We all know that feeling. You’ve been given an assignment with an expected deliverable, word count, and deadline. “How will I write 2000 words on ending world hunger!?”, you wonder, entirely unsure where to begin. Staring at the blank page before you, the cursor flashes as you try to figure out what to do. Here are some steps to managing that process.
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Some people find it easy to sit down and simply begin typing. Others prefer to plan ahead and create a clear timeline with intermittent checkpoints. Still others work best under the pressure of an impending deadline. Regardless of your unique style, these steps can be helpful for essay writing and help you overcome writer's block and/or procrastination.
Steps for essay writing:
Identify the Research Question
Sometimes, essay prompts are clear and concise, leaving little room for varying interpretations. If this is the case, ensure you understand what your professor expects from you. A great way to clarify any misunderstandings is to attend office hours.
On the other hand, essay prompts could intentionally be open-ended, giving students the opportunity to explore topics of interest and expand their horizons. Although the topic choices may seem endless, it is essential to keep the overarching theme and class content in mind — after all, your professor is assessing your understanding and application of the content you’ve learned in class. You should also have a self-imposed deadline for choosing your topic that leaves you time to research and write.
By the end of this stage, you should have a draft thesis statement and a clear understanding of the research topic at hand.
Brainstorm
Now that you know what the topic/research question is, start brainstorming ways to approach the topic. Design a mind-map that considers your approach to the topic and potential sub-topics. If the essay prompt provides an outline, components you must include, or specific questions you are required to answer, include these in your brainstorming. Oftentimes, just writing down the information you already have will spark new ideas.
The brainstorming process does not end here, though, as you might want to circle back to your mind map after completing some initial research.
Research
Once you have done your brainstorming, begin your online search for information on your topic.
- Interview individuals who can offer insightful information, introduce you to others who know about your topic, or point you towards online resources.
- Take notes as you read various sources. Annotated bibliographies can be incredibly helpful as you begin to compile your sources. An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, videos etc.), each with a brief description and evaluation of the source as it relates to your paper. Alternatively, you can just add bullet points for each useful source — when you come back to your sources later on, you’ll be able to identify and evaluate your sources without having to reread them.
- Keep your research organized and keep tabs of your citations. I suggest using Zotero, Mendeley, or another citation management software to make it easier to cite your sources when you begin the writing process. These programs also have space for annotation.
Outline
In my experience, the most demotivating and frustrating part of essay writing is taking all the research, brainstorming and ideation and turning it into an organized essay with a clear structure. However, a detailed outline can make a world of difference as it guides you through the writing process with ease and a clear direction.
- Organize and arrange your notes. Now that you’ve read an array of sources on your topic, it is time to arrange your notes, applicable quotes, and ideas, into a format that supports your argument. Start by grouping your notes into categories based on common themes, which you will then use to create a logical argument.
- Here’s a great resource that details how to outline your work
- Reverse outline. If you get stuck in the midst of writing and feel as though your work is jumbled and unclear, create a reverse outline. Reverse outlining is the act of making an outline after an essay or portions of an essay are already written. To do this, simply identify and summarize the main idea or argument for each paragraph. This is helpful as it allows you to see the structure and progress of your essay, highlighting any lapses in the structure or argument.
Writing
Contrary to what you would think, the actual writing is one of the easiest parts of the essay writing process! Once you’ve got your thesis, research, and outline, all that’s left is bringing it all together. Using your outline as a basic skeleton, you should be able to flush out your argument to create a clear and cohesive essay.
- Use your outline as a guide. Your outline should guide the flow of your argument, but it isn’t completely set in stone. You should move and change the order of your paragraphs depending on where they fit best, ensuring clear and concise connections between each preceding paragraph. Utilize transition words to link different paragraphs, creating a cohesive and complete narrative.
- Continue your research. Even though you’ve already compiled your research, you should still use additional sources for reference as needed. Every claim you make must be justified by good quality research and citations. At this stage, be sure to use your time wisely and only research holes in your argument rather than exploring interesting tangents.
- Be consistent. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence which will indicate, to the reader, what the rest of the paragraph will argue. And each paragraph and section should support your thesis statement. Use a reverse outline to check this consistency.
Editing
Last, but certainly not least, you will need to revise and edit your work. After all your research and writing, clarity and attention to detail will result in the best possible work! Saving time for editing is an important part of submitting your best work.
- Grammar and spelling. Use spell check and grammar tools, such as Grammarly, for live feedback as you write. Even with these tools, you should revise your work and check for minor spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation, and citation errors. Ask a friend or peer to proofread your work, as they might notice or point out an error that you’d missed.
- Word count. Writing more is often easier than writing less — when you have a strict word count, you are forced to be very focused and concise. If you are over your word limit, try and identify unnecessary information, filler words, and repetition. You might be penalized for going over the word count, so pay attention to this important component of writing.
- Reverse outline, again!. Does your argument make sense? Is there information you don’t need? Run through your paper and write a quick note about what each paragraph means to the support of your thesis. This is a great way to find out if a paragraph or section is out of place or not directly related to your argument.
Following these steps can help you manage your assignments and fend off procrastination or writer's block. Structure your time around the particular steps rather than the vague whole. Check parts off as you go to stay motivated and recognize that you are moving towards an effective essay. Finally, use resources at your school like writing centers, tutors, and professors to help improve your writing and assignments.
