CANADIAN Writing Resources for Students

Writing Advice

Editing Poetry

Here are some common strategies for editing poems

1. Eliminate structure words
2. Eliminate implied words
3. Eliminate unnecessary modifiers
4. Eliminate repeated subjects
5. Eliminate clichés

For the complete list:
http://web.mala.bc.ca/guppy/crew410/editing_poetry.htm

Essay Tips for Student Writers

Many students face the same essay-writing problem.
Pick your most basic idea first.
Keep your language clear and plain.
The FIRST DRAFT is the time to scribble ideas on paper before they can fly away.

For the complete list:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/susanio/WWCtips.html


A Systematic Approach to Prose Writing Improvement

ask yourself five questions:
1. How much does this word add in this spot?
2. Can I switch to a more exact, sensuous word?
3. Would a different form of the word sound stronger?
4. If I tighten the sentence, will I need this word at all?
5. Do the surrounding words appear in the most effective order?

For the complete list:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/susanio/WWCten.html

Five Canadian style books offer further suggestions to help you polish your prose:

1. The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, Dundurn Press, 1985.

2. Caps and Spelling, The Canadian Press, 1981.

3. CP Stylebook: A Guide for Writers and Editors, The Canadian Press, 1981.

4. Editing Canadian English, Second Edition, Editors' Association of Canada, Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 2000.

5. The Globe and Mail Style Book, J.A. McFarlane & Warren Clements, Info Globe, 1990.

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