Rules of the Road

Writing is definitely something that takes time to master. I believe that mastering writing is like mastering a sport, it takes practice. Learning all of the rules takes years. In my opinion the three most important rules to good writing are sentence structure, keeping it interesting, and proof reading.

Sentence structure is important because if an article has run-ons or choppy sentences it makes it difficult for the reader to comprehend. When I am reading something i want it to flow well and be easy to read. If the sentences are not written correctly it can throw off the readers and make them stop reading the article all together. I like to read things that flow well because it makes it more fun and it makes me want to continue reading.

Keeping your composition interesting is another important rule of good writing. This not only means writing something to entertain readers, but to use different techniques that readers are not used to seeing. After reading the extremely descriptive articles by Rick Reilly I learned that breaking rules is sometimes better for your piece, as long as you do it at the right time, of course. Writing about what readers can relate to is another way to keep your piece interesting. Most people my age do not want to read about something that happened hundreds of years ago on the other side of the world, so write about current things if you can to keep readers' attention.

The third most important rule of good writing, and i can not stress this enough, is proof reading. Take the extra ten or fifteen minutes to make sure there are no grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, and make sure your writing makes sense. Why wouldn't you take the extra few minutes to ensure your piece is as good as it can possibly be? It makes your story too difficult to read and personally, I would stop reading it. I know after you finish writing your article you just want to be done and not look at it again, I am the same way. Have a parent or friend proof read your paper for you. After all the hard work put into it, do not lose points over stupid things like spelling mistakes.


My strengths in writing are my organization and sentence structure. I understand how to order paragraphs from least important to most important, and I think I do it fairly well. It helps me to sit down and plan my writing first before starting the actual paper. Sentence structure is also a strength of mine, in my opinion. I do not like to have a lot of choppy sentences, and I make sure my writing is easy for people to read and understand.

Even though I stressed the importance of proof reading, it is one of my weaknesses. After i finish writing the last thing i want to do is read my paper again. I completely understand the importance of it, it is just pure laziness. I usually just throw it to the side and be done with it, even though i know the importance. I need to get into the habit of proof reading when I am finished so it becomes a second nature. Another weakness of mine is comma placement. This, it seems, has been something I have always struggled with. I like put commas after everything, but I am starting to learn that sometimes sentences flow just as well without them.