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Preachers often write out their sermons, or outlines of it, in order to make them more effective. Public speaking is often nothing more than saying words that have been written down, or could be written.
Preachers often write out their sermons, or outlines of it, in order to make them more effective. Public speaking is often nothing more than saying words that have been written down, or could be written.
Writing often has a very calming and beneficial effect on the person doing the writing. Reading a book is good, but one learns even more by writing a book. The activity of writing sharpens the mind and helps improve understanding. If you are upset about something, try writing about it. You'll find it makes you feel better afterward. 150 years ago, Americans would spend much of their free time writing letters or diaries. Writing is a form of mental exercise that has a very positive effect on the person doing the writing.
Writing often has a very calming and beneficial effect on the person doing the writing. Reading a book is good, but one learns even more by writing a book. The activity of writing sharpens the mind and helps improve understanding. If you are upset about something, try writing about it. You'll find it makes you feel better afterward. One hundred and fifty years ago, Americans would spend much of their free time writing letters or diaries. Writing is a form of mental exercise that has a very positive effect on the person doing the writing.
Writing can also have change the world for the better. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a famous insight. Thomas Paine's pamphlet entitled "Common Sense" helped win independence for the American colonies from Great Britain; Harriet Beecher Stowe's book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" helped end slavery. Many of the most influential people in history were writers, starting with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the authors of the four Gospels.
Writing is free. You do not need to buy anything new for it. You can use the computer you already have, or pick up a pen and paper from around your home. You don't have to listen to commercials or travel anywhere. But because it is free, no one profits by encouraging you to write. The result is that you will rarely hear someone to recommend that you write a book, a poem, a letter, or anything else. You have to take the initiative on your own.
Writing is the most creative activity possible. It is the human activity that is closest to pure creation of something out of nothing, like the creation of the world. Writing takes a set of infinite possibilities and crafts something meaningful and finite. Writing -- and only writing -- converts the chaos of random thoughts into the perfect order of ideas, logic and expression.
Writing has changed the world for the better. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a famous insight. Thomas Paine's pamphlet entitled "Common Sense" helped win independence for the American colonies from Great Britain; Harriet Beecher Stowe's book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" helped end slavery. Many of the most influential people in history were writers, starting with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the authors of the four Gospels.
Learning to write, and write well, will open more opportunities for you than any other skill. It is better even than learning how to swim, or ride a bicycle, or fly a plane, or become a good debater, or speak many languages. Once you develop the talent of good writing, there is almost no limit to what you can achieve, and most jobs and activities become much easier. While your college classmates or co-workers are struggling with a writing assignment, you'll be finishing it with skill and ease.
Learning to write, and write well, will open more opportunities for you than any other skill. It is better even than learning how to swim, or ride a bicycle, or fly a plane, or become a good debater, or speak many languages. Once you develop the talent of good writing, there is almost no limit to what you can achieve, and most jobs and activities become much easier. While your college classmates or co-workers are struggling with a writing assignment, you'll be finishing it with skill and ease.
== What is Good Writing? ==
"Brevity is the soul of wit." That famous description of good comedy is true indeed. Brevity, or economy of expression, is most likely to hold the attention of the audience and bring it to laughter. When a joke takes to long to tell, or is explained with too much repetition, or is diluted with too much narrative, then it loses its humorous edge. We'll be discussing humor more later in this course.
Good writing is also concise. Sharp, clear sentences hold the reader's attention better and are easier to proofread for mistakes. More words does not mean greater quality. Usually the opposite is true. One person remarked, "I'd prefer to write you a short letter, but I don't have the time to edit this long letter into a clearer and more concise version." The best written works result from reducing many ideas and sentences into only the best of them.
What is considered one of the greatest works in American History, the Gettysburg Address, is only 246 words long. Its short length made it possible to carve all of it into the side of the inner wall of a monument in Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Memorial
== Testing Writing ==
Colleges want good writers, and do not want students who cannot write. Accordingly, two out of the three tests of the basic SAT I are devoting to writing and reading skills.
== SAT I ==
== SAT I ==
The exams are offered by the "College Board," and cost only $45. The exams are offered at local high schools in early March, early May and early June. Then, in the fall, the exams are offered in early October, November and December. Registration deadlines are a month before the test dates, and all the information and process for registration are available online.<ref>http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-dates</ref>
The exams are offered by the "College Board," and cost only $45. The exams are offered at local high schools in early March, early May and early June. Then, in the fall, the exams are offered in early October, November and December. Registration deadlines are a month before the test dates, and all the information and process for registration are available online.<ref>http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-dates</ref>
Many students make the mistake of not taking the SAT until it delays consideration of their application by colleges, which hurts their opportunity to be admitted and earn scholarships. If a college starts considering application in November, then they need to see your SAT scores at the same time. That means you have to take them by October at the latest. But you'll want to take the SATs several times, so you need to take it once or twice the prior spring to ensure you have maximized your overall score. Procrastination -- putting off registration and the taking of the test -- will end up costing you a great deal of money and opportunity. It's not just how a student does on the SAT that matters, but how much initiative he showed in taking the test early enough to help him.
Many students -- particularly homeschool students -- make the mistake of not taking the SAT until it delays consideration of their application by colleges, which hurts their opportunity to be admitted and earn scholarships. If a college starts considering application in November, then they need to see your SAT scores at the same time. That means you have to take them by October at the latest. But you'll want to take the SATs several times, so you need to take it once or twice the prior spring to ensure you have maximized your overall score. Procrastination -- putting off registration and the taking of the test -- will end up costing you a great deal of money and opportunity. It's not just how a student does on the SAT that matters, but how much initiative he showed in taking the test early enough to help him.
== Scholarships ==
== Scholarships ==
*James Madison Universitytake the highest scores from the reading and math sections on the SAT.<ref>http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/process/freshman.shtml</ref>
*James Madison Universitytake the highest scores from the reading and math sections on the SAT.<ref>http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/process/freshman.shtml</ref>
*Liberty University and Patrick Henry College, both located in Virginia, do not specify on their websites whether they allow picking and choosing the highest individual SAT scores, but it seems likely they would. Contact them for more information.
*The most popular homeschool colleges, Grove City College, Liberty University and Patrick Henry College, have their own policies and should be contacted if you are interested in attending there.
== Importance of Vocabulary ==
== Importance of Vocabulary ==