1. Writing ACTIVITY
Writing is easy – you just stare at a blank piece of paper till
your eyeballs bleed!

2. Writing ACTIVITY
• Some thoughts about writing
• Writing activity
• Reflecting on the activity
• Applying what you’ve learned to the
Assignment
• Useful resources

3. Student responses to writing:
I’ve been humiliated in ways I’d
never have put up with outside
that institution

4. Student responses to writing:
I am still not sure if my work is
considered academic, I still don’t know
what makes one of my essays better
than another.

5. And:
Academic language, the kind of language that
doesn’t readily flow off my tongue: the type of
language I rarely use when speaking to my
peers. The type of language that I don’t
readily understand and the type of language
that means spending hours at a computer
turning something quite simple into
something that sounds moderately impressive
with elitist results.

6. Perhaps it is not that we cannot write, but
We need:
• Time to ‘write to learn’
• Time to practice writing
• To write little and often
• To discover that writing gets easier with
practice.
• So …

7. Writing Activity
Free writing
Each person should have in front of them:
• Two sheets of paper:
• One, blank, to write upon,
• One, the ‘commentary’ sheet, to note reasons for
not writing
• Pens or pencils

8. The Activity
• When asked, turn to your blank paper
and write for ten minutes without pause
on the question below.
• If you stop writing for any reason, write
that reason, no matter how trivial or
insignificant on the ‘commentary’ sheet.

9. The Question
INSERT Q

10. (1) Assignment Activity
• Did you enjoy that writing?
• Review it – what does it tell you about:
• What you already know?
• What you need to find out?
• What you will be looking for in lectures?
• What you will be looking for when
reading?

11. (2) Why did you STOP writing?
Some reasons for stopping:
• Thinking
• Searching for a word, spelling, tense
• Uncomfortable
• Distracted
• Couldn’t see the point
• What are you going to do about this?

12. (3) Some solutions …
• Get into a good physical & mental space:
Be comfortable – your way
Accept the task – or fake it!
• Brainstorm & plan before you write
• Once you start – go with the flow
• Don’t stop!
• Do not search for the right word – re-draft and
improve later.

13. NEXT STEPS…
• How will your free write help you with
the final part of your assessment?
• How will thinking about writing help with
your writing?

14. Writing …
• Organise your DESK and your READING:
• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/desk/desk.html
• Check out these writing resources:
• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/connorj/WritingGroups/
• Essay writing animation – Portsmouth:
• http://ondemand.port.ac.uk/central/One_way_to_write_an_essay.wmv
• Essay/report quiz:
http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/LMBS/study/reports_essays/
• EXCELLENT site for linking phrases and for WRITING:
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
• Our Preventing Plagiarism course – in WebLearn:
• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/Plagiarism/