Essay writing can be daunting to students whether it’s for a contest, a class assignment or a scholarship. The paper needs to be as convincing as possible for it to fulfill its intended purpose. While an essay is a large project, the writer should break it down into manageable and comprehensible parts. Here are the ten tips that make the writing process easy and fun.
Your Essay Should be a Narration of Ideas
Essays are all about change and conflict. The change refers to the way you should view the ideas while the conflict refers to the difference between the ideas you’re exploring. A good essay should be less predictive from the first paragraph.
Find Your Motivation
The best way to enjoy writing an essay is to find the right motivation. Think about the amount of fun that you shall have when writing the paper. When motivated, your subconscious will think of strategies that can make the writing process more engaging.
What Surprises You About the Subject?
Find out the aspects of the subject that surprise you when researching about it. Avoid writing what you think your professor or instructor wants to read. Begin writing once you find the interesting aspects of the subject.
Start Your Essay with Five Original Sentences
Writing an essay should be a means of finding internal fulfillment. Begin the paper with five original sentences. Divide the paper into three parts: the introduction, body and conclusion. Your paper should comprise of supporting paragraphs backing up these five sentences.
Give Credit Where It’s Due
Having good research skills is one step to becoming a good writer. You can put these skills in use by mentioning the books or articles you read throughout the paper. Consider paraphrasing what the authors said as a way of giving them credit for their work.
Start with the Body Before Writing the Introduction
Introductions are usually difficult to write since they mirror what a writer included in an essay. Start writing the body first in order to figure out your essay’s main points. Write the introduction and then finish with the conclusion.
Focus on the Question “How?”
Most essays focus on answering the question, “what?” Good ones answer the question, “why” while the best ones answer the question, “how?” You’ll always have enough content when you use this approach.
Be Flexible
Flexibility in essay writing entails circling around a topic. You have the freedom to begin the paper from any section provided that you’re addressing the given topic. Ensure that the content flows logically when editing the paper.
Don’t Use the Second-Person and Clichés
Your essay should be free of words and phrases such as clichés, ‘you’, ‘some’, ‘that’ and ‘things’. Second-person pronouns are great for blog posts rather than essays. Avoid using ‘to be verbs’ since they taint your credibility as a writer.
Proofread Your Work
The final step in essay writing is proofreading since it helps identify grammar and spelling mistakes. Take time to proofread your essay to avoid getting penalized for simple mistakes. You can ask a friend or colleague to go through your work.
Conclusion
Treat the essay writing process as something you want to do rather than something you have to do. The essay should help showcase your researching, formatting, writing and editing skills. Your content should address the subject in question.