Academic Writing Blog - Academic Writing Success

6 Easy and Effective Ways to Create a Research Question

by Suzanne Davis | May 12, 2022 | Writing Essays and Papers, Writing Process

Do you need to create a research question? Can’t you start searching for sources without a research question? You could try that, but you would need to hunt for an idea among a maze of articles, books, and other research. The best strategy for finding...

The Top 9 Free Online Editing Tools For Writing Excellent Papers

by Suzanne Davis | Mar 10, 2022 | Writing Resources

I dread editing. Editing isn’t my superpower; it is my writing weakness. It’s painful and tedious, but it can transform a bad or ok research paper into an excellent one. And while no online editing tool can replace a human’s eyes for...

11 Fantastic Online Writing Tools for Free in 2022

by Suzanne Davis | Feb 10, 2022 | Writing Resources, Writing Technology

“Suzanne, I have the perfect online writing tool for you.” I receive many emails from people telling me about an excellent new app, tool, or website for writers or students. And since I tutor academic writing online, I try all kinds of writing tools and...

21 Insightful and Inspirational Author Quotes to Motivate You

by Suzanne Davis | Feb 2, 2022 | Writing Motivation

When I struggle with writing, I think of Fyodor Dostoevsky. I think of him waiting to be executed for his beliefs (he wasn’t). I imagine him freezing in a Siberian Prison Camp. He suffered, he endured, he didn’t quit, and he wrote amazing novels. Dostoevsky...

How to Create an Easy and Effective Writing Schedule (and Stick to It)!

by Suzanne Davis | Jan 6, 2022 | Writing Organization

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by writing? Your teacher or professor assigns a writing project, and you think “I don’t even know how to start?” Or do you struggle to begin any other piece of writing that seems large? Even experienced writers get nervous...

5 Key Steps to Writing an Exceptional Compare and Contrast Essay

by Suzanne Davis | Oct 25, 2021 | Writing Essays and Papers

It isn’t complicated. But writing an exceptional compare and contrast essay does take effort and planning. An excellent compare and contrast paper reveals something unique about a topic. It dives into the topic and reflects on the importance of what is...

5 Essential College Writing Books for Ambitious Students

by Suzanne Davis | Aug 19, 2021 | College and Graduate School

Buying books for college is expensive. Like me, you may have spent an hour scouring the university bookstore, looking for the best-priced used textbooks to save some money. Then maybe you hunt online for more bargain textbooks. Even if you find “gently-used...

5 Ways I Became a Green Tutor in 2021

by Suzanne Davis | Jul 1, 2021 | Online Tutoring

I grew up learning the 3 R’s: Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. As a child, our school had recycled can and bottle drives. My family recycled. I recycled in college and at work. The mantra “Recycle, Reduce, Reuse” was ingrained in me. And part of why I...

The Ultimate Guide on How to Organize a Bold Argumentative Essay

by Suzanne Davis | Jun 20, 2021 | Writing Essays and Papers, Writing Organization

Can you argue with me (in writing)? That’s what I want my students to do. I want them to write a compelling argumentative essay that debates and challenges a point of view on a topic. And the secret to accomplishing that is knowing how to organize an...

How to Write a Strong Introduction to a Research Paper

by Suzanne Davis | Jun 17, 2021 | Writing Essays and Papers, Writing Process

What makes an introduction powerful? It’s an important question because an introduction is the first impression readers have of your research paper. A strong introduction tells your readers not only what you will prove or show—it makes them want to read it. You want...