Exceptional Writing takes time

Writing should not be done last minute. That has been a repeated topic of conversation in my home recently.

My 17-year-old son thrives on starting tasks at the eleventh hour, and to my utter disbelief, that approach, for the most part, has worked for him throughout his educational journey. Thus, I have tried to refrain from “micromanaging” him and getting him to change his approach to one that I approve of. That said, I have repeatedly told him, especially while he has been applying to colleges, that writing is something that should never be done last minute, for if it is, the end result will be inferior to that which would be produced if it had been done in advance.

A lot of thought goes, or should go, into writing. It takes time for thought-provoking ideas to develop and blossom in our minds, which they need to do before they are transferred onto paper. If we don’t give ourselves adequate time to think about what we want to write about, our writing will seem underdeveloped and unfocused.

Also, the sooner that we begin working on a writing piece, the more feedback we will be able to receive throughout the writing process and the more rounds of revisions we will be able to complete before submission—both of which are essential to produce exceptional writing.

Furthermore, certain types of writing, such as college application essays and supplemental responses, take more time to create than other types of writing, such as school papers, and, thus, should be started much sooner and completed at a steady pace.

Ultimately, as soon as you know that you will need to create a writing piece, start working on it—even if it is just for 30 minutes a day—so that the finished product will be something that you will be proud of and want to attach your name to.

~ Christina Caputo

Founder & Owner of ★ W O R D S