the published and unpublished works of angeline koh

I wrote this in response to requests from friends for help with their project papers
© Angel’s original . Written 21 December 2003

Sweating over your course project paper? Here are some helpful steps you can take to make the writing process an enjoyable one.

A. Planning

A1. Start early . I can’t emphasis this enough. Most lecturers give out their project topics early in the course. Know what is required of you. Ask your lecturer to clarify if necessary. Pace yourself out to ensure that you meet your deadline.

A2. Pick a topic that you are personally interested in or passionate about . Remember, you will be stuck with the subject for some time. An interest in the subject helps.

A3. Establish the purpose of your essay . What are you trying to say or prove? Can you state this in a sentence or two? No amount of padding can rescue your paper if you are unclear about your objective.

A4. Brainstorm . Jot down everything that comes to mind. I find mind mapping a helpful tool at this stage.

A5. Draw out an outline or framework for your article . Decide on how much space you will allot to each point, depending on its importance. At this stage, it would be helpful to show your proposal or draft to your lecturer to ensure that you are on the right track. I have found lecturers extra helpful when they meet with conscientious and interested students.

B. Perspiration

B1. Do your research . Be an expert in the subject, almost to the point where you feel you can teach it. Find more material than you need as it gives you a wider range of what to use when you finally put your paper together.

Search the Net. Check out the library. Talk to people in the field. Personally interview experts on the subject. Draw from your own or other people’s experiences. Write them down!

A word of caution here – beware of plagiarising. Lecturers and experienced readers can easily spot a cut-and-paste job. Some telltale signs include inconsistent writing styles, tenses and disjointed flow of thought.

B2. Take time to process the thoughts and ideas you have come up with . Look at them from a fresh angle and rephrase them in your own words. Keep the ideas flowing. Keep writing and don’t stop to edit your first draft. Leave that for a later stage.

C. Patience

C1. Allow the thoughts to incubate . When I think I am done with my first draft, I like to leave my article aside for a few days. Our amazing brain is capable of organising information in our minds to make things fall into place. Fresh ideas and perspective often surface after a break. It would also be helpful to allow your lecturer to comment on your work at this stage.

C2. Do several rounds of editing to ensure that there is a logical flow of thought from sentence-to-sentence and from paragraph-to-paragraph. Make sure that your article aligns with the objective of your paper.

C3. Eliminate (or at least minimise) typographical and grammatical errors .

D. Presentation

D1. Get someone to edit and proofread your work . Writers are too close to the article to spot mistakes. Attach all necessary appendices and references.

D2. Give your paper a nice finesse. It should look neat, readable and ecstatically pleasant. Select a clear and readable font size (11-12 point size is good). Check your margin setting, paragraphing, pagination, line spacing and colour. Conform to specifications given by your lecturer if any. The quality of your work is a reflection of you. Take pride in yourself and what you do.

I trust you these pointers will help take some of the sweat out of writing and make the process more enjoyable for you. All the best in your paper!

Writers should be able to relate to this one!
© Angel’s original . Written Friday 02 June 2000, 4.15 am

Type! Type! Type! Type!
I can. I can’t.
I can. I can’t.
Oh no! I’m sure I can’t – The deadline’s drawing near.
I’ll fail this time I tell you,
I’ll fail – The deadline’s drawing near!

Type! Type! Type! Type!
Sleepless nights, sleepy days.
Why do I put myself through this?
Ok, ok, I’ve got to do this.
Come on – I can do it..
I have to do it! – The deadline’s drawing near!

Type! Type! Type! Type!
Type! Type! Type! Type!
I think I’m getting it.
Type! Type! Type! Type!
Hey! I’ve got it – this is it!
Type! Type! Type! Type! This is great.
Didn’t I tell you I am great!
Type! Type! Type! Type! – The deadline was just a breeze!

Type! Type! Type! Type!
I can. I can’t.
I can. I can’t.
Oh no! I’m sure I can’t – The deadline’s drawing near.

Type! Type! Type! Type!
Here I go again!