Impromptu Writing
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: IMPROMPTU WRITING
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Impromptu writing is writing you do on the fly, such as when you take an in-class essay exam or complete the essay portion of the SAT. Impromptu writing presents a challenge, even to the best of writers.
That’s because good writers typically take time to mull over their ideas and revise. With impromptu writing, though, the whole game changes. And there’s often a lot at stake—from a grade in a course to your college career. With a few tips, though, you can meet the challenge.
The first thing you need to know is how much time you’ll have. As a rule, plan to spend 30 percent of your time prewriting, 60 percent writing and 10 percent proofreading. That means if you had 30 minutes to write, you’d spend 9 minutes prewriting, 18 minutes writing, and a mere 3 minutes proofreading. Stay aware of the time throughout the process, so you can stick to your schedule.
During your prewriting, you’ll want to read the prompt carefully, come up with your main idea, and develop a general sense of how you plan to organize your information.
Another tip? Look at the verbs in the assignment to figure out your specific task. For instance, verbs such as compare, contrast, analyze, and discuss will indicate how you’re expected to present your knowledge of the topic. If you’re asked to compare and contrast two subjects, stick to looking for the similarities and differences between those two things. If you’re asked to analyze something, break the subject down into parts you can discuss. For instance, in analyzing a poem, you might consider the author’s use of imagery and metaphors. Also, remember that the expectations for this kind of task are different than they are for other kinds of writing. For one thing, your impromptu essay probably won’t need a full-blown introduction or detailed conclusion. You may, however, want to repeat part of the question in your opening. Restating the question (in the form of a statement) can help keep you focused—and show your audience that you’re addressing the specific question being asked.
Finally, remember that you usually won’t need to remember things like detailed facts and figures. Instead, you’ll be expected to demonstrate that you have a general understanding of some key concepts and can discuss them with ease.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: IMPROMPTU WRITING
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Impromptu writing is writing you do on the fly, such as when you take an in-class essay exam or complete the essay portion of the SAT. Impromptu writing presents a challenge, even to the best of writers.
That’s because good writers typically take time to mull over their ideas and revise. With impromptu writing, though, the whole game changes. And there’s often a lot at stake—from a grade in a course to your college career. With a few tips, though, you can meet the challenge.
The first thing you need to know is how much time you’ll have. As a rule, plan to spend 30 percent of your time prewriting, 60 percent writing and 10 percent proofreading. That means if you had 30 minutes to write, you’d spend 9 minutes prewriting, 18 minutes writing, and a mere 3 minutes proofreading. Stay aware of the time throughout the process, so you can stick to your schedule.
During your prewriting, you’ll want to read the prompt carefully, come up with your main idea, and develop a general sense of how you plan to organize your information.
Another tip? Look at the verbs in the assignment to figure out your specific task. For instance, verbs such as compare, contrast, analyze, and discuss will indicate how you’re expected to present your knowledge of the topic. If you’re asked to compare and contrast two subjects, stick to looking for the similarities and differences between those two things. If you’re asked to analyze something, break the subject down into parts you can discuss. For instance, in analyzing a poem, you might consider the author’s use of imagery and metaphors. Also, remember that the expectations for this kind of task are different than they are for other kinds of writing. For one thing, your impromptu essay probably won’t need a full-blown introduction or detailed conclusion. You may, however, want to repeat part of the question in your opening. Restating the question (in the form of a statement) can help keep you focused—and show your audience that you’re addressing the specific question being asked.
Finally, remember that you usually won’t need to remember things like detailed facts and figures. Instead, you’ll be expected to demonstrate that you have a general understanding of some key concepts and can discuss them with ease.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]