Writing Resources

This SUPERB animation demonstrates the process of writing. Indeed, writing is a complex activity, but this entertaining and beautifully designed animation summarizes writing in a fun and interesting animation.

“Writing anxiety” and “writer’s block” are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person’s writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel.You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate suggesting coffee. In other words, writing anxiety and writers’ block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren’t born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing. From The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Writing is a recursive process in which through distinct steps you build and develop ideas. You often return to previous steps as you prepare, develop, draft, and revise your writing. This is an excellent overview of the writing process. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (n.d.). Resources for writers: The writing process. Comparative Media Studies Writing. https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/resources/writers/writing-process/

This video introduces resources to explain the relationship of writing to thinking and strategies for overcoming writing anxiety.

Five-minute (SUPERB) video that describes some of the principles of critical thinking.

Elements of Thought presented as a "wheel" model. Superb resource for developing ideas and organizing an argument, paper, or presentation. See More below.

“Writing anxiety” and “writer’s block” are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person’s writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel.You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate suggesting coffee. In other words, writing anxiety and writers’ block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren’t born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing. From The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This EXCELLENT site on Writing Commons offers links for stages of the composition process: Composing, Drafting, and The Writing Process.--with sections such as Invention, Writing with Sources, Design, Organization, Revision, and Editing.

This site offers (a) a series of brief videos for how to overcome "writer's block," and (b) an excellent handout with strategies for establishing good writing habits for productivity and creativity.

This article introduces academic writers to habits that contribute to successful writing: Return, Revise, Risk, Reject--presented in one paragraph ([how writing works). Moxley, J. M. (n.d.) Develop Effective Writing Habits. Writing Commons. https://writingcommons.org/article/develop-effective-writing-habits/

These guides provide advice on composing processes such as developing ideas, choosing and refining topics, reading critically, planning your document, and organizing your ideas. Use these guides to help yourself start and prepare to write a document.

The double-entry form shows the direct quotation on the left side of the page and your response to it on the right. There are two advantages to this technique: First, it helps you think about your subject; second, it helps you step away from your sources and discover your own approach and voice. Moxley, J. M. (n.d.). Double-entry response format. Writing Commons. https://writingcommons.org/article/double-entry-response-format/

Tips for planning. Rushing straight from point A to point B is not always the swiftest way to the destination. Sometimes it makes sense to pause for a few moments and ask questions to guide your process. Moxley, J. M. (n.d.). Plan your writing. Writing Commons. https://writingcommons.org/article/plan-your-writing/

Describes approaches for planning and conducting searches for information. Links to guides for library and electronic searches.

This handout will help you understand why you procrastinate and offer strategies to combat this common writer's ailment. From UNC-Writing Center.

This is a "padlet," a visual layout of captioned sites: videos and tips for studying. Dr. Tanya Tanner created this for NM702 to help students learn study skills.

This series of videos offers strategies for metacognition (thinking about your own thinking) to apply to advance your study and thinking skills. Stephen Chew, PhD, Samford University. Dr. Chew is an expert in how people learn and think.

This series of videos offers strategies for metacognition (thinking about your own thinking) to apply to advance your study and thinking skills. Stephen Chew, PhD, Samford University. Dr. Chew is an expert in how people learn and think.

This series of videos offers strategies for metacognition (thinking about your own thinking) to apply to advance your study and thinking skills. Stephen Chew, PhD, Samford University. Dr. Chew is an expert in how people learn and think.

This series of videos offers strategies for metacognition (thinking about your own thinking) to apply to advance your study and thinking skills. Stephen Chew, PhD, Samford University. Dr. Chew is an expert in how people learn and think.

This series of videos offers strategies for metacognition (thinking about your own thinking) to apply to advance your study and thinking skills. Stephen Chew, PhD, Samford University. Dr. Chew is an expert in how people learn and think.