Required writing is always writing that someone else has decided you have to do. That means that you are given a particular writing assignment or task. The most important thing you can do when you are faced with such a task is to make absolutely sure that you understand what you are being asked to do.
Sometimes your assignment is very general: Write a paper about something we covered in this course. Sometimes it is much more specific: Write a report about the feasibility of putting in a new development on this street. In either case, what you really have to find out is what the person who has given you the assignment is expecting.
Unfortunately, it's often the case, especially at work, that the person giving the assignment does not really know exactly what she wants. She's operating on the principle of "I'll know it when I see it." Or sometimes, especially in academia, the professor giving the assignment expects his students to know exactly how to write an academic paper. (Even though professors in fact have widely differing ideas of what they want from student writing, many of them persist in upholding the fiction that there is one universal standard. They also tend to assume that students must know what this standard is, an assumption that conveniently exempts them from having to explain it.)
So you may have to do some work to find out what is expected of you in this assignment. Yes, it can be scary to approach a boss or a professor with questions about a required writing project. But here's the simple truth: if you don't know what you are supposed to do in this project, you won't be able to do it.
At work, approach the person who has made the assignment in a spirit of collaboration. You might say something like, "I really want to do a good job on this project, so I just want to make sure I understand exactly what you are expecting." It helps if you have thought about the project a little bit so you can ask specific questions. What is the purpose of the writing assignment? Who are the intended readers? Such questions can give you the information you need to get a clearer idea of what you are supposed to do with the project.
Any professor worthy of his position will be more than willing to help you get a clearer picture of an assignment you must do for a college course. You want to make sure you understand two things: what is the paper supposed to be about? and what are you supposed to do in the paper? It's especially important to get a clear answer to the second question: are you supposed to explain something? analyze something? compare two or more things? Without a clear sense of what your professor wants you to do, you won't be able to fulfill the assignment.
Although some professors are eager to help students, many others are not. If you encounter one of these, you may want to talk to him in the company of other students from the class. Don't be confrontational; make it clear that you are serious about your work and you can't do it well if you don't understand the assignment. If the professor refuses to explain it, go to the head of the department. If that doesn't work, go to the Dean. A professor who won't help students who want to learn is not doing the job he's being paid to do.
The next time you are given a writing assignment, try this:
Write down, in your own words, the answers to these questions:
Suggested next lesson: Rule #2: Know Your Material
© 2010. All Rights Reserved. Barbara Baig