In writing, as with any craft, it never hurts to return periodically to the basics of grammar, punctuation and rhetoric. Here are some frequent mistakes, along with a few suggestions:

1. Titles. Use the same font as the text. Do not capitalize the entire title, use bold or underline the title. Avoid dullness. “Reflection on the Odyssey” stirs no blood. Have some creative fun with your title.

2. Note that the title of the poem above is in italics. Titles of essays, chapters in a book, short stories, are in quotation marks.

3. Sentence structure: avoid beginning sentences with “This is….” Or “It is….” In almost every case, the referent of “it” or “This” is unclear. Avoid verbiage such as “It is of note that….” Wordy, fluffy and dull writing will not persuade the reader. For the record, This, That, These, Those, are demonstrative pronouns and should be used with a word they modify. “This belief of Jung’s is seriously questioned today.”

4. Read your paper no sooner than 48 hours after you have written it. Read it aloud. Notice the pattern of your sentence structure. Work consciously to vary your sentences.

5. Avoid using phrases such as: “In this paper I will attempt to….” And “Then I will point out the various connections….” Just do it.

6. Avoid phrases like “It is interesting that….” Rather, write what you see such that the reader says “Hey, this idea is interesting.”

7. Proofread. Every time the reader has to struggle over missing words or misspellings, the effectiveness of your writing diminishes. One cannot separate the idea from its mode of transportation.

8. Can you point to and identify a thesis sentence in the first or second paragraph? If not, then the trajectory of your essay may be faulty.

9. Pay attention to the length of writing called for. If 2-3 pages, do not hand in 5 pages. In addition, no fair using a microscopic font such that 500 words appear on a page. Estimate 250 words per page. That’s fair.

10. Transitions: paragraphs must relate to one another. You can accomplish this connection often by using no more than a transitional sentence that furthers or contrasts what has come before it. Do not ask the reader to make the connection for you.

11. When you make an assertion, don’t walk away from it. Support it, either by another source, by your own amplification or by a further illustration. Justify the assertion in some fashion.

12. Remember at all times that you have an audience trying to grasp what you see and wish to convey. Therefore, do not make the writing cryptic or an expression of a self-indulgent whimsy. Be conscious of a reader.

13. Write in active voice, simple present tense verbs whenever possible: “Odysseus washes up on the beach of Phaecia….” Let the historical present be your guide. In the historical present, the action is taking place right now, as you write about it. Avoid passive voice.

14. Avoid jargon: the feminine, the masculine, the underworld, role model. And no, Odysseus does not have “survival issues.” Avoid this language or give these overused words a context within your own argument or discussion.

15. Try to avoid worn out phrases and exhausted language: “Odysseus’ trials and tribulations….” “Through the lens of myth….” Strive for fresh ideas wrapped in fresh language.

16. Keep your psycho-sensor on high so that you do not engage in too much psycho-babble analysis of characters, action or thematic emphases.

17. Pay attention to paragraph coherence, cohesiveness and development. Paragraphs generally should not run for a page or two with no break. Give the reader a break.

18. When citing: If there is a question mark in the quote, place it at the end of the quote, followed by quotation marks. If it is your question, then place the question mark after the citation reference.

19. As much as possible, avoid using the dictionary for a source. If you do use a dictionary definition, then you must cite it and put the reference in the Works Cited page.

20. Generally, in your writing, risk something of yourself. Push into these works and trust your own thought to reveal to you a new slant or idea on the material. Then craft that idea into prose that makes the reader say: “Yes, this idea is plausible.

21. Don’t get frustrated with yourself. Writing well is a life-long journey.