word hacks for essays

44 Most Powerful Essay Hacks To Write Great Essays Quickly

Declan Gessel

Mar 28, 2024

Essay hacks are like hidden treasures for students, offering invaluable shortcuts and proven strategies to ace your writing assignments. Good ways to start an essay should be at the top of your list. If you’re tired of staring at a blank page, then these hacks are perfect for you. Let’s dive into the world of essay hacks for good ways to start an essay with a bang.

Table of Contents

Why hacks are needed sometimes, the importance of writing an essay outline, how to effectively manage time when writing an essay, how to quickly learn about new topics for an essay, write smarter with jotbot — start writing for free today.

When I sit down to write an essay, I know that I have to put in a lot of hard work. But there are times when that effort just isn't enough. That's when I turn to my favorite essay hacks to help me out. Save yourself some time and effort by grabbing some writing hacks of your own. If you’re looking for some inspiration, Jotbot has plenty of useful tools to get you started.

Write smarter, not harder with Jotbot. Start writing for free with Jotbot today — sign in with Google and get started in seconds.

Related Reading

• How To Shorten An Essay • Essay Planning

1. Set Clear Goals

One of the most powerful essay hacks is setting clear goals before you start writing. This will guide your writing process and help you stay on track.

2. Create an Outline

Creating an outline before you start writing can save you a lot of time in the long run. It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that your essay flows smoothly.

3. Use Reliable Sources

Using reliable sources to back up your arguments is crucial for writing a great essay. It adds credibility to your work and demonstrates that you've done your research.

4. Start with the Body

Starting with the body of your essay rather than the introduction can help you get your ideas on paper more quickly. You can always go back and write the introduction later.

5. Write Every Day

Developing a habit of writing every day can help you improve your writing skills and make writing essays easier and faster.

6. Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience can help you tailor your writing to their needs and preferences, making your essay more engaging and persuasive.

7. Use Active Voice

Using active voice in your writing makes your essay more dynamic and engaging. It also helps you write more concisely and clearly.

8. Avoid Passive Voice

Avoiding passive voice can help you write more clearly and effectively. It also makes your writing more engaging to read.

9. Use Transition Words

Using transition words can help your essay flow more smoothly and make it easier to follow. It also adds variety to your writing.

10. Proofread Carefully

Taking the time to proofread your essay carefully can help you catch errors and improve the overall quality of your writing.

11. Take Breaks

Taking breaks while writing can help you stay focused and avoid burnout. It can also help you come back to your writing with a fresh perspective.

12. Use Writing Prompts

Using writing prompts can help you overcome writer's block and generate new ideas for your essay.

13. Be Concise

Being concise in your writing can help you get your point across more clearly and effectively. It also makes your essay more engaging to read.

14. Use Simple Language

Using simple language in your writing can make your essay more accessible and engaging. It also makes your writing easier to understand.

15. Get Feedback

Getting feedback on your writing can help you identify areas for improvement and make your essay stronger.

16. Revise and Edit

Taking the time to revise and edit your essay can help you catch errors and improve the overall quality of your writing.

17. Use Examples

Using examples to illustrate your points can make your essay more persuasive and engaging. It also helps your readers understand your arguments more clearly.

18. Avoid Jargon

Avoiding jargon in your writing can help you reach a wider audience and make your essay more accessible.

19. Write Clearly

Writing clearly can help you get your point across more effectively and make your essay more engaging to read.

20. Be Consistent

Being consistent in your writing can help you create a cohesive essay that flows smoothly and makes sense.

21. Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help you communicate complex ideas more effectively and make your essay more engaging to read.

22. Be Specific

Being specific in your writing can help you make your points more clearly and persuasively.

23. Use Quotes

Using quotes from experts can add credibility to your arguments and make your essay more persuasive.

24. Avoid Plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism is crucial for writing a great essay. It's important to cite your sources properly and give credit where it's due.

25. Be Creative

Being creative in your writing can help you make your essay more engaging and memorable.

26. Stay Organized

Staying organized while writing can help you stay on track and make your essay more coherent and logical.

27. Use Headings

Using headings can help you organize your essay and make it easier to follow. It also makes your essay more visually appealing.

28. Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Writing a strong thesis statement can help you clarify your arguments and guide the rest of your essay.

29. Use Bullet Points

Using bullet points can help you organize your ideas more effectively and make your essay easier to read.

30. Use Lists

Using lists can help you break down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable chunks and make your essay easier to follow.

31. Write a Compelling Introduction

Writing a compelling introduction can help you grab your readers' attention and make them want to keep reading.

32. Write a Strong Conclusion

Writing a strong conclusion can help you tie up your essay and leave your readers with a lasting impression.

33. Use Keywords

Using keywords in your writing can help you optimize your essay for search engines and reach a wider audience.

34. Write in the Active Voice

Writing in an active voice can make your writing more dynamic and engaging. It also helps you write more concisely and clearly.

35. Use Strong Verbs

Using strong verbs in your writing can help you communicate your ideas more effectively and make your writing more engaging to read.

36. Be Confident

Being confident in your writing can help you convey your ideas more persuasively and make your essay more compelling.

37. Be Persuasive

Being persuasive in your writing can help you convince your readers of your arguments and make your essay more compelling.

38. Use Imagery

Using imagery in your writing can help you paint a vivid picture for your readers and make your essay more engaging.

39. Be Authentic

Being authentic in your writing can help you connect with your readers and make your essay more relatable.

40. Use Analogies

Using analogies can help you explain complex ideas more clearly and make your essay more engaging to read.

41. Write with Passion

Writing with passion can help you create a compelling essay that resonates with your readers.

42. Use Humor

Using humor in your writing can help you engage your readers and make your essay more memorable.

43. Be Emotive

Being emotive in your writing can help you connect with your readers on a deeper level and make your essay more impactful.

44. Be Open-Minded

Being open-minded in your writing can help you explore new ideas and perspectives and make your essay more engaging to read.

• How To Make An Essay Longer • Essay Introduction Examples • How To Use Chatgpt To Write An Essay • Can Chatgpt Write Essays • How To Write An Essay Fast • How To Write A Paper Fast • How To Make Your Essay Longer Hacks • How To Write Essays Faster • How To Improve Essay Writing • How To Make An Essay Better • How Long Should It Take To Write An Essay • How To Find Sources For An Essay • How To Overcome Writer's Block Essay

Outlining is like using a map when you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place. It gives you a clear direction and helps you stay on track. When you create an outline for your essay, you organize your thoughts and ideas before you start writing. This helps you see the big picture and the small details, making it easier to write efficiently.

Outlining in Maintaining Focus and Direction

When you know where you’re going, it’s easier to get there. Outlining helps you stay focused. You won’t waste time writing off-topic paragraphs or going down a rabbit hole that leads nowhere. You can easily refer back to your outline to remind yourself what you’re writing about, which keeps you on track and on time.

Enhancing Essay Organization and Clarity

Outlines also help you organize your ideas logically. You can see how your different points relate to each other and decide on the best order for presenting them. This makes your essay easier to write and easier to read, which is a win-win situation. Plus, if you write a detailed outline, you can use it as a roadmap for your essay . All you have to do is fill in the blanks with sentences and paragraphs, and you’re good to go.

The Foundation for Effective Essay Structure

Writing an outline before you start writing your essay is like building a scaffold before you start putting up walls. It gives you structure and support when you need it most. Think of your outline as the blueprint for your essay. It helps you see the big picture and the small details, so you can write faster, better, and smarter.

Harnessing Outlines as a Key Tool for Improved Essay Writing

So, if you’re looking to improve your essay writing skills, start by working on your outlines. They’re like a secret weapon that can help you write faster, better essays in less time. And who doesn’t want that?

To manage time effectively when writing an essay, I recommend creating a detailed outline before diving into the actual writing process. This helps provide a roadmap for your essay, ensuring you stay on track and don’t waste time going off on tangents. Set specific deadlines for each section of your essay, breaking down the writing process into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will help you stay on track and avoid procrastination. 

Consider using tools like Jotbot's AI outlining feature to speed up the outlining process and save you time. Make sure to take breaks during your writing process to avoid burnout and maintain productivity.

Boost Your Writing Efficiency

Jotbot is your personal document assistant. Jotbot does AI note-taking, AI video summarizing, AI citation/source finder, it writes AI outlines for essays, and even writes entire essays with Jotbot’s AI essay writer. Join 500,000+ writers, students, teams, and researchers around the world to write more, write better, and write faster with Jotbot.

My speed in writing essays is directly proportional to the depth of my understanding of the topic at hand. When I'm familiar with the subject matter, my writing process is quicker, more fluid, and requires less research time. This allows me to spend more time focusing on the actual composition of the essay, and less time on preliminary research and fact-checking.

Starting Strong

To quickly get acquainted with a new topic and boost your writing speed, I recommend starting with a broad overview of the subject. Look for high-level summaries, introductory videos, or general articles that provide an overview of the topic. Once you have grasped the basic concepts and terminologies, narrow your focus to specific subtopics or areas of interest within the larger subject.

Deepening Your Understanding

Dive into more detailed resources such as scholarly articles, research papers, or expert blogs to deepen your knowledge. Take note of key arguments, evidence, and counterarguments in these resources. This will help you form a well-rounded understanding of the topic, which you can use to craft a comprehensive essay.

Efficient Research with AI-Powered Tools like Jotbot

It's essential to leverage tools and resources that can aid in your understanding and research process. Platforms like Jotbot offer AI note-taking, video summarizing, and citation/source finding features, which can help you quickly gather and organize information for your essay. With Jotbot's AI essay writer, you can even generate outlines and full essays based on your research, saving you time and effort in the writing process.

Boosting Writing Speed and Efficiency

Incorporating these strategies into your essay writing routine can significantly improve your writing speed, especially when dealing with unfamiliar topics By leveraging tools like Jotbot, you can write smarter, not harder, and boost your efficiency and productivity as a writer. Join the community of over 500,000 writers, students, teams, and researchers around the world who are using Jotbot to write more, write better, and write faster.

There are numerous tools and resources that can significantly enhance the writing process. One of the tools that is impressive is Jotbot. Jotbot is an AI-powered assistant that can drastically improve your writing efficiency and quality. Here's how Jotbot can transform your writing journey.

AI Note Taking for Better Organization

Jotbot can assist you in taking notes during your research process. By using Jotbot's AI note-taking feature, you can easily collect and organize information from various sources. This way, you ensure that you never lose valuable information and can quickly refer back to it when needed.

AI Video Summarizing for Efficient Research

Are you someone who finds it challenging to summarize long video lectures or documentaries? Jotbot's AI video summarizing feature can help you with that. By using Jotbot, all you need to do is provide the video link, and it will generate a concise summary for you. This way, you can save time and focus on more critical tasks.

AI Citation/Source Finder for Accurate References

Creating a bibliography can be a tedious task for many writers. With Jotbot's AI citation and source finder, you can easily generate accurate references for your essay. By simply inputting the relevant information, Jotbot will create a well-structured citation for you, saving you time and ensuring that your work is properly referenced.

AI Outlines for Essay Structure

Structuring an essay can be daunting, especially if you're dealing with a complex topic. Jotbot can assist you by generating AI outlines for your essays. By using the generated outline as a roadmap, you can ensure that your essay has a logical flow and addresses all the necessary points effectively.

AI Essay Writer for Streamlined Writing

One of the most impressive features of Jotbot is its AI essay writer. With Jotbot, you can generate entire essays on various topics in a matter of seconds. This feature can be particularly helpful when you're short on time or experiencing writer's block. Jotbot's AI essay writer ensures that you always have content to work with, helping you overcome any writing challenges quickly.

Don't Miss Out on Jotbot's Writing Power

Jotbot is a valuable tool for writers, students, teams, and researchers looking to enhance their writing capabilities. By leveraging Jotbot's AI features, you can write smarter, not harder . Join over 500,000 users worldwide and start writing for free with Jotbot today. 

Sign in with Google and get started in seconds to experience the full potential of Jotbot in transforming your writing process.

• Essay Extender • Best Ai For Writing • Chat Gpt Essay Writer • Best Essay Writing Service Reviews • Quillbot Alternatives • Jasper Ai Essay • Best Ai For Academic Writing • Conch Ai Alternative • Essay Writing Tools • Collegeessay.org • Best Ai Essay Writers • Writesonic Alternatives

Trusted by top universities and businesses

Loved by 1,000,000+

Write more, better, faster..

Your personal AI document assistant

Start writing — it's free

Your personal document assistant.

Start for free

Press enquiries

Influencer Program

Affiliate Program

Terms & Conditions

Privacy policy

AI Essay Writer

AI Source Finder

AI Outline Generator

How to Use JotBot AI

© 2023 JotBot AI by SLAM Ventures, LLC all rights reserved

© 2023 SLAM Ventures, LLC

14 Essay Hacks That Will Make Writing an Essay a Breeze

Essay hacks can make the process of writing a great essay just that little bit easier.

Here are some tried-and-tested tricks and hacks that will help you write a grade-A paper.

14 Brilliant Essay Hacks

1) use wikipedia… but smartly.

Our online essay editors will be quick to tell you that Wikipedia isn’t exactly the most reliable or credible source for essay material. However, if you’re a bit smart about it, you can use Wikipedia to get great results.

The hack is to use Wikipedia to find useful sources as opposed to citing it as a source in itself.

Let’s say you’re writing an essay on Kant’s Theory of Freedom. Simply perform a search on the Philosophy of Freedom on Wikipedia and scroll down to the bottom. You’ll be presented with a ton of relevant sources you can then target in your research. Suddenly, finding useful sources became so much easier!

2) Use Google Scholar

Don’t use the standard Google browser for your academic work and essays; use Google Scholar instead.

Google Scholar is an index of scholarly and peer-reviewed publications. By using the Google Scholar search engine, you limit the search results to academic works and, as such, avoid reams of irrelevant or unreliable sources.

Unfortunately, many of the articles that are indexed on Google Scholar are not free to access; however, it can help you find the titles of articles and papers that will be useful for your essay, and you can subsequently look them up in your university library.

3) Conduct Backward Searches

So now you’ve got with the program and are using Google Scholar instead of the standard Google search engine, you can exploit this essay hack to its maximum potential by using the backward search function.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay on the theme of time in Romeo and Juliet.

Simply perform a search on the topic of interest, “theme of time in Romeo and Juliet,” and you’ll be presented with a list of clickable links you can reference to find content and articles that have cited that source.

This provides a really useful way of finding sources that have been used for similar research purposes to your own, which can be useful for two main reasons. First, it can help you find additional information sources. Second, it can give you confidence that a given source is relevant to your paper.

4) Use Google Scholar’s Cite Function

So, we’ve already established that Google Scholar is a great search engine for finding useful information sources for your paper. But did you know you can also use it to help you compile your bibliography?

Simply click on the cite button (currently denoted by double quotation marks) that appears below the listing you want to add to your bibliography, and a new window will open with a range of citation options.

Choose the style guide you wish to follow, and the correct citation format will be generated for you. You can then copy and paste this into your reference page.

5) Manage Your Time Using the Pomodoro Technique

Don’t attempt to write a full paper in one sitting. In addition to being incredibly mind-numbing, focusing on one task for a long time without taking a break will lead to poor output.

Set a timer for 25-minutes. Once that point is reached, take a five-minute break from your computer or reading to stretch your legs, get something to drink, use the bathroom, or fix yourself a snack.

After five minutes, get back to work for a further 25 minutes.

Rinse and repeat until your essay is finished.

6) Nail the Introduction

The introduction is quite possibly the most important paragraph in your entire essay.

If you get that right, you’ll be a long way toward your goal of writing a great essay.

For practical tips to help you master the fine art of the introduction, check out our guide to writing an introduction .

7) Remove Distractions

If you’re easily distracted by applications such as Facebook and Instagram, try using an app that will prevent you from accessing the sites you regularly waste time on so you can concentrate on your paper. ColdTurkey (for Windows) and SelfControl (for Mac) will block the websites you list so all distractions are automatically removed.

8) Nail the Thesis Statement

If you want to write an essay that impresses, make sure you write a succinct and compelling thesis statement. Check out our guide to writing a thesis statement for further information.

9) Work in the Cloud

There’s nothing worse than your computer breaking hours before a deadline or a power cut, meaning you suddenly lose all your work. Work in the cloud using applications such as Google Office Docs 365 or iCloud and you’ll never have to run the risk of suddenly losing all your work again. What’s more, using a mobile device, you can work from anywhere in the world at any time.

10) Make Zotero Your Best Friend

If you’re a student, Zotero could well be the best essay hack you’ll ever discover. You can use it as a Firefox plugin to find and store references or as a Word plugin that automatically interacts with all the information you have saved in Firefox to insert automatic citations in your paper at the click of button. Another click, and Zotero will even create your bibliography for you. Referencing and citations simply couldn’t get any easier.

11) Use Evernote to Keep Track of Things

If you’re writing a large essay or performing an extensive study for your dissertation or thesis, you can use Evernote to take ongoing notes, keep track of your diary, and store important articles that you may want to access at a later date. The app automatically updates on an ongoing basis, so everything you write will be stored in the cloud. What’s more, as Evernote automatically syncs the stored content across your devices, you can quickly and easily pick up where you left off, even if it’s on a different computer.

12) Avoid Meaningless Words

If you want to ensure your essay reads well and comes across as scholarly and succinct, make sure you avoid using meaningless words in your paper. Check out our guide to words you shouldn’t use in an essay .

13) Talk, Don’t Type

If your typing skills are not quite up to the mark, Dragon voice recognition software can help you to efficiently translate your thoughts into text. Simply dictate the words you want to use, and they will be translated into text-based language. Dragon can be particularly useful when you want to quickly and easily get your thoughts down in text form.

14) Ask Someone to Peer Edit Your Paper

When you have spent hours working on an essay, you may no longer be able to see the wood for the trees. That’s where peer editing can come in handy. Ask a friend or family member to peer edit your essay and he or she will be able to spot any errors you’ve missed, provide constructive feedback on how it can be improved, and even point out any areas you haven’t taken into consideration.

Got any useful essay hacks to share? Leave a comment and let us know.

2 thoughts on “14 Essay Hacks That Will Make Writing an Essay a Breeze”

• Pingback: Editing an Essay the Easy Way in 2023
• Pingback: The Secrets to Writing Amazing Argumentative Essays - Vappingo

Comments are closed.

Writing Prompts

Make Writing A Habit

12 Essay-Writing Hacks from a Professional Editor

As a professional editor, I’ve edited all kinds of documents, not the least of which are essays. I’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Look, it’s easy to write a bad essay when it’s due in less than 24 hours (we’ve all been there), but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to write a good essay. To write a good essay, you just have to know what to look for to make weak writing stronger.

Simply looking is the number one job of a professional editor (outside of drinking coffee) because looking leads to discovering —and once you find your errors, improvement is just around the corner.

After editing over a million words, I’ve come to understand what makes a good essay and what makes a bad essay, and I have a few practical tips—essay hacks, if you will—for improving your own essay-writing skills.

1. Befriend your argument.

Make sure you know everything there is to know about your argument. That means you should understand exactly what it is you’re arguing and why. If your argument was an elevator pitch and you had to explain it to someone in just a minute or two, could you? If the answer is “No,” revisit the main point of your essay. Do more research to make sure you know the topic inside and out.

The reason you need to be prepared is that, if there’s any proof that can shoot your argument down, you not only need to shield those bullets but also to ricochet them back. Don’t just know your argument—befriend it. Find out its strengths and its weaknesses.

2. Challenge every idea.

If you have any questions about your topic, subject, or field, ask them as soon as you can. Hitting a snag later can stall progress on your essay, so if you can hit all the major weak points early on, you can avoid finding major flaws in your argument later.

Challenge anything that causes questions to sprout and play the devil’s advocate for your own argument. If you’ve identified these weaknesses before, now is the time to investigate further and begin to clarify anything that might still be fuzzy.

3. Select your sources carefully.

When selecting your sources, be picky. Don’t resort to using online sources just because they’re easily accessible. Try to use all kinds of different sources, but only if they’re current. Don’t pick a dusty old book from the library just to have a print source in your references list.

Choose current and relevant sources from trustworthy or notable scholars in the field. If your proof is questionable, your whole argument will fall apart, so choose your sources like you would an all-star team if you want to knock your essay out of the park.

4. Start writing early.

This is important: make sure you start writing early. Don’t put your essay off until the last minute. Do you know what’s waiting for you at the last minute? Regret and sadness.

Kickstart yourself now so you don’t kick yourself later. If you need to set an early deadline for yourself or split the essay writing into manageable chunks, do it. Just make sure you start early so you have time to solve any problems you run into later.

5. Organize for clarity.

The structure of your essay is every bit as important as the argument itself. If you have a flimsy structure, there’s no firm foundation to build the essay on; if there’s no firm foundation, your essay could collapse at any moment.

Focus on structuring your essay before you start writing. How will you arrange your argument and provide evidence in a cohesive and logical way? It’s better to answer that question earlier rather than later. Use transitions to ensure your argument flows logically from one point to the next.

6. Watch your tense and voice.

First, use the active voice when you write your essay (unless otherwise instructed). Second, avoid personal pronouns to maintain objectivity if need be (e.g., in scientific and other formal writing).

Third, you should write in the literary present, meaning that all actions performed in the text should be explained in the present tense rather than the past.

Finally, avoid using clichés. Since you want to present original thoughts, overused phrases need to be cut.

7. Explain everything clearly.

Any time you make a point, explain it clearly—even if you think it’s obvious. Your argument will be obvious to you (since you’ve befriended it), but it’s brand new to the reader. Your argument is meeting your reader for the first time, and like any new friends, they need introducing. If you fail to introduce them properly, things will get very confusing and awkward.

8. Be succinct.

Sentences should be straightforward, communicating one point at a time; cut all unnecessary words. You’ll also want to eliminate any repetition. It’s easy to say the same things over and over again in an essay, but doing so won’t strengthen your argument.

Cut unnecessary phrases and anything wordy or redundant, including phrases that don’t add information, such as “it should be pointed out that” or “due to the fact that.” Similarly, don’t ramble on about the same topic or go off on a tangent in the middle of your essay.

9. Avoid academese at all costs.

Try to keep things simple. While you shouldn’t talk down to your audience or explain every technical term, you should always be concise. Most importantly, don’t ever use words or phrases that you think will make you sound smarter.

It’s always best to be straightforward, so use the right vocabulary to say exactly what you want to say. It’s embarrassing if you try to use a fancy word only to find it doesn’t mean what you thought it meant .

10. Be aware of your word count.

Don’t go over your word count. Most markers will stop marking at the last word within the word count, so it’s crucial that you stay within it if you want to do well.

However, you also don’t want to stay severely lower than the word count provided. While you shouldn’t pad the essay by adding information that isn’t necessary to your argument or relevant to the topic at hand, you should get as close to the word count as possible by thoroughly exploring your topic and elaborating on your argument.

11. Carefully cite everything.

Unless you want to face a failing grade, academic probation, or even expulsion, you need to cite all of your sources. There are many types of plagiarism, but as long as you take good notes during your research and credit your sources, it’s easy to avoid plagiarism.

Your academic integrity is at stake here, so ensure that you are overly cautious in recording the necessary material. Be vigilant in confirming that you’ve documented everything fully and correctly.

12. Revise extensively.

Every good essay has been revised at least once, which means you, too, should tighten your writing. Comb through and ensure that everything is clear, consistent, and flows well. Once you’re happy with the content of your essay, you can sweat the small stuff, like grammar and spelling errors.

Even brilliant essays receive lower grades if simple mistakes are left in the document, so consider getting a second opinion and having an expert look over your writing for both form and content. At the very least, run a spell and grammar check. You’ll be so happy you did.

Essay writing doesn’t have to be hard. Anyone can write a good essay with the proper tools. These essay hacks are part of your toolkit, which you can use to improve your essay writing. Go from good to great by considering these tips and implementing them when writing your next essay.

If you would prefer a step-by-step guide for essay writing and want to improve your skills once and for all, you might want to think about taking a course to organize and write good essays every time.

Instantly enhance your writing in real-time while you type. With LanguageTool

Get started for free

Improve Your Writing With These Five Writer’s Hacks

We’ll teach you five easy-to-do hacks that will enhance your writing.

Five Writing Hacks:

• Organize your writing using headings and lists.
• Implement the rule of three.
• Avoid wordiness.
• Use synonyms.
• Step away and then rewrite.

Hooking your reader’s attention is no easy feat. Even successful, well-known writers use writing hacks to make sure their audience starts and continues reading all of their text. We’ll share five writers hacks that will make your writing irresistible to readers.

1) Organize Your Writing Using Headings and Lists

If readers happen upon your writing and see sentence after sentence with no breaks in between, they might feel intimidated by the length and avoid reading it altogether. But here’s an easy writing hack: organize your text using headings and lists.

Texts with headings, subheadings, and lists appear less overwhelming and more reader-friendly. Using this writing hack appeals to both types of readers: those that read the writing entirely and those that merely skim it.

2) Implement the Rule of Three

The rule of three is a straightforward and effective writing hack that takes advantage of our brain’s ability to recognize patterns. Because three is the smallest pattern humans can remember, using this hack in your writing makes it memorable. Consider these famous quotes that use the rule of three:

• “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
• “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”
• “Friends, Roman, countrymen, lend me your ears…”

Applying the rule of three is simple, and there are many ways to implement it into your writing. A few methods include: breaking up your writing into three sections (if possible), incorporating three main characters , or using it on a per-sentence basis.

Another example of the rule of three in action is in Goldilocks and the Three Bears . Goldilocks:

• Eats their porridge (that were too hot, too cold, and just right)
• Attempts to sit on their chairs (that were big, bigger, and just right)
• Tries to sleep on their beds (that were too hard, too soft, and just right)

3) Avoid Wordiness

Effective writing is direct and concise. Another writing hack you can apply to make sure your readers stay hooked is to avoid wordiness . This means omitting wordy phrases, eliminating redundancies, and steering clear of unnecessary adjectives. A sentence that includes wordiness might end up distracting your reader instead of helping them focus on your text:

• In order to get married at the beautiful beach and have the lovely wedding Heather has always dreamed of, they needed to apply for a pesky yet necessary permit.
• To get married at the beach and have the wedding Heather has always dreamed of, they need to apply for a permit.

It’s important to note that these hacks (especially this one) may not work for every writer. Novelists, for example, may purposely want a long sentence to create a desired effect.

4) Use Synonyms

Sometimes a particular word fits into your writing, but there are alternatives that better depict the message you want to convey. That’s why, when writing, you should always look up and use synonyms. For example, tasty and scrumptious have similar definitions, but if you want to describe a meal as extraordinarily flavorful, you might want to use the latter.

• The mashed potatoes and the grilled chicken breast were tasty .
• The mashed potatoes and the grilled chicken breast were scrumptious .

Bonus Writing Hack

Use LanguageTool’s synonym feature to look for alternative words quickly. All you have to do is double-click on a word to view possible synonyms. This intuitive and easy-to-use writing assistant can also check your spelling and grammar, and offer formatting suggestions to help ensure your writing is flawless.

5) Step Away and Then Rewrite

Ernest Hemingway once said, “the only kind of writing is rewriting.” Many other renowned writers agree—to write is to rewrite. This means that once you’re done (or think you’re done) with your writing, you must read it and rewrite the majority of it.

An effective writing hack is to step away from your writing for a bit before you start the rewriting process. The length of the break is up to you. You can either take a walk or even have a good night’s sleep before you go back to edit and rewrite it. A “fresh set of eyes” can spot errors you may miss if you decide to rewrite right away.

Write Often

You may be tired of hearing this cliché, but it’s stood the test of time because it rings true: “Practice makes perfect.” There’s no writing hack more effective than writing often. But when you are writing, apply the five hacks above, and you’ll notice how your writing starts to captivate your readers. So start to improve your writing with these five writer’s hacks.

Unleash the Professional Writer in You With LanguageTool

Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead.

Works on All Your Favorite Services

• Thunderbird
• Google Docs
• Microsoft Word
• Open Office
• Libre Office

We Value Your Feedback

We’ve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or haven’t managed to get the point across? Let’s help each other to perfect our writing.

• PHOTOGRAPHY

7 Essay Hacks to Make Your Paper A-Worthy Every Time

Every single class you ever take will ask for an essay at some point in time. So use these essay hacks to make it easy, and A-worthy.

Essays are the bane of many students’ lives.

You’re faced with big topics to cover, thousands of words to write, and limited time in which to do it. With multiple papers on the go at once, it’s no surprise that 16% of students (or more) pay other people to write their essays for them.

But there’s good news:

Quality essay writing doesn’t have to be so difficult! With the right approach and a few essay hacks at your disposal, you can simplify the entire process. Work on your essay game and you’ll start getting A’s on those papers instead of E’s with, well…ease.

Does that sound like a plan? Let us help! Read on to discover 7 epic essay writing hacks for a quality paper every time!

1. Do Your Research

Essays are only as good as the research that’s gone into them.

After all, you have to understand the topic and all of its nuances in order to have something to say about it! That’s why you should always start the writing process by reading up on the subject.

Don’t just scratch the surface though.

Get to a point where you know enough to form a solid grasp of the argument you want to make. Armed with a newfound understanding of the subject area and your argument, you’ll be able to enter the writing phase with less hesitation.

2. But Don’t Procrastinate!

The research phase is all-important.

But it can also prove problematic. You can end up delaying the writing stage in favor of further reading. In other words, the research becomes its own form of procrastination!

You convince yourself you need to know more before you can begin. In reality, though, you just don’t want to start.

Sooner or later, though, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and set pen to paper (or fingers to keyboards!). Get to a point where you can summarize your argument in a sentence or two. That’s always a good sign that you’re ready to start writing.

3. Give Yourself Enough Time

We know, you’ve got a million other things you’d rather do than write your essay!

There are people to see, computer games to play, and even ironing, shopping, and cooking to do that takes precedence. You end up putting the essay off until the very last minute, at which point there’s a mad rush to get it done.

Stress, frustration, and a rising feeling of overwhelm all ensue.

We’ve all been there! But, needless to say, it isn’t conducive to a quality end product. Try to give yourself enough time to do the essay justice instead.

Starting early takes the pressure off. It means you have enough wiggle room to solve any problems that arise. You can do proper research, get counsel from professors, and have a proper chance to form your arguments — all without the stress of a looming deadline.

4. Get Rid of Distractions

Writing an essay on a computer is a mixed blessing.

On one hand, you’ve got easy access to the internet and the ability to write at speed on a keyboard. As such, you can find the sources/information you need and work away at the word count at pace.

But there’s also social media to check, games to play, desktop notifications that pop up, and more. Throw your mobile phone into the mix and getting any work done can be a serious challenge.

Getting rid of such distractions will help. Set yourself up in a quiet and comfortable environment. Leave your phone somewhere out of sight (and put it on silent!). You could even block yourself from certain websites for set periods of time.

You’re sure to become more productive in the process.

5. Prioritize the Structure

The best essays combine quality content with a solid structure.

Ignore the structural side of the battle and your argument’s going to get lost along the way. Think of the structure like a map that takes the reader on a journey to your point. It must be sensibly put together, easy to follow, and cohesive in nature.

Success relies on planning.

Stop and think about your structure before you start writing. Figure out ahead of time how you need to assemble the essay and you’ll get your argument across with greater proficiency.

6. Be Clear and Succinct

Some of the essays you’ll have to write will have daunting word counts.

The result? You feel at a loss for what to say and start wondering how to stretch out an essay. Many people end up using more words than required to deliver a point or repeating themselves throughout the paper.

But it’s important not to be wasteful with words.

Sentences full of unnecessary words are harder to understand and your point might get lost along the way. More than anything, though, they make the reading experience less enjoyable!

Try to proofread what you write and cull any words, phrases, or even entire sections that seem surplus to requirements. It’ll be harder to reach the word count, but you’ll end up with a clearer and more succinct end product.

7. Back-Up Your Work!

There’s literally nothing worse than losing the essay you’ve almost finished.

You know what it’s like. You’ve made great progress, go to hit save, and then- boom- the computer crashes! Before you know it, everything you’ve just written goes down the drain.

Prevent that eventuality by backing up your essay at every opportunity. Email it to yourself, save it to the cloud, and/or copy it to an external hard drive.

Need to convert files to different formats before you save/submit them? https://setapp.com/how-to/convert-pdf-to-jpg should help.

Enjoy These Epic Essay Hacks

Writing an essay doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think.

With hard work, the right approach, and specific writing hacks to hand, you should be nailing your papers in no time. Hopefully, the essay hacks in this post will help you do it.

Want to read more articles like this one? Browse the blog now for more essay writing tips than you can shake a stick at!

• educational

hand-picked weekly content in your inbox

One more step.

Check your inbox to confirm your email address

related posts

What are the best ways for beginners to start learning japanese online: your guide to digital fluency, tips for parents: supporting your child’s algebra learning with online tutors, technology that every educator should embrace, leave a reply cancel reply.

Log in to leave a comment

• Terms of Service
• Affiliate Disclosure

Managed by totheweb.

Save £500 when you enrol by 30th September!

• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

Comments are closed.

10 Ways to Increase Your Essay Word Count (AI Included)

Table of contents

One of the biggest challenges students face is writing long-form essays of 2,000 words or more.

Someone brought this up at a recent webinar I attended, and I couldn't help but think back to my freshman year. Several years ago, I had to write a long essay on an interesting but unfamiliar subject. It took me a lot longer than it should.

After writing hundreds of articles, essays and reports, I've developed my own list of 'smart hacks' to help increase word count on any written piece. 

Let's dive into the word count expansion strategies I use today when I write various texts.

How NOT to increase word count

Adding fluff words.

Adding meaningless words only confuses the core arguments and distracts the evaluator. Whatever merit your actual content may have had will be obscured by a mountain of meaningless words.

The sentence in my essay read,

"Violent acts by adults are often caused by childhood exposure to violence.".  

If I try to forcedly add fluff words to expand the text, my sentence would sound stretched:

“Violent acts are often associated with the fact that adults who commit violent acts - acts that are seen as savage, harsh, rough, physically abusive, or otherwise unacceptable in society - have been exposed to similar harsh or extreme violence during their childhoods or when they were young”.

Voice and tone

Although passive voice makes a sentence longer, I have found that my writing is much sharper when I use active voice. Also, do not confuse the need to use a formal or academic tone with passive voice.

Quoting without context

This one is like digging yourself into a hole. I quoted so many out-of-context references that I found my essay running on all sorts of tangents. After spending hours trying to connect the dots between the tangents, I ended up having to rewrite the entire piece because I was unable to justify the distracting content. 

Mindless paraphrasing

You hear it from your professor, and spew it back at her. Mindlessly repeating content in different sections of an essay - as if your teacher wouldn't notice, won't really help you ace your courses.

Even more mistakes

After asking some of my classmates, I found out that some of them had resorted to even worse hacks that eventually got them in trouble:

• Using filler words - In order to fill more pages, some diverge from the specified format and increase fonts, margins, and spacing. You will lose credibility if you do this, and you will also lose points if you deviate from the writing style specified.
• Plagiarism - Plagiarizing large chunks from others' essays or research papers was not only seen as lazy, but it was a fast way from a not-so-great grade to a failed grade.
• Other sneaky tricks - These included whitening out gibberish text and increasing the size of periods. Teachers have seen it all and know every trick in the book.

The right way to increase word count

Eventually, my word count increased in a way that makes each word actually count (pardon the pun), and it turns out there are some pretty cool tricks to do that.

With the right tools and techniques, you spend less time on the heavy lifting, more time on the actual writing, and at the end of the day, you have a much more comprehensive essay that is a delight to read. =

1. Use an AI writing tool

Skip the manual paraphrasing and use a smart AI writing tool. For example, I added almost 50 words to a 125-word paragraph using Wordtune’s text expand feature .

How to add more sentences to a paragraph

One method to expand your word count is to find short paragraphs and adding more sentences that clarify what they mean. This task used to be pretty frustrating, but with the use of AI it's made simple. Start by going over the essay, and notice if there's a paragraph that stands out in terms of being lean and overly simplified. Paste that paragraph into the Wordtune editor, and click the 'Plus' icon.

You'll be able to expand the article in any number of ways, including adding an explanation, an analogy, a counterargument, or even a simple continuation of your idea. Then, simply scroll through the different suggestions that AI produces, and find the best one.

2. Take advantage of outlines

It may seem counter-intuitive, but completing your outline can help you meet your word count goal.

Say you need to turn a 200-word article into a 1,500-word essay. Make an outline of the article before trying to tackle this seemingly impossible task of writing the whole piece.This will give you a clearer picture of how your entire thesis works and how to logically support it.

As an example, suppose we're writing an essay on why kids shouldn't play phone games.

To begin, you need to summarize your message in a few sentences. For example:

‍ “Kids have susceptible brains, and games can change the whole chemistry of their brains in a bad way, causing them to go off on tantrums and screaming fits. Moreover, these games form addictive habits that will persist when the kids become older. By continuing to play phone games, the kids fail to develop emotionally, and may become unsocial introverted people. Moreover, there are signs that games make kids more violent and emotionally unstable. Since phones are always at reach, kids can continuously play throughout the day, not stopping even when eating lunch or when attending a school class.”

Before expanding it, write an outline to get a sense of its structure and flow. As a result, you can easily determine how much text is needed for each section, which ones require expanded text, and which ones can be kept brief.  This clarity not only helps me reduce anxiety, but also gives me a clear plan of action to finish this essay!

For example, for the paragraph on video games, my outline would look something like this:

Introduction (include statistics and research to argue that video games are harmful for kids) and state the thesis (250 words) Negative effects of video games on children: first build larger categories and then substantiate with smaller points, evidence and data within each point: - Effects on emotional development (200 words) - Effects on physical development (200 words) - Effects on social development (200 words) - Effects on intellectual development (200 words) Give counter-views Cite research that talks about potential positive effects of video games, if used the proper way and under supervision (250 words) Give solutions State why parents find it so hard to keep kids away from video games, especially mobile video games, and offer concrete solutions to set better boundaries with kids for video game usage (250 words) Conclusion Offer a strong conclusion that brings all of the essay together in a summary (250 words)

Note that I’ve planned to write a few hundred more words than the prescribed word limit, so I have scope to edit and tighten later on. 

3. Expand your text with intros and conclusions

I use this method all the time to get unstuck and write longer articles without worrying about word counts.

Let's say you finish expanding your outline, and the article is still short a few hundred words.

Two places you should consider expanding are the introduction and conclusion.

How does this work?

• In the introduction and conclusion, you can add free-flowing stories, ideas and paragraphs, without having to validate each sentence with technical reference, sources and quotes.
• You can use anecdotes, personal experiences, news articles, and research findings to introduce your topic, or to close it.
• You can also go into detail about why you were motivated to explore the topic in more depth and why it has helped you to develop your argument. We wrote about essay hooks in more detail here, so be sure to check it out.
• Remind readers why this entire argument matters at the human level in the conclusion. This is done by repeating the topic, the core of your argument, and why you have justified your thesis. 

Add these elements to your introduction and conclusion, and you will quickly reach your essay quota.

Here's an example from the Wordtune blog of an anecdote placed as part of the intro:

4. Use examples to illustrate your point

It is always helpful to provide examples to illustrate complex academic or technical points. As well as adding color and descriptiveness to your own words, examples help your arguments come to life in a way that academic writing cannot. Having read several essays about the same topic, your evaluator will probably find it enjoyable to read something more creative and genuine. 

Examples also help readers visualize your narrative. The situations can be real or imagined, but they must be authentic, relatable, and most importantly, relevant to your topic. Providing examples from your real-life experience will demonstrate to the teacher that you understand your topic.

I started this article by describing my experience as a freshman. The challenges I faced as a student are similar to those you are currently facing, so sharing my journey will help you learn from my mistakes.

5. Invest in serious research 

Research is the most effective way to increase a paper's word count. 

The more research you conduct, the more ideas, perspectives, and information you have to base your arguments on. 

Research takes time and effort, which you may or may not have. 

Here's where my smart tools come into play.

No matter how long a paper is, Wordtune Read will give you all the key highlights.

The following is a composite screenshot of how Wordtune Read summarized the effects of video games on children from a long and complex article. The key highlights on the right help you distill the core messages of the research in minutes, condensing hours of reading into minutes.

In just a few steps, you can add at least two supporting arguments or stats for each point you have in your outline. And just like that, you have several hundred very relevant words, added almost effortlessly to your essay.

6. Ask 'Why' questions

At this stage, the research has already provided you with some solid perspectives, but there's nothing like adding some original perspectives to the existing body of research. Asking ‘why’ questions is an effective way to do this. In addition to strengthening your arguments, it will also enhance your essay with relevant and original content.

Think back to the example of the negative effects of video games on children. Let's say one of the arguments you have is "phone games cause emotional issues". Use a series of 'why' questions to dig deeper into the text. 

Ask questions like: "why is that true?", "Why is it important?", etc. For each answer, ask another why question and develop some original angles based on the insights that may emerge. 

While it beats manual paraphrasing in terms of speed, I felt it also improved the overall quality of the writing.

7. Address the counter view

It's a foolproof way to score brownie points with tutors and also add some value - and word count - to your essay. 

Counter views or counterpoints are positions diametrically opposed to your own.

I argue, for example, that video games negatively affect children in the essay about video games. There is always some literature available (and there is always some literature available) on the counter-side of why and under what circumstances video games can actually have a positive impact on children. I am able to write a pretty solid section on that topic. 

By balancing the pros and cons of both arguments, I will also be able to bridge the two points of view.

Just like that, you've added about 200 words to your essay!

8. Use quotes and references

While the bibliography section doesn’t usually count towards the overall essay word count, there are some easy tricks you can use to maximize the references. Once you are done with the essay, run through your list of citations and find interesting quotes that you may have missed, which you can now incorporate.

9. Get feedback from a friend

If you're like me, working on the same essay for a long time with complete immersion means you develop blind spots to obvious misses and flaws in your text. This could be especially problematic for non-native English speakers .

Ask a trusted friend or peer to look over your essay again. Share your essay on Gdoc with your friends and find out if they spot something that seems missing, out of place, or that stands out like a sore thumb.

Also, ask them to question your assumptions in the essay - this may give you new angles and perspectives to explore, thus expanding the word count even further.

Your friends will help you find the problematic paragraphs in your writing and make them more concise and effective .

10. Add text while editing

Once you have finished writing your essay, you can use the review stage to edit and add text to your essay.

This is another great opportunity to use your AI writing tool, and get suggestions for ways to make your sentences more fluent . You can also replace superfluous words with stronger vocabulary, and pick alternative ways to word sentences that contain repetitive words.

Try and spot long, convoluted sentences and break them up to smaller sentences.

Keep it long and interesting

Essays that meet the prescribed criteria, including word count, indicate to your teachers that you not only possess subject matter knowledge, but also writing, grammar, logic, research, and communication skills.

You can find interesting angles even in the most mundane sounding topics if you challenge yourself to do the work and not worry too much about the word count. With the 11 smart hacks - including use of the smart writing tools - essay writing and meeting the specified word count becomes much easier! 

Learning how to expand a text in an interesting way - and not just by adding fluff - makes you a better writer regardless of the format - essays, reports, statements of purpose - even books! 

Share This Article:

8 Tips for E-commerce Copywriting Success (with Examples!)

The Brand Strategy Deck You Need to Drive Social Media Results + 5 Examples

Grammarly Alternatives: Which Writing Assistant is the Best Choice for You?

Looking for fresh content, thank you your submission has been received.

Filter by Keywords

25 Microsoft Word Hacks to Optimize Your Work

Engineering Team

February 22, 2024

Start using ClickUp today

• Manage all your work in one place
• Collaborate with your team
• Use ClickUp for FREE—forever

Whether you’re a student doing assignments, professional drafting reports, or just someone organizing personal documents, you’ve probably used Microsoft Word.

Microsoft tools are known for their intuitive interface, extensive features, and universal compatibility. All the interfaces of Microsoft Office are simple to use, making work easier, faster, and safer.

But achieving their current versions and perfecting them has taken decades. Microsoft Word was launched in 1983. Over the years, it has undergone several updates and improvements, winning the tech giant over 750 million active users monthly!

This success can be attributed to the platform’s user-friendliness, which makes it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.

But few people know about the following Microsoft Word hacks and tricks that can save you a lot of effort and time!

1. Using keyboard shortcuts for paragraph alignment and spacing

2. adding a password to your word file, 3. changing your file’s read/edit access, 4. adding or removing watermarks, 5. using word’s clipboard history tool, 6. exporting a word file as pdf, 7. importing a pdf file into a word file, 8. reorganizing long documents, 9. recovering old versions of unsaved files, 10. turning on autosave in word, 11. compressing images in word, 12. reorganizing the quick access toolbar, 13. customizing the status bar, 14. turning on the dark mode, 15. switching between the dark and light modes, 16. getting a readability score, 17. removing extra spaces between the text, 18. removing extra spaces between paragraphs, 19. controlling the paste options, 20. expanding the cut-copy-paste functions using spike, 21. browsing the internet in word.

• 22. Showing hidden characters in Word 
• 23. Removing hidden characters in Word 

24. Adding a keyboard shortcut for your favorite command

25. using the keyboard to navigate the screen, limitations of using microsoft word, the future of word processing, know your way around word, common faqs.

25 Microsoft Word Hacks to Become a Super User

We know Microsoft Word helps you get a lot of stuff done. And these hacks will ensure you get to do much more with the time you save. These Microsoft Word tips are best implemented on a Windows computer.

If you’re a fan of quick typing and streamlining your writing, you will love these keyboard shortcuts that will help you align and format your entire document as you need.

It’s one of the most basic Word tricks.

Other than the common copy/paste, undo/redo, and bold/italics functions, the following shortcuts will let you pen that project summary (or that long-delayed book) much faster.

Don’t want your confidential data leaking out? Set up a passkey so only you or other authorized people can access the file. Here’s how:

• Click ‘File’ and then go to ‘Info’
• Choose ‘Protect Document’ and click ‘Encrypt with Password’
• Follow the instructions to set a password. Word will ask for this password every time you open the document

If setting a passkey is not your thing, but you still want to protect your document from being tampered with, you can remove the editing permissions from the file. This will make the file read-only for other users. You can achieve this by doing the following:

• In the ‘Protect Document’ menu, select ‘Restrict Editing’
• Limit formatting styles and decide on changes like tracking, comments, or making it read-only
• If you want specific people to edit the document, select the text, add their name under exceptions, and click ‘Yes, Start Enforcing Protection’

If you want to personalize your document, indicate its purpose, or protect its confidentiality, follow these steps:

• Open your document in Microsoft Word
• Go to the ‘Design’ tab
• Click ‘Watermark’
• Choose from the provided options like ‘Draft’, ‘Urgent’, ‘Confidential’, or ‘Top Secret’, or use your own text or image
• If using a picture, we recommend making it faint using the washout effect. For text, it’s better to make it semi-transparent

To remove a watermark, go back to the ‘Design’ tab, select ‘Watermark’, and then choose ‘No Watermark’.

When you’re busy working on your document, you’ll probably need to do some copy-pasting. Word supports frequently used shortcuts such as Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V, but this nifty tool called the Office Clipboard can store up to 24 items (text and images) at once.

Accessing the Office Clipboard is easy:

• Click the small arrow next to the ‘Clipboard’ label under the ‘Home’ tab or hit Ctrl+C twice if you enable this shortcut in the ‘Options’ menu
• The Clipboard pane will show you the last 24 items you copied from different programs, like a browser link, email text, or worksheet data
• Double-click on an item to paste it, or click ‘Paste All’ to insert all items into your document in one go

Once you’re done with your project, you can click ‘Clear All’ to empty the clipboard. Not only does this keep your work private, but it also gives you a fresh slate for your next task.

PDFs are super handy for sharing files while keeping the layout and formatting precisely as the original user intended. But how will you convert your Word file into PDF? Follow these easy steps:

• Open your Word document
• Go to ‘File’ and choose ‘Export’
• Click ‘Create PDF/XPS’
• Select ‘Options’ to fine-tune settings
• For long-term archiving, check ‘PDF/A compliant’
• For top-notch image quality, select ‘Optimize for image quality’
• For the perfect font, select ‘Bitmap text’
• For password protection, check ‘Encrypt the document with a password’ and set a password
• Save your PDF and voilà! Your document is secure and ready

Exporting a Word file as a PDF is easy. But what if you want to edit your work within a PDF File? While many document editing software are available, you can edit your PDF by importing the file into Word.

Here’s how you can import a PDF file into Word:

• Open Word and go to ‘File’
• Choose ‘Open’ and browse to your PDF document
• Select ‘PDF’ as the document type

Alternatively, you can right-click your PDF file and open it with Word.

Don’t worry about Word alerting you to potential limitations through a dialog box. Simply edit your document in Word, save it, and export it back to PDF if needed.

The Outline View feature can come in handy when dealing with long documents in Word. It gives you a nice bulleted list of your document’s content without all the images, showing different heading levels and subtexts.

It’s perfect to understand the document’s contents without scrolling endlessly through multiple pages.

Follow these steps to enable it:

• Switch to ‘Outline View’ from the ‘View’ tab in Word’s ribbon or toolbar
• You can also drag and drop stuff around to make organizing even faster and easier

It’s a bummer when your computer crashes while you are working on Word, and you lose all your precious data because you forget to hit Save!

But fear not. Microsoft Word has got our backs with a nifty file recovery option. Here’s how to use it:

• Go to ‘File’ and click ‘Info’
• Choose ‘Manage Document’ and click ‘Recover Unsaved Documents’
• A dialog box will appear with a list of unsaved files. Select the one you want to recover

There’s another way to prevent losing your life’s work in Word. You can now connect your Word account to the cloud and turn on the AutoSave feature.

Now, if your computer decides to call it quits, all you have to do is connect your OneDrive to your MS Word to recover the data.

Or, you can do this by adjusting the auto-recovery settings:

• Click ‘File’ and then go to ‘Options’
• In the pop-up menu, select ‘Save’
• Here, you can change the auto-recovery settings
• Specify the frequency of autosaves by specifying the number of minutes
• Choose a different location for storing auto-recovery files

Have you ever felt annoyed while waiting for your Word files to load? Why’s it so slow, you wonder. Mostly, it’s because the images in the document are heavy!

If you want your file to open faster, you need to shrink your file by downsizing your images. Do it in two easy steps:

• Select an image and go to the ‘Format’ tab
• Click ‘Compress Pictures’ and choose a lower resolution for the image

Keep in mind that resizing your images can also affect their quality. So striking a balance is critical here!

Now, let’s talk about the Quick Access Toolbar that sits right under the title bar in Word. It’s one of the most used ribbons that houses all your key functions like Save, Undo, Redo, and even AutoSave in newer Word versions.

The fun part is that you can customize this ribbon easily to make your favorite functions and commands more accessible—simply click the small arrow at the right corner of the toolbar.

You can also drag and drop this toolbar anywhere on the window, like just below the ribbon, to enjoy a more organized workspace.

Have you ever noticed the bar at the bottom of your Word window? It’s called the Status Bar and behaves like your document’s personal assistant—keeping you informed about your document features and reading modes while packing in a handy zoom slider.

Here are some things you can do with your Status Bar:

• Right-click anywhere on the bar to customize it according to your taste and preferences
• Add more features like page numbers and word count to make the interface more user-friendly

If you’re a fan of the dark mode because it’s easy on the eyes, Microsoft has got you covered. This useful feature lets you switch your Word’s bright white (often blinding) canvas to a soothing dark grey.

Here’s the lowdown on how to switch it on:

• Open your Word file
• Go to ‘File’ and select ‘Account’
• Under ‘Office Theme’, choose ‘Black’ from the available themes
• Your MS Word, including the canvas, will transform into a soothing dark mode

And if you’re in the mood, you can always return to the light mode. Switching between modes is pretty simple. All you have to do is:

• Click the ‘View’ tab in the ribbon
• Select ‘Switch Modes’, which appears when the Office Theme is set to ‘Black’
• Select ‘Light Mode’

Want your readers to understand your text better? Check your document’s readability score. A higher score is better and ensures your text is simple and clear.

Here’s a quick rundown on how to know your text’s readability score:

• Click ‘File’ and then select ‘Options’
• From the menu, click ‘Proofing’
• Under ‘When correcting spelling and grammar in Word’, make sure to select Check grammar with the spelling check box
• Select ‘Show readability statistics’
• Return to your document
• Select ‘Spelling & Grammar’
• Correct or ignore any spelling or grammar corrections, and then Word opens the Readability Statistics window with information about the reading level of the document

For Microsoft 365, follow these steps:

• Select the Home tab
• Choose ‘Editor,’ and then go to ‘Document stats’
• A dialog box lets you know Word is calculating your document stats. Choose OK.  A dialog explaining that readability stats are being calculated, and this may take a few minutes. Choose ‘OK’ or ‘Cancel’
• Word will open a window that shows you information about the statistics and reading level of your document

This score helps you understand how easy it is to read your text.

There are two types of readability scores in MS Word:

• Flesch Reading Ease: Scores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating easier reading. Aim for 60-70 for most documents.
• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level : This score represents the U.S. grade level needed to understand the text easily. Target 7.0-8.0 for general audiences.

Until a few years ago, ‘word processors’ used to add double spaces to improve the text readability of a printed document. With everything moving online these days, this practice has become obsolete. Despite this, some of us still stick to the old ways.

No need to worry, though! We can rectify this by following four steps:

• Hit Ctrl + H to open the ‘Find/Replace’ tool in Word
• In the ‘Find’ box, type ‘( ){2,}’ against ‘Find what’
• In the ‘Replace with’ box, type ‘\1’
• Click ‘Replace All’ to eliminate the extra spaces

If you’re struggling with extra spaces after your paragraphs and want to reduce them to a single line gap, there’s a simple way of tackling it.

Eliminate double-paragraph spaces by following these steps:

• Press Ctrl+H to open the ‘Find/Replace’ tool in Word
• Use the tool to find ‘^p^p’ (symbols for a paragraph break)
• Replace it with ‘^p’
• Click ‘Replace All’ to remove extra spaces between paragraphs

You can do this multiple times to remove all the double spaces until only single-line spaces are left between the paragraphs.

What if you want to paste text from another file but it refuses to format? How do you solve this puzzle? Here’s how:

• While pasting your text, use the ‘Paste Options’ button

• Use it to keep, merge, or discard formatting
• Paste your text by right-clicking and pasting or using the Ctrl+V option
• Then, you can access ‘Paste Options’ either using the cursor or by clicking ‘Tab’

For most of us, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are our beloved shortcut keys! But only a handful of people know about this lesser-known Word feature, Spike.

It’s a storage space for several snippets that can be pasted one or more times into your file. This is a useful trick to move separate sections of text while reorganizing a large file.

Here is how you can use Spike in Word:

• Instead of cutting and pasting text, highlight the text you want to move
• Hit Ctrl+F3. This saves the selected text in Spike
• Repeat this for other text snippets you want to move. Each time you press Ctrl + F3, it adds more text to the Spike
• Now, place your cursor where you want to paste the text
• Press Ctrl+Shift+F3 to paste the saved text from the Spike into your document. This only works once
• If you want to paste the saved text multiple times,
• Type ‘Spike’ where you want the text to go
• Press F3. This will insert the text from Spike
• You can do this as many times as you need

If you wish to see your snippets in Spike, do the following:

• Go to the ‘Insert’ tab
• Click the ‘Quick Parts’ button
• Choose ‘Building Blocks Organizer’
• Select Spike on the left to see its contents
• Insert the contents directly into your document from this screen by clicking the ‘Insert’ button

While working on your document, you no longer have to open your browser to search the internet. You can easily do this using the Smart Lookup feature in Word.

Here’s how:

• Highlight the word or phrase you want to learn more about
• Right-click on the selected text to bring up a menu
• Choose ‘Smart Lookup’ from the menu options

A new window will appear on the side, showing you search results from the internet related to the selected text. You’ll find everything from definitions and explanations to images. And the best part is that you can click those search results to find more information or related content.

22. Showing hidden characters in Word

Every time your Word file starts acting up and the text alignment goes for a toss; chances are that there are many hidden characters at play. To reveal those sneaky spaces, tabs, and paragraph marks in Microsoft Word, take the following steps:

• Click the ‘Home’ tab
• Look for the ‘¶’ symbol in the ‘Paragraph’ group and click it to reveal the hidden characters
• Once clicked, these hidden characters will show up in your document
• If you want to hide the characters again, click the ‘¶’ symbol once more

23. Removing hidden characters in Word

It’s also possible to do away with these hidden characters simultaneously! You can use the ‘Find and Replace’ feature to find and replace hidden characters. Here’s how:

• Look for the ‘Find’ button in the ‘Editing’ group, and click the small arrow next to it to reveal the drop-down menu. Then select ‘Advanced Find’
• In the ‘Find and Replace’ dialog box, click the ‘More >>’ button to show more options
• Check the box next to ‘Special’ and select the type of hidden character you want to find from the list. For example:
• To find paragraph marks, select ‘Paragraph Mark (^p)’
• To find tab characters, select ‘Tab Character (^t)’
• To find space characters, select ‘Space (^s)’
• Alternatively, to replace the hidden character with something else, enter the replacement text in the ‘Replace with’ field
• To replace the found instance, click ‘Replace’ or ‘Replace All’ depending on your preference

If there’s a command you love using now and then, all you have to do is create a keyboard shortcut for it!

To assign a preferred keyboard shortcut to your favorite command in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Click ‘File’ in the top-left corner, and then select ‘Options’
• In the ‘Word Options’ dialog box, choose ‘Customize Ribbon’ from the left sidebar
• Click ‘Keyboard shortcuts: Customize’ at the bottom

• In the ‘Customize Keyboard’ dialog box, select the category containing your command and choose your command from the list on the right
• Click the ‘Press new shortcut key’ field and press the combination of keys you want to assign as the shortcut. Make sure it’s not already in use. You can check for conflicts in the ‘Current keys’ box
• Once you’ve found a unique shortcut, click ‘Assign’
• Confirm and save your changes by clicking ‘OK’ in the ‘Word Options’ dialog box

One of the most straightforward MS Word hacks is to use the Alt key, which allows for quick navigation and access to several commands. It certainly makes life easier as it enhances efficiency in Word by providing swift access to commands and navigation options.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Pressing Alt once displays key tips over Ribbon commands

• Keyboard shortcuts with Alt streamline actions, like Alt+F for the File menu
• The Alt key combined with numbers accesses Quick Access Toolbar commands
• Alt enables menu navigation and activates dialog box options

While Microsoft Word might be one of the best word-processing software , it still has some limitations. Some of these are:

• Expensive pricing: MS Office Suite is a pretty costly subscription. If you’re not ready to spend too much money, use one of the many free Microsoft Word alternatives . You can also choose between Microsoft Word and Google Docs
• Feature complexity: Word has so many features that you can barely scratch the surface. This complexity can feel very overwhelming, especially for new users
• Unintuitive actions: Aligning text or adjusting pictures in Word is not as easy as it sounds. And spacing the paragraphs is another ballgame. Many of its features are not the most intuitive
• Feature bloat: Mail merge, Spike, and document automation are tools you may or may not always use. It requires a lot of patience and practice to master their uses in this word-processing program

While traditional word processors like Microsoft Word remain popular, the future of text creation lies in integrated, collaborative, and AI-powered writing tools .

And one of them is ClickUp!

ClickUp Docs offers various document creation and editing capabilities, which you can use directly within ClickUp. It goes beyond the siloed experience of traditional word processors, offering real-time co-editing, document sharing, and seamless communication within teams.

ClickUp Docs isn’t limited to text alone. You can seamlessly embed images, videos, and other multimedia elements, creating rich and engaging documents beyond the static page. This versatility makes ClickUp Docs suitable for various content creation needs, from reports and proposals to presentations and marketing materials.

For instance, if you’re preparing a project proposal, you can use nested pages to organize information intuitively, add task assignments within the doc for actionable insights, and even attach files for reference.

And when you pair Docs with ClickUp Brain , you can enjoy word processing and brainstorming superpowers! Imagine smart suggestions for phrasing, grammar, and even content ideas tailored to your writing style and target audience. ClickUp Brain could become an invaluable assistant, enhancing your written work’s clarity, flow, and overall quality.

Use ClickUp Brain’s AI Writer for Work for its:

• AI-powered writing suggestions to kickstart document creation
• Automated content templates for various use cases (e.g., meeting notes, project plans)
• Contextual idea generation for blog posts, reports, and more within ClickUp Docs
• Real-time grammar and spell-checking
• Style and tone adjustments to match the desired voice of the document
• Sentence structure optimization for clarity and readability
• Seamless collaboration with team members directly in ClickUp Docs
• Commenting and suggestion mode for peer reviews and feedback
• Task assignments from within documents to streamline project management
• Customizable views and templates tailored to individual or team needs
• Easy organization of documents into folders and lists for efficient retrieval
• Integration with ClickUp tasks and goals to align documentation with project objectives
• Content analytics to track engagement and performance within ClickUp
• Automated summarization of lengthy documents for quick overviews
• Smart search capabilities to find relevant information across all ClickUp Docs
• Cross-platform accessibility for a consistent experience on the web, desktop, and mobile
• Compatibility with various file formats for easy import and export of documents
• Voice-to-text feature for hands-free content creation within ClickUp Docs

It’s a handy technical writing tool to help you save time and focus on work that interests you.

It’s evident that ClickUp is not just about creating and editing text—it’s also about project management and team collaboration.

We know Word is often the go-to choice for simple writing and complex word processing needs. And understanding these hacks can make your (work) life simpler, turning you into a Microsoft Word guru!

But why limit yourself to Word when you can integrate document creation with task management in one tool? With all-in-one tools such as ClickUp, you’re not just typing words on a page; you’re creating actionable items that can be tracked and managed within your team’s workflow.

With access to features like an AI writing assistant, collaborative editing, brainstorming templates , etc., your writing will jump from good to great in no time.

And the best part? You can unlock all these capabilities for free!

Sign up on ClickUp today!

1. How can I make Microsoft Word more attractive?

Improve Word’s appearance by choosing stylish fonts, color palettes, and engaging images or charts. Keep a neat and consistent layout for a polished look.

2. How can I enhance my word-processing skills?

Level up by carefully proofreading for errors, organizing content with clear headings and bullet points, and learning useful keyboard shortcuts to work faster.

3. How do I add creativity to my Word documents?

Infuse creativity by exploring unique font styles, incorporating shapes, SmartArt, or visuals, and experimenting with page borders. Consider using Word templates to give your document a distinct and creative flair.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

Related Post

How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Academic writing
• Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Published on May 29, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2023.

Transition words and phrases (also called linking words, connecting words, or transitional words) are used to link together different ideas in your text. They help the reader to follow your arguments by expressing the relationships between different sentences or parts of a sentence.

The proposed solution to the problem did not work. Therefore , we attempted a second solution. However , this solution was also unsuccessful.

For clear writing, it’s essential to understand the meaning of transition words and use them correctly.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

When and how to use transition words, types and examples of transition words, common mistakes with transition words, other interesting articles.

Transition words commonly appear at the start of a new sentence or clause (followed by a comma ), serving to express how this clause relates to the previous one.

Transition words can also appear in the middle of a clause. It’s important to place them correctly to convey the meaning you intend.

Example text with and without transition words

The text below describes all the events it needs to, but it does not use any transition words to connect them. Because of this, it’s not clear exactly how these different events are related or what point the author is making by telling us about them.

If we add some transition words at appropriate moments, the text reads more smoothly and the relationship among the events described becomes clearer.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Consequently , France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union initially worked with Germany in order to partition Poland. However , Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

Don’t overuse transition words

While transition words are essential to clear writing, it’s possible to use too many of them. Consider the following example, in which the overuse of linking words slows down the text and makes it feel repetitive.

In this case the best way to fix the problem is to simplify the text so that fewer linking words are needed.

The key to using transition words effectively is striking the right balance. It is difficult to follow the logic of a text with no transition words, but a text where every sentence begins with a transition word can feel over-explained.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

There are four main types of transition word: additive, adversative, causal, and sequential. Within each category, words are divided into several more specific functions.

Remember that transition words with similar meanings are not necessarily interchangeable. It’s important to understand the meaning of all the transition words you use. If unsure, consult a dictionary to find the precise definition.

Additive transition words

Additive transition words introduce new information or examples. They can be used to expand upon, compare with, or clarify the preceding text.

Adversative transition words

Adversative transition words always signal a contrast of some kind. They can be used to introduce information that disagrees or contrasts with the preceding text.

Causal transition words

Causal transition words are used to describe cause and effect. They can be used to express purpose, consequence, and condition.

Sequential transition words

Sequential transition words indicate a sequence, whether it’s the order in which events occurred chronologically or the order you’re presenting them in your text. They can be used for signposting in academic texts.

Transition words are often used incorrectly. Make sure you understand the proper usage of transition words and phrases, and remember that words with similar meanings don’t necessarily work the same way grammatically.

Misused transition words can make your writing unclear or illogical. Your audience will be easily lost if you misrepresent the connections between your sentences and ideas.

Confused use of therefore

“Therefore” and similar cause-and-effect words are used to state that something is the result of, or follows logically from, the previous. Make sure not to use these words in a way that implies illogical connections.

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. Therefore , the average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

The use of “therefore” in this example is illogical: it suggests that the result of 7.5 follows logically from the question being asked, when in fact many other results were possible. To fix this, we simply remove the word “therefore.”

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. The average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

Starting a sentence with also , and , or so

While the words “also,” “and,” and “so” are used in academic writing, they are considered too informal when used at the start of a sentence.

• Also , a second round of testing was carried out.

To fix this issue, we can either move the transition word to a different point in the sentence or use a more formal alternative.

• A second round of testing was also carried out.
• Additionally , a second round of testing was carried out.

Transition words creating sentence fragments

Words like “although” and “because” are called subordinating conjunctions . This means that they introduce clauses which cannot stand on their own. A clause introduced by one of these words should always follow or be followed by another clause in the same sentence.

The second sentence in this example is a fragment, because it consists only of the “although” clause.

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. Although other researchers disagree.

We can fix this in two different ways. One option is to combine the two sentences into one using a comma. The other option is to use a different transition word that does not create this problem, like “however.”

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed, although other researchers disagree.
• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. However , other researchers disagree.

And vs. as well as

Students often use the phrase “ as well as ” in place of “and,” but its usage is slightly different. Using “and” suggests that the things you’re listing are of equal importance, while “as well as” introduces additional information that is less important.

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf, as well as presenting my analysis of To the Lighthouse .

In this example, the analysis is more important than the background information. To fix this mistake, we can use “and,” or we can change the order of the sentence so that the most important information comes first. Note that we add a comma before “as well as” but not before “and.”

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf and presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse .
• Chapter 1 presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse , as well as discussing some background information on Woolf.

Note that in fixed phrases like “both x and y ,” you must use “and,” not “as well as.”

• Both my results as well as my interpretations are presented below.
• Both my results and my interpretations are presented below.

Use of and/or

The combination of transition words “and/or” should generally be avoided in academic writing. It makes your text look messy and is usually unnecessary to your meaning.

First consider whether you really do mean “and/or” and not just “and” or “or.” If you are certain that you need both, it’s best to separate them to make your meaning as clear as possible.

• Participants were asked whether they used the bus and/or the train.
• Participants were asked whether they used the bus, the train, or both.

Archaic transition words

Words like “hereby,” “therewith,” and most others formed by the combination of “here,” “there,” or “where” with a preposition are typically avoided in modern academic writing. Using them makes your writing feel old-fashioned and strained and can sometimes obscure your meaning.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Hereby , we not only see that it is hereditary, but acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

These words should usually be replaced with a more explicit phrasing expressing how the current statement relates to the preceding one.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Understanding it as such , we not only see that it is hereditary, but also acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

Using a paraphrasing tool for clear writing

With the use of certain tools, you can make your writing clear. One of these tools is a paraphrasing tool . One thing the tool does is help your sentences make more sense. It has different modes where it checks how your text can be improved. For example, automatically adding transition words where needed.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or writing rules make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

 Academic Writing

• Avoiding repetition
• Effective headings
• Passive voice
• Taboo words
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, August 23). Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/transition-words/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, using conjunctions | definition, rules & examples, transition sentences | tips & examples for clear writing, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, what is your plagiarism score.

Another Word

From the writing center at the university of wisconsin-madison.

#essayhack: What TikTok can Teach Writing Centers about Student Perceptions of College Writing

By Holly Berkowitz, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

There is a widespread perception that TikTok, the popular video-sharing social media platform, is primarily a tool of distraction where one mindlessly scrolls through bite-sized bits of content. However, due to the viewer’s ability to engage with short-form video content, it is undeniable that TikTok is also a platform from which users gain information; whether this means following a viral dance tutorial or learning how to fold a fitted sheet, TikTok houses millions of videos that serve as instructional tutorials that provides tips or how-tos for its over one billion active users. 

That TikTok might be considered a learning tool also has implications for educational contexts. Recent research has revealed that watching or even creating TikToks in classrooms can aid learning objectives, particularly relating to language acquisition or narrative writing skills. In this post, I discuss  the conventions of and consequences for TikToks that discuss college writing. Because of the popularity of videos that spotlight “how-tos” or “day in the life” style content, looking at essay or college writing TikTok can be a helpful tool for understanding some larger trends and student perceptions of writing. Due to the instructional nature of TikToks and the ways that students might be using the app for advice, these videos can be viewed as parallel or ancillary to the advice that a Writing Center tutor might provide.

A search for common hashtags including the words “essay,” “college writing,” or “essay writing hack” yields hundreds of videos that pertain to writing at the college level. Although there is a large variety in content due to the sheer amount of content, this post focuses on two genres of videos as they represent a large portion of what is shared: first, videos that provide tips or how-tos for certain AI tools or assignment genres and second, videos that invite the viewer to accompany the creator as they write a paper under a deadline. Shared themes include attempts to establish peer connections and comfort viewers who procrastinate while writing, a focus on writing speed and concrete deliverables (page count, word limit, or hours to write), and an emphasis on digital tools or AI software (especially that which is marked as “not cheating”). Not only does a closer examination into these videos help us meet writers where they are more precisely, but it also draws writing center workers’ attention to lesser known digital tools or “hacks” that students are using for their assignments.

“How to write” Videos

Videos in the “how to” style are instructional and advice-dispensing in tone. Often, the creator utilizes a digital writing aid or provides a set of writing tips or steps to follow. Whether these videos spotlight assistive technologies that use AI, helpful websites, or suggestions for specific forms of writing, they often position writing as a roadblock or adversary. Videos of this nature attempt to reach viewers by promising to make writing easier, more approachable, or just faster when working under a tight deadline; they almost always assume the writer in question has left their writing task to the last possible moment. It’s not surprising then that the most widely shared examples of this form of content are videos with titles like “How to speed-write long papers” or “How to make any essay longer” (this one has 32 million views). It is evident that this type of content attempts to target students who suffer from writing-related anxiety or who tend to procrastinate while writing.

Sharing “hacks” online is a common practice that manifests in many corners of TikTok where content creators demonstrate an easier or more efficient way of achieving a task (such as loading a dishwasher) or obtaining a result (such as finding affordable airline tickets). The same principle applies to #essay TikTok, where writing advice is often framed as a “hack” for writing faster papers, longer papers, or papers more likely to result in an A. This content uses a familiar titling convention: How to write X (where X might be a specific genre like a literature review, or just an amount of pages or words); How to write X in X amount of time; and How to write X using this software or AI program. The amount of time is always tantalizingly brief, as two examples—“How to write a 5 page essay in 2 mins” and “How to write an essay in five minutes!! NO PLAGIARISM!!”—attest to. While some of these are silly or no longer useful methods of getting around assignment parameters, they introduce viewers to helpful research and writing aids and sometimes even spotlight Writing Center best practices. For instance, a video by creator @kaylacp called “Research Paper Hack” shows viewers how to use a program called PowerNotes to organize and code sources; a video by @patches has almost seven million views and demonstrates using an AI bot to both grade her paper and provide substantive feedback. Taken as a whole, this subsect of TikTok underscores that there is a ready audience for content that purports to assist writers in meeting the deliverables of a writing assignment using a path of least resistance.

Similarly, TikTok contains myriad videos that position the creator as a sort of expert in college writing and dispense tips for improving academic writing and style. These videos are often created by upperclassmen who claim to frequently receive As on essays and tend to use persuasive language in the style of an infomercial, such as “How to write a college paper like a pro,” “How to write research papers more efficiently in 5 easy steps!” or “College students, if you’re not using this feature, you’re wasting your time.” The focus in these videos is even more explicit than those mentioned above, as college students are addressed in the titles and captions directly. This is significant  because it prompts users to engage with this content as they might with a Writing Center tutor or tutoring more generally. These videos are sites where students are learning how to write more efficiently but also learning how their college peers view and treat the writing process. 

The “how to write” videos share several common themes, most prevalent of which is an emphasis on concrete deliverables—you will be able to produce this many pages in this many minutes. They also share a tendency to introduce or spotlight different digital tools and assistive technologies that make writing more expedient; although several videos reference or demonstrate how to use ChatGPT or OpenAI, most creators attempt to show viewers less widely discussed platforms and programs. As parallel forms of writing instruction, these how-tos tend to focus on quantity over quality and writing-as-product. However, they also showcase ways that AI can be helpful and generative for writers at all stages. Most notably they direct our attention to the fact that student writers consistently encounter writing- and essay- related content while scrolling TikTok.

Write “with me” Videos

Just as the how-to style videos target writers who view writing negatively and may have a habit of procrastinating writing assignments, write “with me” videos invite the viewer to join the creator as they work. These videos almost always include a variation of the phrase— “Write a 5- page case analysis w/ me” or “pull an all nighter with me while I write a 10- page essay.” One of the functions of this convention is to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the viewer, as they are brought along while the creator writes, experiences writer’s block, takes breaks, but ultimately completes their assignment in time. Similarly to the videos discussed above, these “with me” videos also center on writing under a deadline and thus emphasize the more concrete deliverables of their assignments. As such, the writing process is often made less visible in favor of frequent cuts and timestamps that show the progression toward a page or word count goal.

One of the most common effects of “with me” videos is to assure the viewer that procrastinating writing is part and parcel of the college experience. As the content creators grapple with and accept their own writing anxieties or deferring habits, they demonstrate for the viewer that it is possible to be both someone who struggles with writing and someone who can make progress on their papers. In this way, these videos suggest to students that they are not alone in their experiences; not only do other college students feel overwhelmed with writing or leave their papers until the day before they are due, but you can join a fellow student as they tackle the essay writing process. One popular video by @mercuryskid with over 6 million views follows them working on a 6000 word essay for which they have received several extensions, and although they don’t finish by the end of the video, their openness about the struggles they experience while writing may explain its appeal. 

Indeed, in several videos of this kind the creator centers their procrastination as a means of inviting the viewer in; often the video will include the word in the title, such as “write 2 essays due at 11:59 tonight with me because I am a chronic procrastinator” or “write the literature essay i procrastinated with me.” Because of this, establishing a peer connection with the hypothetical viewer is paramount; @itskamazing’s video in which she writes a five page paper in three hours ends with her telling the viewer, “If you’re in college, you’re doing great. Let’s just knock this semester out.” One video titled “Writing essays doesn’t need to be stressful” shows a college-aged creator explaining what tactics she uses for outlining and annotating research to make sure she feels prepared when she begins to write in earnest. Throughout, she directly hails the viewer as “you” and attempts to cultivate a sense of familiarity with the person on the other side of the screen; in some moments her advice feels like listening in on a one-sided Writing Center session.

A second aspect of these “with me” videos is an intense focus on the specifics of a writing task. The titles of these videos usually follow a formula that invites the viewer with the writer as they write X amount in X time, paralleling the structure of how-to-write videos. The emphasis here, due to the last-minute nature of the writing contexts, is always on speed: “write a 2000- word essay with me in 4.5 hours” or “Join me as I write a 10- page essay that is due at 11:59pm.” Since these videos often need to cover large swaths of time during which the creator is working, there are several jumps forward in time, sped up footage, and text stamps or zoom-ins that update the viewer on how many pages or words the writer has completed since the last update. Overall, this brand of content demonstrates how product-focused writers become when large amounts of writing are completed in a single setting. However, it also makes this experience seem more manageable to viewers, as we frequently see writers in videos take naps and breaks during these high-stakes writing sessions. Furthermore, although the writers complain and appear stressed throughout, these videos tend to close with the writer submitting their papers and celebrating their achievement.

Although these videos may send mixed messages to college students using TikTok who experience struggles with writing productivity, they can be helpful for viewers as they demonstrate the shared nature of these struggles and concerns. Despite the overarching emphasis on the finished product, the documentary-style of this content shows how writing can be a fraught process. For tutors or those removed from the experience of being in college, these videos also illuminate some of the reasons students procrastinate writing; we see creators juggling part-time jobs, other due dates, and family obligations. This genre of TikToks shows the power that social media platforms have due to the way they can amplify the shared experience of students.

To conclude, I gesture toward a few of the takeaways that #essay and #collegewriting TikTok might provide for those who work in Writing Centers, especially those who frequently encounter students who struggle with procrastination. First, because TikTok is a video-sharing platform, the content often shows a mixture of writing process and product. Despite a heavy emphasis in these videos on the finished product that a writer turns in to be graded, several videos necessarily also reveal the steps that go into writing, even marathon sessions the night before a paper is due. We primarily see forward progress but we also see false starts and deletions; we mostly see the writer once they have completed pre-writing tasks but we also see analyzing a prompt, outlining, and brainstorming. Additionally, this genre of TikTok is instructive in that it shows how often students wait until before a paper is due to begin and just how many writers are working solely to meet a deadline or deliverable. While as Writing Center workers we cannot do much to shift this mindset, we can make a more considerable effort to focus on time management and executive functioning skills in our sessions. Separating the essay writing process into manageable chunks or steps appears to be a skill that college students are already seeking to develop independently when they engage on social media, and Writing Centers are equipped to help students refine these habits. Finally, it is worth considering the potential for university Writing Center TikTok accounts. A brief survey of videos created by Writing Center staff reveals that they draw on similar themes and tend to emphasize product and deliverables—for example, a video titled “a passing essay grade” that shows someone going into the center and receiving an A+ on a paper. Instead, these accounts could create a space for Writing Centers to actively contribute to the discourse on college writing that currently occupies the app and create content that parallels a specific Writing Center or campus’s values.

Holly Berkowitz is the Coordinator of the Writing and Communication Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She recently received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also worked at the UW-Madison Writing Center. Although she does not post her own content, she is an avid consumer of TikTok videos.

• Craft and Criticism
• Fiction and Poetry
• News and Culture
• Lit Hub Radio
• Reading Lists

• Literary Criticism
• Craft and Advice
• In Conversation
• On Translation
• Short Story
• From the Novel
• Bookstores and Libraries
• Film and TV
• Art and Photography
• Freeman’s
• The Virtual Book Channel
• Behind the Mic
• Beyond the Page
• The Cosmic Library
• The Critic and Her Publics
• Emergence Magazine
• Fiction/Non/Fiction
• First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
• The History of Literature
• I’m a Writer But
• Lit Century
• The Lit Hub Podcast
• Tor Presents: Voyage Into Genre
• Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast
• Write-minded
• The Best of the Decade
• Best Reviewed Books
• BookMarks Daily Giveaway
• The Daily Thrill
• CrimeReads Daily Giveaway

Six Writers on Getting Words on the Page

In which there’s no wrong way to write a book.

This first appeared in Lit Hub’s  Craft of Writing  newsletter— sign up here .

Jonathan Lethem If anyone really visualizes my routine—do they do that? I don’t do this, not really. But if they did, I suspect the surprise would be how little I’m glued to my chair. The process is typically one of brief outbursts of writing in the course of long spells of reading, cooking, housecleaning, playing computer chess, watching Mets games, and so forth. Then again, sometimes time inverts like a sock, and I discover that it was light out and now it is dark, and seven innings of the Mets game have gone by without my registering what happened, because I was writing. Or there’s nothing to eat because I didn’t cook, or the laundry rotted in the washer for three days. I don’t call this multi-tasking, by the way. I don’t believe multi-tasking exists. I’m just dodgy and unsystematic, and I’ve stopped worrying about how this would appear to others, or to myself.

Ann Patchett I got the treadmill desk for my fiftieth birthday (I’m fifty-nine now). I wanted one because Susan Orlean had one. Susan Orlean is always ten years ahead of the curve and I strive to emulate her. In the past I had used the treadmill to answer emails or return phone calls but I never used it to write fiction.

Starting a novel is always the worst part for me and for whatever reason I decided to give the treadmill a try. It did wonders for my concentration. I felt like I was stepping into the novel every day, and when I finished work I stepped out of it. I think that walking occupies the restless part of my brain.

Curtis Sittenfeld I sometimes procrastinate by glancing at the website of  People  magazine. While writing  Romantic Comedy , which takes place at a late night comedy sketch show and features more than one celebrity couple, I sincerely would wonder when I looked at People.com, But wait … am I procrastinating or am I doing research? (I found articles about celebs who post cryptic quotations on their social media before a breakup especially useful.)

Akwaeke Emezi I don’t outline! Often I don’t actually know what my characters are going to do until I write them. I do have a general idea of the overall plot, but sometimes the characters hijack it.

Qian Julie Wang I wrote  Beautiful Country on my iPhone during my subway commute to and from my law firm job—so it was both the first and last part of my workday. I think those were the only conditions under which I could have possibly written my first book. There was neither financial nor psychological pressure for me to finish the book, so it silenced the self-conscious and critical voices out just enough for me to get the words onto the page. The subway was also a regular feature of my daily life in both childhood and adulthood, so the setting allowed me to find an intimate and vulnerable connection to my childhood self.

Now that I no longer commute, my favorite place to write (and read) is still the subway. But because it is no longer such a fixed part of my day, I try to get at that raw, intimate, and uncritical place as much as I can—and that is often during the first hours when I wake up and the last hours before I go to bed. It’s akin to writing at the beginning and end of my workday, because I am targeting the time when my critical and overpowering voice is too tired to speak up, thereby creating space for my creative and authentic voice.

Jean Hanff Korelitz That I don’t have one. As Anna Quindlen pointed out recently in her book  Write For Your Life , the only part of a writing routine that matters is the part where the words get onto the page. I concur. I have written under the covers, in coffee shops, on trains, in front of the TV (which was on)… pretty much everywhere and anywhere. It’s nice to have a favorite candle or a playlist… I suppose… but so long as the words get onto the page, that’s just window-dressing.

• Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Literary Hub

Previous article, next article, support lit hub..

Join our community of readers.

to the Lithub Daily

Popular posts.

What T.S. Eliot’s Letters to Emily Hale Reveal About the Poet’s Romantic Past

• RSS - Posts

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience , exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag . Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

Become a member for as low as $5/month

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Everyday AI > Write your next book with AI help

Write your next book with AI help

Have a book idea that you’ve been putting off writing? Whether you’re looking to start your first book or need a helping hand with your tenth, learn how to use AI as your book-writing helper to get your words out to the world.

Overcome writer’s block

For many writers, there are those days we’re on fire and transferring the voice and words in our heads to real, written text is as easy as pie. On other days, it can be hard to muster a string of words. If you run into writer’s block while writing your book, turn to an AI companion like Copilot for help getting unstuck.

Get the most out of your documents with Word

Elevate your writing and collaborate with others - anywhere, anytime

Title generation

If you’re struggling to find a fitting name for your book, use AI to help brainstorm fitting title ideas based on what your project is about. Feed the AI a synopsis (general summary) by dropping it in your chat and ask, “What would be a fitting title for my book based on my synopsis?” Or, if you already have an existing book title, but you’re not too fond of it or think it could be enhanced, ask AI what it thinks of a title. Provide as much context into your book as feasible so AI generates title ideas that frame your book the way you want.

Completing scenes and chapters

Need ideas or more direction to complete a scene or chapter in your book? Let AI suggest a way forward. For example, if you’re writing a turning point in your book, get AI suggestions for dialogue and potential plot twists . Try sharing the setting, main conflict, and emotions you want to portray in your book and ask AI something like, “Can you suggest dialogue, emotional responses, or plot twists that would enhance this scene?”

Whether you’re writing nonfiction or a fantasy series, research gives your book a strong foundation and authenticity. Solid research creates verisimilitude (making your texts more believable, notably fiction), well-rounded characters, and a more compelling and coherent storyline. Use AI for research help with these book elements:

AI can be a great resource for writing three-dimensional characters with depth. Start by describing the current characters you have in mind. List their personality traits, backgrounds, and story roles (protagonist, antagonist , supporting character) in your AI prompt. Then, ask for suggestions on how you can deepen your characters’ development, such as portraying their inner motivations, values, and relationships with other characters. Try doing AI character research with questions like, “Based on this character’s profile, how do you think they would react under high-pressure situations?”

Time periods

If your book takes place in a certain time period, you’ll want a strong research foundation rooted in fact. Turn to AI to gather information on historical events, societal norms, fashion, technology, and language from a particular era. Let’s say you’re working on a book that takes place during the Regency era. You can prompt AI with questions like, “What were common social customs and class structures during the Regency period in London?” or “Tell me about popular architecture and fashion styles during the Regency era in London, and provide resources to continue my research.”

Some worlds we want to recreate require a strong foundation in science to make them believable. If you’re working on a science fiction novel, start by telling AI the scientific elements involved in your world-building, whether your novel takes place on a made-up exoplanet or a dystopian society that extends far into the future. For example, if you’re writing the former, you could ask, “What scientific challenges would a human colony face on an exoplanet that resembles Earth, but has twice the gravity?”

Editing, proofreading, and feedback

Once you’ve got your manuscript down, use AI to help edit, catch mistakes, and give in-depth feedback on the quality of your book. Run your manuscript through AI to identify grammatical errors or awkward phrasing by feeding parts of it into a prompt for AI book editing analysis. You might say, “Review my manuscript for grammatical and syntax errors, awkward phrasing, and redundancies.” Get in-depth feedback on parts of your manuscript and ask questions like, “Does this scene or chapter end too abruptly? How can I fix it?” or “Can you suggest ways to make this dialogue flow more naturally?”

Ready to get to work with AI book-writing help? Head on over to Copilot or read more tips on ways to use AI in everyday life .

Get started with Microsoft 365

It’s the Office you know, plus the tools to help you work better together, so you can get more done—anytime, anywhere.

Topics in this article

More articles like this one.

Make moving easier with AI help

While moving to a new place might feel like a hassle, it’s a whole lot easier with AI help. Learn how to use AI as your personal moving assistant with this guide.

How to use AI to help you train for a marathon or 5K

If you’ve always wanted to start running, AI can help you train better and smarter. Use AI to analyze your statistics and stay motivated!

How to plan a baby shower with AI help

Plan your baby shower with the help of AI. Find out how to use your AI assistant to help find decorations, party games, meal ideas, and more.

Four tips for humanizing AI content

Use these four tips to humanize AI texts. Learn how to rewrite and polish AI content that directly engages with your audience and has a unique voice that stands out.

Everything you need to achieve more in less time

Get powerful productivity and security apps with Microsoft 365

Explore Other Categories