I probably had the one major that requires even more papers. English. I usually took about 24 credits and worked full time when I did this. Usually, I had about 100 pages or so to write a week. Yes, a week. Now, even back then I loved computers and could type well so that made my life easier as well.
It usually took me about an hour per 5 double spaced pages, even less time if they were not research papers. By the time I got finished with college, I could write a decent (read that as b paper about 10 pages long) as a first draft with some minor issues that were easily corrected with a read through in a couple hours at most.
This is how I learned this skill.
· I knew my resources. I can type fast, if it was a research paper, I found all the quotes I wanted and put a flag by them and often left them on the floor open o the page I was going to need in a circle around me in the order I thought I would need them
· I paced a lot (I still pace a lot when I think). I put on music I enjoyed and I got my thoughts together. I still do this when I am programming today. If I know where I am going with the program, it makes it a lot easier to get there and to do it in the easiest most concise way possible.
· I took a piece of paper and write key ideas on.
· I wrote the paper. No stops, with little checking myself. I just sat there and wrote until I was done. My longest paper in college was almost 30 pages. My average paper length was 10-15 pages.
· I set the paper aside or a day or two or a week
· I edited the paper. And ask the famous questions. Does it makes sense? Grammar? Do my examples fit my thesis? Is my thesis proven? Do my examples illustrate my thesis? Does my paper fall into the guidelines set forth by the instructor on topic, form, citations, length / word count, and any other guidelines set.
· Set paper aside for a couple more days if I have the time
· Last read through, fix any more errors, this is mostly a grammar check and style check. Don’t use passive voice, are all thy theres and tos and yours correct.
So for fun, say I was writing a paper about Steve ( I chose him as a topic because everyone here is familiar with him)
My first step would be to figure out what I want to prove. Say I decided my thesis is “Steve, though controversial, has new beneficial ideas. which he uses to help people. Helping people is his primary goal, not to make a dollar.”
Next, I would find my resources. My best recourse would be the blog and the forums, and if I would be so lucky I might try and interview him. I would find the quotes in which he talks about how he does not recommend products he does not believe in. I would look at the products he does recommend. I would read the forums and grab quote of people coming to realizations from steve’s post.
Then, and this is a personal thing, I would pace with a pad of paper on my desk. I would pace and listen to music and think about how my paper should be laid out. Perhaps make an intro with a controversial quote from his site. The introduction would explain a bit of who Steve is and explain that the quote is one of many examples.
Paragraph 1 would use example 1 from my research. Using 2 quotes and explain how Steve views are controversial. The best examples I can think of here are LOA and IM
Par 2. build on body par 1 showing the forms reaction to his post. How people talk, question it, argue it, and how ultimately understand each other better buy it. People help each other, and explain POV to help further people in their development
Par 3. Use quotes of how steve turned down advertising that he did not feel was awesome. Explain, his site is free, his news letter is free, and the forums are free.
Closing par.. tie back to first par about how steve may be controversial because of the topics he choose but so are many other great thinkers. Example of a great thinker who was controversial but ultimately people adopted his ideas such as Galileo. Finish with the quote from Steve P saying “who knows, I could be wrong” as a way to show how he looks at new ideas different then his own tying it back to the first paragraph of controversy (I mean when was the last time your read any doctrine or paper anywhere that said, I know I did all this research and it seems to work , but I could be wrong.)
Now, those would have been my notes in my freshmen year. As a senior it would go like this
Into- quote steve. Controversial quote. Explain. Steve? Thesis.
Par 1 – 2q (meaning 2 quotes) . steve controversial… why? LOA IM ETC
Par 2 – Tie par 1. forums reaction = positive. +++ development
Par 3 – no icky advertising, everything free
Close – controversy, Galileo, He might be wrong, but think about it.
Now to me my short hand, covers everything and more that is in those paragraphs above. So now I would write. I would not worry so much about grammar, as getting my thoughts where they need to be and get said when I want to say. If you have trouble with this, just write, don’t edit, don’t go back and read, just write. Leave editing for later.
Edit it using the above questions and turns it in.
This method worked really well for me since I had so many papers to do, I needed a way to quickly organize my thoughts and I think better with moving around and music. As it is I have turned out over 2 pages single spaced here in under 30 minutes
And of course practice and patients…
On the bright side, not I can turn out 4 or 5 pages and it feels like nothing.
Hope that helps
Adrienne