoken word often will help draw the writer’s attention to improper grammatical construction or poor logic that otherwise might not be caught during reading. Return to the work time and again, and reread each part after a few days. What might have made sense one day could turn out to sound like gibberish the next. I will often set my essays aside for a week and then return to then for a last “once over.” Sometimes I find sentences or “logic” that still aren’t clear or simply don’t make sense. I then begin make additional revisions. Once the work is complete, I print the essay using double spacing and allow one or two others to review my work. Ask others to critically review your essay for style, logic, organization, factual accuracy, grammar, and general impression. Once this review is complete, make final changes taking into account all suitable recommendations for change. In PTE you are encouraged to take advantage of the Student Assessment-as-Learning policy to get comments and recommendations from your course instructor. This policy is more completely defined in PTE course syllabi.
Common Mistakes As coordinator of a physics teacher education program, I spend a significant amount of my time reviewing essays from students enrolled in my “methods” courses. Besides basic “mechanical” problems such as poor grammar, improper word choice, and incorrect spelling, I also see unstructured thoughts. Ideas are sometimes presented helter-skelter, the presentation is unprofessional, and the essay fails to make sense or have the intended impact. These problems generally result from a lack of research and outlining before writing, a lack of proper attention to detail, and a lack of review and revision. A problem can result if an author fails to review the outline once the basic essay is drafted. When writing, an author naturally will add ideas that are not part of the original outline and delete others. This can lead to changes in the flow of the essay. A key problem for novice authors is expecting to write an entire essay at one sitting. This often results from waiting until the last minute to begin writing. This problem can be alleviated by pacing oneself, and leaving adequate time for proper review. If one works on an essay from time to time over the course of a month or two, new ideas will present themselves on a fairly regular basis in day to day discussions and readings. These ideas should be written down as they come to the author’s attention. A number of small insights can then be cobbled together to produce an essay of improved quality.
Characteristics of a Good Writer Are good writers born, or are they developed? In my estimation good writers – like good teachers – are developed, not born. Over the years of working with my own students I have seen some mature from poor to excellent writers. People with a desire to write can learn to write well if they are willing to put in the time and effort required to do so. People who prove to be the best writers are those who are willing to take the time to know what they are writing about, gain and provide new insights, and spare no effort in making their point clearly, logically, and professionally. Becoming a good writer requires a strong personal commitment to accuracy and a desire to make a meaningful contribution. Becoming a good writer requires a willingness to put in the time to research and/or reflect on a variety of subjects. It requires people who are willing to work hard, and see a writing project through to the end. This often requires a person who enjoys writing for its own sake.
Rewards of Writing As a PTE instructor, I'm often asked why I expect my students to do so much writing. The reason is relatively simple. Writing allows an author to learn more and organize one’s thinking. Once an author becomes experienced, writing becomes one of the best ways to achieve accurate self-expression. In what other form of communication can one think long and hard about something, research it, state it, revise it, and reflect upon it before sharing it publicly? Writing really IS one of the very best ways of “putting one’s best foot forward.” Writing is also an excellent way to learn about a topic in depth. By reflecting upon a particular topic at length and organizing one’s thoughts, a writer really can learn a significant amount.
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GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE PTE ESSAY RUBRIC
A standard RUBRIC will normally be used to assess the quality of your essays. What follows are a few of my comments in relation to that rubric. After grading essays over the course of many years, I have come to the conclusion that there are certain things for which I am looking…
Organization: There is certain structure to any essay: introduction, body, and conclusion. Your essay should start with a thesis statement, and move on from there. A well organized essay is one that follows an outline.
Writing Style: Each person will have a different writing style, but there are certain minimum standards for what constitutes professional writing style. For instance, avoid the use of the word "you." Avoid being too familiar with the reader; write from a detached perspective.
Professionalism: In addition to delivery, content is a critical element of professionally written essays. Professionalism is found in what is said and the way it is said. Few errors in logic or judgment are made in professionally written essays. Each clearly shows the evidence of a significant effort to say something accurately and concisely.
Accuracy: Perhaps the most important consideration to keep in mind when writing is to be as accurate as possible. What goes into print (or his handed to your classmates) remains in print, and retractions or corrections hardly ever do a suitable job of removing false claims from readers’ minds once the ideas get established. It is incumbent upon an author, therefore, to be accurate to the best of his or her ability. Remember, your course instructor probably knows a fair bit about the topic of which you write. Inaccuracies will be pointed out and appropriately penalized when they are found.
Citations: Citing authoritative sources when making statements of fact that are not common knowledge is a must. It’s a good idea for at least three reasons: (1) it lends credibility to the author of an article when he is able to cite an authority for an unfamiliar claim; (2) it helps readers who care to find additional information, and (3) it gives credit where credit is due. An important caveat here is to know one’s sources. Repeating opinions picked up in personal discussions or off the Internet can be problematical if they are presented as facts. It is best to stick with authoritative sources that have had at least a modicum of peer review. This generally means referring to articles published in reputable beekeeping journals, or books written by well-known beekeeping authors. Granted, there are often differences of opinion, and it should be made clear to a reader when “mere human opinion” is being expressed. When quoting others, every effort should be made to ensure the proper meaning of the statement, and the precise location of the reference should be given, even down to the page number. No one wants to be quoted out of context, because it can give a misleading impression of the author’s true intent. Even when not directly quoting another author, writers should be certain to include references at the end of every essay fore, clearly, most ideas expressed won’t be new and general acknowledgement should be provided by way of the references.
Completeness: When writing your essay, be certain to do a complete job of the task. Telling only part of the story is akin to misrepresentation. This is where the project guidelines, outline, and a broad understanding of the subject come into play.
Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation: In this day and age with computer-assisted creation of written documents, there should be no excuse for spelling and grammar errors. Misuse of a word (affect for effect for instance) is understandable, but should be avoided. When in doubt, look up the word in the computer's thesaurus. Lot's of students have problems with the use of commas. The most irritating and common form of this error is to fail to include a comma in a conditional statement. "If red then stop." should be written correctly as "If red, then stop." If you are uncertain about the use of commas, review a writer's handbook.
Format and Appearance: Follow the guidelines. Don't confuse 1.5 spacing with double spacing as has been done.
References: References should be given even in never directly quoted or cited. Few of us come up with truly unique ideas, and it's nice to know where ideas originated if the reader is interested in pursuing the topic further. References should follow the APA format in PTE courses.
Lesson Objectives: If lesson objectives are included, they should be student performance-based objectives meeting specific criteria.
Script Length: See the rubric for details here.
Integrity: Plagiarism is the greatest threat to an author's integrity. When you say something, say it in your own words. Don't "lift" sentences from other writers expecting to get away with it. If a student who is not well spoken writes like Shakespeare, this is a red flag to the reviewer.