o you try to write a paper the day or night before it is due? Consider the contrast of athletes and musicians who practice a play or a song many times before they expect it to be right.

It may seem to be more efficient to write a paper in one long and possibly last minute effort, but it actually is easier to start sooner but work for shorter periods of time. Using this gradual approach, you can draft, revise, and edit better. To revise a paper, you need:

• time to come back to a draft
• a fresh perspective when you return
• a strong sense of what you want to say
• a good understanding of what your tone should be
• a clear awareness of what your audience expects
• a good understanding of the assignment requirements