What is improved in the 6th edition APA format?
The American Psychological Association (APA) format is now in its 6th edition whose focus is mainly on publication. The video on you tube is a concise step by step as to how to format a paper in the APA style of formatting. In this video the video graphics and voice quality are in clear unaccented English which is appropriate for all peoples who can understand the language. The voice speed is also good for the ear making it possible for an individual to understand the step by step guide to APA as well as the length of the video. Lastly the video gives detailed demonstration on what keys to use and where to click on the word document processor.
This video helped me understand and make a copy of a document written IN THE 6TH edition of APA publication style. The most important features of the new style a writer has to note is the heading, the font type and size, the different pages of the paper, paragraphing, page alignment and the referencing of the paper. The header tools are different to other styles with a running head all in times new roman font size 12 (Abel, 2012). The first page header is different as is it contains a presentation of the paper including the title, and the name of the institution it is presented to. The whole paper is aligned to an inch from the margin and the body and abstract are inserted in separate pages. The references page is also on a separate p[page and in APA format with a hanging last line.
What are shitty first drafts?
This work consider into depth of writing as well as the mind of a writer as they try and produce quality work. She speaks of how important the first drafts are important since they help in formulating ideas. These ideas can be later expanded, be clarified and reorganized into a complete original work.
In this book, she expresses that these ideas are useful and so a writer should be reassured of the shitty first draft since subsequent drafts are capable of refining the first one. It is always the case for all writers even the most gifted and accomplished ones that they write the shitty draft too. The ideas that come into mind are random and so they are the skeleton of the work so they appear shitty and some people tend to get desperate and unenthusiastic. As she says, “very few writers really know what they write until they’ve done it” (Lamont, 1994).
In conclusion, she is a down to earth advisor as she is funny on expressing her thoughts and experience in this work. She offers very witty and encouraging practical advice on writers about going about their work in all its aspects. She shares this based on experiences any writer would have and this is all the aspects of their life. She wittingly takes the seemingly negative aspects of writing and turns them into helpful lessons to go about as a writer. It is an entertaining piece of work as much as it is encouraging and helpful.
References:
Abel, S. (2012), APA Format Citations-Sixth (6th) Edition, www.youtube.com, retrieved on 29 march 2012.
Anne, L, (1994), Bird by Bird: some instruction on writing and life, New York: Andover Books.
