It is often easier said than done, but it is important when writing a good paper that you make time for it. Plan time for research, writing and editing the paper. Check your syllabus for the dates when your assignment is due, and mark your calendar for a date to remind yourself to begin working on it. Start by brainstorming ideas or creating a mind-map of topics and sub-topics throughout your paper. This is usually much easier than writing the paper itself, and will be critical when it comes time to complete the assignment.
When beginning to write your paper, you are often overloaded with information. After you have mapped out ideas for your paper, create an outline of the paper. When compiling your research, group the information according to your outline.
One of the most difficult challenges students face is writer's block. The first sentence of any paper is almost always the most intimidating. To avoid writer's block, don't start from the beginning. If you have provided yourself with enough time to organize and edit later, start with whatever part of the paper you feel is the easiest to write and work from there. It is important to just start writing something; you can always edit it later.
Editing is so important and, often, not done. A paper riddled with grammatical and structural errors or misspellings will immediately be viewed negatively. To properly edit your paper, first read the paper out loud to yourself. You will often catch a lot of mistakes that way. Next, ask someone else to edit your paper. Colleges will often have a writing center that will offer free help with your paper. After you have made the suggested changes to the paper, read it one last time to make sure that it flows well. The difference between a paper that has been read through and one that hasn't is huge.