No matter what you are doing or going to do with your life, writing is a valuable skill to have. This is especially true for all students in the USA, UK, and all other the world. In fact, according to a survey, communicating in writing is one of the main skills most students admit they have developed thanks to college. The only problem with writing is that it can get dull and tiresome - so you need to put in some extra effort to make it fun. Sure, you can buy a whole book on this, but here are some helpful strategies to begin with.

Choose the topic you are passionate about

Writing about something you know and love is fun by default. Say you are a conservation or social justice nerd. If the essay prompt you get is at least somehow related to your interests, use this. First, you’ll enjoy the process much more because you’ll get to talk about something that you care about. But there’s more to this. Readers can always tell how the writer feels about their text, and that attitude is infectious.

Sure, this isn’t always possible. Oftentimes, you get the instructions for a college assignment, and there is nothing about them that makes you tick. If that’s the case, do more research. Expert writers know the rule of thumb: the more you know about the subject, the more interesting it is for you. If possible, include examples related to something you are passionate about. If not, try to find some interest in what you have to. It’s not unlike getting pumped before a party. Fake it till you make it.

Make an outline

Yeah, this one doesn’t sound too exciting at first. But trust us—it will help. All too often, student papers are written with no structure or direction. This makes reading difficult, and your audience will lose interest after a paragraph or two. Whether you’re writing an argumentative essay for your English 101 class or an online customer review for some company, you don’t want this. So, even if you feel like an outline is an extra piece of work, make one. Both yourself and your reader will be grateful.

Also, even if it doesn’t seem likely, writing is more fun with an outline. It will help you stay on topic and not lose your train of thought. If nothing else, you’ll finish the paper faster. Here’s how a short outline is supposed to look like:

Introduction (Don’t forget a hook!)

I. Body paragraph I
- Idea I
- Example / Anecdote / Evidence
II. Body paragraph II
- Idea II
- Example / Anecdote / Evidence
III. Body paragraph III
- Idea III
- Example / Anecdote / Evidence

Conclusion

Relate

Writing a quality paper from scratch requires quite a bit of imagination, no matter how academic it is. The best way to find inspiration for it is to try to understand what the subject means for you personally. If you are struggling with this, look at the examples provided by the CustomWritings website or any other professional essay writing company. Any free paper you’ll see there is a sample, and you can order the one tailored to your needs from the website.

No matter how dull the topic is, try to answer these four questions:

       1.    “So what?”
       2.    “Why should I care?”
       3.    “What’s in it for me?”
       4.    “Why should my reader care?”

Chances are that if you think hard enough, you’ll realize that there is something about the subject that concerns your life (and your reader’s life). Once you do, you’ll feel more inspired, and your paper will be much easier to write. What’s more, your ideas will sound way more original.

Read and get inspired

Another awesome way to spark your passion for the topic is to read about it as much as possible. When it comes to college essays, students usually have assigned readings, so the choice is pretty limited. We get it—academic sources tend to be long, impersonal, and complicated. But there’s nothing wrong with doing your own research. Any top writer reviews periodicals akin to The New York Times, New Yorker, or Washington Post regularly.

Subscriptions are really cheap, so consider getting one. Even YouTube and the websites of the companies you like will be of service. You’ll find personalized stories there, and it’ll be easier to understand why you should care about such things as the electoral college, determinism, and bed-to-patient ratios (or whatever the topic of your paper is).

Besides, well-written texts are of great assistance when it comes to your writing style. Students often struggle with college essays because they don’t know how to express themselves creatively. The best way to learn how to do so is to read as much as possible (well, and write just as much). Academic writing is not the same as that of periodicals, but at least you’ll feel inspired to work on your own writing skills.

Find or make a perfect playlist

Now back to the fun stuff. Some students prefer to write in complete silence, but they are a minority. For most of us, soft background music is a perfect companion. It helps the writer stay focused and works better than any motivational speech. What to choose as your ultimate playlist for writing depends on your individual preferences and the streaming services available. Just make sure that the music isn’t too overpowering or distracting.

Hopefully, you have Spotify. It has the best selection of writer’s playlists. Start with these ones:

       ●    Deep Focus. Mostly post-rock and ambient. Great for any writing.
       ●    Sad world. Works best for diaries and decadence fiction writing.
       ●    The Writer’s Playlist. Proceed with caution. While amazing, most tracks on this one are heavy on well-written lyrics, so it might get distracting. But perfect as a source of inspiration.
       ●    Minimalism. As the name suggests, this one consists mainly of minimalist compositions. If you haven’t tried writer’s playlists before, it’s a good place to start.

Still, if you realize that you’re into having music on while writing, it’s always a great idea to make your own custom playlist.

Afterword

Writing is not unlike riding a bike or cooking. If you practice long enough to get good at it, it will eventually get fun. But for now, stick to these five beginner strategies: choose the topic that makes you tick; draft an outline; relate; read for inspiration; find a playlist that works for you. Chances are that all of these will soon become your habits. They’ll come naturally to you, and so will writing.