Brief Overview of the 10 Essay Writing Steps

Below are brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing an essay. Select the links for more info on any particular step, or use the blue navigation bar on the left to procee through the writing steps. !ow "o Write an Essay can be viewe se#uentially, as if going through ten se#uential steps in an essay writing process, or can be e$plore by in ivi ual topic.

1. %esearch& Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an e$pert. 'tili(e the internet, the aca emic atabases, an the library. "ake notes an immerse yourself in the wor s of great thinkers.

). *nalysis& +ow that you have a goo knowle ge base, start analy(ing the arguments of the essays you,re rea ing. -learly efine the claims, write out the reasons, the evi ence. .ook for weaknesses of logic, an also strengths. .earning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analy(e essays written by others.

/. Brainstorming& 0our essay will re#uire insight of your own, genuine essay1writing brilliance. *sk yourself a o(en #uestions an answer them. 2e itate with a pen in your han . "ake walks an think an think until you come up with original insights to write about.

3. "hesis& 4ick your best i ea an pin it own in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay aroun . 0our thesis is your main point, summe up in a concise sentence that lets the rea er know where you,re going, an why. 5t,s practically impossible to write a goo essay without a clear thesis.

6. Outline& Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. 'se one1line sentences to escribe paragraphs, an bullet points to escribe what each paragraph will contain. 4lay with the essay,s or er. 2ap out the structure of your argument, an make sure each paragraph is unifie .

7. 5ntro uction& +ow sit own an write the essay. "he intro uction shoul grab the rea er,s attention, set up the issue, an lea in to your thesis. 0our intro is merely a

buil up of the issue, a stage of bringing your rea er into the essay,s argument.

8+ote& "he title an first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. "his is an essay1writing point that oesn,t always sink in within the conte$t of the classroom. 5n the first paragraph you either hook the rea er,s interest or lose it. Of course your teacher, who,s getting pai to teach you how to write an essay, will rea the essay you,ve written regar less, but in the real worl , rea ers make up their min s about whether or not to rea your essay by glancing at the title alone.9

:. 4aragraphs& Each in ivi ual paragraph shoul be focuse on a single i ea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evi ence, an e$poun your i eas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your rea er as if he or she were sitting in front of you. 5n other wor s, instea of writing the essay, try talking the essay.

;. -onclusion& <racefully e$it your essay by making a #uick wrap1up sentence, an then en on some memorable thought, perhaps a #uotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. 5s there something you want the rea er to walk away an o= .et him or her know e$actly what.

>. 2.* Style& ?ormat your essay accor ing to the correct gui elines for citation. *ll borrowe i eas an #uotations shoul be correctly cite in the bo y of your te$t, followe up with a Works -ite 8references9 page listing the etails of your sources.

10. .anguage& 0ou,re not one writing your essay until you,ve polishe your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incoporating rhythm, emphasis, a @usting the formality, giving it a level1hea e tone, an making other intuitive e its. 4roofrea until it rea s @ust how you want it to soun . Writing an essay can be te ious, but you on,t want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you,ve put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misppallings an pourly wor e phra(ies..

0ou,re one. <reat @ob. +ow move over Ernest !emingway A a new writer is coming of ageB 8Of course !emingway was a fiction writer, not an essay writer, but he probably knew how to write an essay @ust as well.9

2y 4romise& "he %est of "his Site Will %eally "each 0ou !ow "o Write an Essay ?or half a o(en years 5,ve rea thousan s of college essays an taught stu ents how to write essays, o research, analy(e arguments, an so on. 5 wrote this site in the most basic, practical way possible an ma e the instruction crystal clear for stu ents an instructors to follow. 5f you carefully follow the ten steps for writing an essay as outline on this site A honestly an carefully follow them A you,ll learn how to write an essay that is more organi(e , insightful, an appealing. *n you,ll probably get an *.