Category Archives: On Writing Well

Writing as Practice

I like for my students to think of writing as an ongoing process, or a practice.  Here’s a way to think about it:


Writing is not only a tool for communication, for transmitting ideas or transcribing what has already been thought: It is itself a way of thinking, of developing ideas, trying them out, arranging them, testing them.  It is a way of separating your thoughts from yourself –making them take a visible form outside your mind– so that you can think about them and improve them.  It is, in fact, always practice, and realizing this can make you a stronger, more confident writer.  (Scholes et al, The Practice of Writing. 1994: St Martins Press, New York.  Pp 13).


Happy Writing!

-Dr. Kirschner

On Style

We can say much about the style of your admission essay.  Since these writing assignments generally call for you to tell a story about yourself, they invite you to write in a personal tone.  That tone should come from you and your voice.  I urge you to avoid trying to add an inauthentic “style” to your essay.  As William Zinssser, cautions in his essential book, On Writing Well:

There is no style store; style is organic to the person doing the writing…Trying to add     style is like adding a toupee.  At first glance the formerly bald man looks young and even     handsome.  But at second glance –and there’s always a second glance– he doesn’t look     quite right…The point is that he doesn’t look like himself. (1998:19).

When you write your essay, you will go through a process of finding your voice.   This voice is how you express yourself and come across as the real you.  And that’s what admissions committees want to hear.

Happy writing!
-Dr. Kirschner