A few things that can help you keep this in mind:

• Perfect doesn’t exist in writing.  There is great writing, there is bad writing and there is everything in between.  For every great piece of writing, some clever dude out there will find a line that could probably sound better if worded another way or an example that would have been more memorable if the writer changed an element to something else.
• Writers who strive for perfection never finish anything.   There’s always something that could use improvement.  If you’re not convinced, look at anything you’ve written in the past that you feel is “perfect.”  Give it to another writer and ask them for any changes they will make.  Chances are, they’ll find at least one area that can be changed for the better.
• Good writing is not about being perfect.  Instead, it’s about communicating a message effectively to the reader.  If your writing already does that well, then any action towards getting it perfect is just a waste of energy.

Quotations can appear in most any type of writing. In fact, you can see them used in professional publications (like books, magazines and newspapers), just as much as in university essays and personal blogs.

Length

There are no limits to how long or how short a quotation can be.  It can be as thrifty as one word (e.g. President Obama said it was “impossible.”) or as long as multiple paragraphs.   As a rule, though, you would like to keep quotations as short as possible.  If the material runs longer than two sentences, consider if it’s a better idea to just summarize or paraphrase the bulk of it.

Accuracy

Make a point of quoting sources correctly.  The media is filled not just with accidental misquotes, but quotations deliberately taken out of context to serve a story.   Don’t be one of those people.

Additionally, try to get quoted material as-is on paper.  If there’s a grammatical mistake, then add a [sic] to let the reader know you’re aware of the error, but you’re keeping it in for the sake of accuracy.   For longer quotes with too many errors that they end up difficult to read, though, you might want to consider paraphrasing and just quoting select words from the source.

Attribution

Never forget to attribute the quote.  Also, make sure the reader gets a decent idea of who the source is.  Don’t just slap a name — add some context: who the person is, why they’re relevant to the story and such.

1. Lead (also lede).  The first paragraph of a regular news story.  Its goal is two-fold: to interest the reader and to offer a summary of the story’s main point.
2. Inverted pyramid.  This is the default structure of every hard news story.   In this format, the most important facts are discussed first, with the least important one figuring at the end.
3. Copy.  The actual news article which you have written.
4. Nut graph.  A paragraph that explains the value of a news story.  It’s especially important in features, where the lead doesn’t necessarily offer a summary of the journalistic questions.
5. Beat.  A specific area, topic or specialty that a reporter is assigned to.  For instance, a reporter’s beat may be the local court, while another can be assigned to local police stations.
6. Cutline.  The caption that describes a picture or art printed in a newspaper.
7. Byline.  The name of the author.
8. Dateline.  The place where the story originates.
9. Source.  A person who is quoted or attributed to in your story.
10. Play.   This refers to the emphasis given to a specific story or a particular page of the newspaper.

When writing conversationally, here are a few things to remember:

• Write in a casual, friendly tone.  That’s how most good conversations go, after all.  Being aggressive, condescending or just plain obnoxious does not make for a good interaction, nor will it work out well when trying to engage a reader.
• Use familiar everday words.   There are probably who like to choose big, complicated words in conversation.  And no one can stand talking with them.  Remember that the next time you decide to sound impressive in your writing.  Current and ordinary words may not be fancy, but they do make reading your work a more natural affair.
• Avoid hip language.  While slang can have its applications, it’s usually a bad idea in writing.   Two reasons: (1) You’re restricting yourself to a very narrow set of readers who can understand the slang; (2) By this time next year, when nobody uses the slang anymore, no one will understand what you’re saying.

Prompts. There are plenty of programs, books and websites that give writing prompts, allowing you to start writing without having to bother coming up with any new ideas.

Freewriting. Also called stream of consciousness writing, this process involves sitting down and just writing whatever comes to mind with no regard for spelling, grammar and other mechanics.   Chances are, you’ll be producing largely unusable material, but it is a great way to get into a writing mood and get over bouts of writer’s block.

Titles. Being able to write strong titles and headlines is a special craft unto itself.   As such, it might be something you’d like to practice putting together during your free time.  Experiment with them and don’t be afraid to get creative: go after short, long, shocking, descriptive, cryptic, clever and discover what works best for yourself.

Rewrite. Take a paragraph of poor to average writing quality, then revise it into something better.  If you’re not sure where to find bad writing, try the mass of pages on Blogspot and Hubpages to get started (they’re filled with it).  Use your writing software, as well, if you’d like to simulate the process of actually revising your own work.

Most transitional devices in your writing will fall under one of these categories:

1. Transitional words.   Some words and short phrases can effectively facilitate a transition by creating an explicit relationship between one thought and the next.  Samples of this include “however,” “therefore” and “on the other hand.”
2. Key words.  Simply repeating the key word that is the focus of the discussion allows the reader to more easily make sense of relationships between ideas.  While it’s important to vary your word choices, do balance it with the use of repeated keywords as they really aid the reader’s understanding.
3. Pronouns.  Using pronouns can work much like repeating a keyword.  Just make sure your use isn’t ambiguous, though, lest leave the paper even more confusing for the reader.
4. Parallel Phrases.   As much a gimmick as it is an effective transitional device, parallel phrases uses the same phrasing in a series of sentences.  The effect is additive logic that the reader digests in short spurts.
5. Summary transitions.  Used at key points in writing, this is used to summarize the preceding discussion.  Typically, this is employed after a heavy bit of content that you feel might confuse the reader.
6. Review-preview transitions.  Often used at the end of paragraphs and sections, this type of transition sums up the previous discussion in brief, while also introducing the upcoming one.

Writing requires a unique type of attention.  On one hand, it requires you to let your mind loose, expressing its thoughts without inhibition.  On the other, it requires a strict adherence to the details of grammar, punctuation and structure.

While modern grammar software is able to do a lot to aid in the latter, training yourself in those details will lead to better results in the long term.  The good news is, using that same grammar-fixing program is similar to getting a hands-on lesson on the finer points of grammar and mechanics.  Repeat it enough times and the correct usage will eventually stick.

The best way to improve your skills consistently is to regularly write, using your grammar software to aid in proofreading and correction.  Don’t wait for the teacher to give you a writing assignment or your work supervisor to request a report.  Instead, write everyday, whether it be journal entries, mini-essays or stuff you will delete as soon as you finish them.  The important thing is to keep using the skills, so they get sharper and better with time.

Key words peppered throughout the assignment usually hold the “key. “  By key words, we mean  specific terms and phrases in the instructions that tell you the approach you should take when writing the paper.  Identifying these  and knowing what they mean can help you out tremendously, similar to the way your English grammar software checks up on your writing mechanics.

There are three general types of key words to be on the lookout for.  These are:

Task words. Usually consisting of verbs, they tell you what you need to do in the paper.  Look for terms such as “investigate,” “discuss,” “analyze” or “critique,” all of which precisely communicate the actions you need to perform.

Content words. These inform you what the topic area is, defining what the essay is about and focusing your efforts on a specific aspect of the subject.

Limiting words. These key words supplement the content words, setting the boundaries and limitations you should be wary of in the paper.  In simple terms, it narrows your focus even further by eliminating less-relevant aspects.

The most prominent characteristic of the Rogerian arrangement is its presentation, which details the two sides of an issue impartially.  This is in direct contrast to winning through arguments, which seeks to bolster one side in favor of the other.  Here, you don’t write to convince readers of your position; rather, you explore each argument to come up with a potential compromise.

The Rogerian method arranges a problem solving essay into five different parts:

1. Introduction.  Here, you explain the problem, making sure the reader understands it and convincing them it is a real issue.
2. Opposing arguments.  Present an objective and unbiased view of the opposing argument, without refuting or attacking your own argument.
3. Your own arguments.   Here, you illustrate your position in an objective manner.  Similar to the above, avoid attacking the opposing views harshly.
4. Areas of agreement.  Look for areas of each argument where both sides agree, expanding it with an exploration of the point.
5. Resolution.  Come up with a conclusion that resolves those areas where both sides disagree, recommending a compromise that takes both arguments into account.

As always we encourage you to fix up your essays with a grammar assistant program.  No drafts ever come perfect and a program like that can help you sort out any mistakes you end up committing to paper.

Realistically, most professionals can only afford to go (due to restrictions in either time or money or both) to a limited number of workshops and writing events.   As such, you’ll need to do most of your growing on your own if you really want to continually improve on your skills as a writer.

There are two primary ways to do this:

1. Take a home course.  There are many home-based writing courses available now – more than ever.  In the past, people were usually restricted to books and correspondence courses.  With the advent of the web, that has all changed.  A quick search online should bring up plenty of available courses, many of which you can take at your own convenience.
2. Get a writing software.  While most people think of writing software as tools for improving grammar and mechanics in your drafts, they’ve evolved past that in many ways.  In fact, using a writing improvement program in all your writing tasks is one of the best ways to continually polish your writing abilities.  It’s literally like having an editor watching you like a hawk, day in and day out.  Wouldn’t you develop new skills from that?