Getting good help for writing term papers or essays is not hard; good help is available from many sources. For example, style guides such as APA or MLA provide some good advice not only on style but also on the writing process. It is however, much harder to get concise help for writing. APA and MLA do not help the average undergraduate much when they are under pressure. Neil Sawer’s Ten Steps to Help You Write Better Essays & Term Papers (ISBN: 0-9697901-3-9) is concise but still extremely helpful.
Ten Steps lives up to its title; there are ten simple steps outlined and the author does not waste time embellishing. The steps are divided into three sections: The Basic Steps, The Clarifying Steps, and The Writing Steps. For each step, Sawers defines what is needed and why, and provides practical advice for completing the steps. Practical is the operative theme here. With the exception of steps 1 and 3, the ten steps are are activities not abstract ideas (#1 is “Be Proactive” and #3 is “Come up with the right topic” but the author provides practical advice on how to achieve these goals).
The book itself is short; just 127 pages. It has small narrow format, ideal for keeping open on your desk in front of you. Most of the book is formatted so that keep activities, advice, or tips are in large print on one page and the opposite page contains details. This format works brilliantly as you can flip through easily and leave the appropriate section open as you are working. This is a true handbook: keep it close at hand because you can and will use it.
The book is not costly. The Canadian price is CA$13.95 making it affordable to its intended audience (students). I am also happy to note that it was not only written by a Canadian but is published right here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada by The NS Group.
Ten Steps is available from many libraries including the Edmonton Public Library. Libraries in the NEOS consortium (such as the University of Alberta) have copies but they are typically in reference and thus marked NO_LOAN. EPL does lend out its copies but it is a popular resource so put a hold it on it now!