Analyze the essay prompt
The most important step in writing an essay is to fully comprehend the essay question. An essay can be wonderfully articulated and thought out, but will still result in a bad grade if it does not answer the prompt provided. The best way to write an essay is to break the prompt into two main parts:
1. What is the prompt directly asking? What is the essay topic? How long does the essay need to be? What kind of research do you need to do to fully understand the topic?
2. What is the prompt indirectly asking? Is the prompt asking for your opinion or the opinion of the credible sources, or just facts? How can you relate this essay topic to what you have covered in the class?
Once these questions are answered you will be again to begin constructing your essay.
Create an outline before you start writing
Before you start writing your essay, do your research and create a proper structure and outline. Put all your ideas from your head into the paper. Figure out the introduction, middle, and conclusion part. Once you have enough idea on how you want to frame this essay, start your research and list your main ideas. Doing this will allow you to see connections and will help you in writing a more organized essay.
Don’t fake it
Teachers are not fools. They have been students and they know all the tricks that you are thinking of. They will know when you don't fully understand the essay topic and when you are just rambling around to increase the length of your essay. Don't use fluff to bulk up the essay. Instead, ensure that whatever you are writing adds meaning to the essay. If it is not required, cut it down. Most teachers would prefer a well-written essay that does not meet the word length than read an essay with 80 percent fluff.
Begin with the body, not the introduction
Do not start with the introduction. An introduction is where most students struggle the most, so to avoid getting stuck, create the introduction at the end. This will allow you to fully form your ideas and thoughts and come back and integrate the main ideas into your introduction.
Use credible sources
Contextual information and quotes are important for establishing credibility and supporting an argument. Ensure that all the quotes and other information are coming from credible sources and not Wikipedia. Don't use unverified online sources. If you are researching, try Google Scholar for finding credible research papers for your essay.
Do your research
Before you even begin writing your essay, you want to make sure you are informed on the topic you will be writing about. This is where research comes in. While you are investigating your essay topic, you can begin brainstorming ways to incorporate the information into a cohesive essay. Your research may even help you figure out how you should structure your essay to best present the information. Looking up relevant information will help make writing your essay easier.
Proofread, and then proofread again
Writing the essay is important and reviewing it even more important. Some teachers would not even finish reading the essay if there are major grammatical errors in the starting itself. Here are a few tips to follow when you are reviewing.
Remove all conjunctions like aren’t don’t, couldn’t, etc. This will make your paper longer and is more appropriate for academic writing.
Print out your paper, read it, and mark it up. You will notice more errors when you are reading in a different format.
You can also change the font size and font type of the essay on the computer when you are reviewing it. The mistakes will be more evident to the eye and brain this way.
