This how-to article will walk you through the steps that are guaranteed to reduce your stress level and produce better quality work.

1. Think about it. It seems like obvious advice, but many people don’t. They just start tapping. Consequently, they wander the subject and never get to the point because they haven’t figured out what it’s supposed to be.

2. Evaluate what type of piece it is. Opinion, news, literature review? Keep going back to the task until you know exactly what the criteria are.

3. Find out the requirements. If the assignment says a thousand words, that’s exactly what to look for, not 1223 or 932. Keep an eye out for the word counter at the bottom left of the screen.

4. Work from an outline. Once the task is thought out and evaluated, create an outline. The standard format is summary, introduction, supporting paragraphs (also called the body of the essay), and conclusion. Of these, the first, second, and last are the most important.

5. Decide on a working title. This may be changed once the part is finished, but if you leave the space blank, you may forget it when the deadline approaches. Each essay requires a title.

6. Justify your work to the left. That’s how it is. The title may be centered, but everything else should start on the left. Keep your work focused for your personal correspondence.

7. Avoid indentations. This format, in the history of writing, is next to typewriters. Double space between paragraphs.

8. Choose a font. This may seem like a sore point and it is. Some assignments actually specify what font the teacher and / or editor want to use. If you have questions and / or are media related, look up Times New Roman. Yes, it is boring, but it is also the industry standard.

9. Keep sentences short and crisp. Use the word count and if there are more than 30 words, take out the writing machete and cut them out. Or rework it in two sentences.

10. Keep paragraphs short. Use the one paragraph idea formula.

The general rule of thumb for length is three to five lines. But maybe it’s just one, particularly in journalism where every word counts, or 10 if it’s an academic article. When in doubt, check number three and assess what kind of paper it is.

11. Focus on developing good topic sentences. If the topic sentence doesn’t catch the reader’s attention, it won’t be read. LED, as it is known in publishing circles, is critical. Another idea is to write the paragraph and then delete the first sentence and use the second. The logic behind this? The first sentence may be too difficult, while the second is a better fit.

12. Edit, edit, edit. Too many people think that once they have written the draft, the task is over. No no no. Reread the work. Go for a walk, play a round of golf, have lunch, and then see it again with fresh eyes. Another tactic is to read it out loud to hear how it sounds to the reader.

13. Ask for a second opinion. Get together with another writer and exchange editing of each other’s work.

14. Keep learning and polishing. Writing is an evolving area and the point is to keep improving, not settle for mediocre.

Develop a positive attitude towards writing and it will become your friend. Negativity leads to poor ratings and / or readers who shy away from other posts en masse.