Tips for writing longer papers

[Anubis]

courier new is a MLA approved font

 

[UglyCasanova]

Use notecards to do your research, and do a LOT of research. The more the better, and make cards for everything. Also you should actually write your paper using an outline. If you can come up with a good outline (and by good I mean extremely detailed) then writing the paper should take only an hour or two.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: JustAnAverageGuy

Originally posted by: InlineFourprofessors read

I wouldn't really call it reading.

It is as best skimming and most likely reading the first paragraph, looking at the stack, saying it looks like 75 pages, and giving it a grade.

You people must go to crappy schools.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: JustAnAverageGuy

Originally posted by: InlineFourprofessors read

I wouldn't really call it reading.

It is as best skimming and most likely reading the first paragraph, looking at the stack, saying it looks like 75 pages, and giving it a grade.

You people must go to crappy schools.

Again, I'm just inserting factless fluff on an internet forum

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: Anubis
courier new is a MLA approved font

It's APA-approved too. I've never actually tried it though.

 

[HermDogg]

Block quotes FTW!

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: HermDogg
Block quotes FTW!

Quotes can be used effectively, but it is much easier to actually make a VERy detailed outline and use that to write your paper. If you try to make your paper longer using quotes it will take twice as long and be crappy generally. Use quotes though, but have a purpose for using them.

 

[sash1]

I wrote a 37 page paper on Lord Jim by Josef Conrad last year. Friggin' awesome!

Pick a good topic, the more narrow and specific the better. Get lot's of sources, research extensively and write. A strong thesis is key.

 

[Eeezee]

You have opinions on stuff, right?

Make sure to include lots of that. To back up your opinions, randomly choose quotes from relevant sounding passages and stick them next to the corresponding sentences.

For extra long quotes (more than 2 sentences), it's common practice to create a new paragraph and indent it 1 inch (standard indent is half an inch) on each side. If you get a good quote, you can have it taking up a paragraph's worth of space with only 3-4 sentences while still maintaining a professional style

Try not to talk about relevant personal experiences or stuff like that at all even if it sounds tempting. Just stick to your research. With any luck, a 20 page paper only takes 2-5 days including research.

 

[Baked]

Plagiarize.

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
I've always found that sitting down and writing as much as I can in one sitting is the best way to go. Otherwise, I forget what is where, what I've written, and so on. I wrote my masters thesis (75 pages) in one night and it only needed one revision. Shortly thereafter, I wrote a 10 page article and it had to go through many revisions. Maybe it's just me, but there it is.

Oh, and the secret ingredient: a case of Dr. Pepper and a couple bags of Nacho Cheesier Doritos.

Eep. Your keyboard must have looked like hell after that

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: SampSon
Speed.

 

[JoeKing]

time, lots and lots of it.

to write something half decent.

Drugs to write B+ material

 

[sisq0kidd]

Custom line spacing to 2.2 instead of double spacing.

Your 18 page paper just became a 20 page paper!

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
how do you people pull a 20 page paper? i've honestly never written anything more than 10 pages, and that's with a lot of quotes. how do you do it? any tips?

Either pick a topic you enjoy writing about, you hate writing about in the sense that you write a lot about what is wrong with 'said topic', you ramble on and on although you'd be surprised at what teachers can detect, you add a lot of things discussing the topic and how other things are so similar yet so different and get into that philosophical crap, fail, or the final when in doubt- whip it out...

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: thirtythree

Originally posted by: Anubis
courier new is a MLA approved font

It's APA-approved too. I've never actually tried it though.

it adds 1 page for every 3 pages you have in Times New Roman

 

[loic2003]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
how do you do it? any tips?

I found writing words really helps. Pictures, also.

Seriously though; having something to actually write about really helps. My AI dissertation was 23,000 words and a hell of a lot longer than 20 pages or whatever. Research is your friend.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

I wrote a 53 page paper in college. Wasn't that bad, except halfway through the lab computer crashed, and I had to start over.

 

[BigJimbo]

maybe this will help?

Essay

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
actually elaborate on your arguments rather than simply stating them.

Exactly. I used to have trouble filling a 3 page paper. Then when I got to grad school, it is the opposite. I have so much to say, and I have to explain every assumption, that my trouble is pairing the work down. When I want a 5 page article, I just write everything that is relavant and I end up with 10-15 pages. The hard part then kicks in where you have to cut out 2/3rds of the necessary text to fit the 5 page max.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: thirtythree

Originally posted by: Anubis
courier new is a MLA approved font

It's APA-approved too. I've never actually tried it though.

its adds 1 page for ever 3 pages you have in Times New Roman

Wow why would you use anyting else...

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: thirtythree

Originally posted by: Anubis
courier new is a MLA approved font

It's APA-approved too. I've never actually tried it though.

its adds 1 page for ever 3 pages you have in Times New Roman

Wow why would you use anyting else...

because some profs will give you a F if you use anything other then Times 12pt single or double spaced

luckily i never had any of those profs

 

[imported_LoKe]

Font size : 12.5 instead of 12. Spacing, if you're usually 1, then go 1.2. If you're 2, go 2.2.

 

[talyn00]

just be extremely redundant. sometimes helps to get the point across or it can just make it extremely terrible to read

 

[astrosfan90]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
how do you people pull a 20 page paper? i've honestly never written anything more than 10 pages, and that's with a lot of quotes. how do you do it? any tips?

My senior thesis was 80.

Basically wound up being about 6 different papers, as I had a chapter analyzing the theory/background of the issue, then a chapter on each case study, applying that theory, then a chapter comparing them all, then a conclusion drawing together all of the findings.