This reminds me of a great essay, "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words or Less" - http://www.apostate.com/how-say-nothing-500-words http://www.apostate.com/how-say-

This reminds me of a great essay, "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words or Less" - http://www.apostate.com/how-say-nothing-500-words http://www.apostate.com/how-say-nothing-500-words. I think this nonsense should stop way before high school. I still remember the SPERM formula from my social studies class - social, political, economic, religious, and military. Pick three, write a paragraph on each, and stick them between an introduction and a conclusion (which is really an introduction rephrased). I learned more about good writing by debating various political issues on the gamedev boards I used to frequent than in any of my high school classes.