How to write a good Essay

Anyone can be a good essay writer with practice and learning the techniques of it. All you need is -a good introduction, organized body in form of paragraphs and a strong conclusion. There are eight basic steps involved in essay writing process. These steps are discussed briefly under the following heading:

Step 1: Choose a topic or focus on the assigned topic

Find your topic, if you have a choice. Take up a topic you already know about. It will help you in spending less time in understanding and researching . In case you are given a subject to write on, you might want to narrow it down. The central point is that you should be clear about what is your topic before you begin to write.

Step 2: Developing ideas

This step is very important in the sense that you should have answers to following questions before you move further with the essay-

·         Who are you and who are the target audience?

·         What ideas do you wish to convey to the audience?

Finding answers to these questions will help you write concisely and generate the specific ideas

Step 3: Making an outline

Before jotting down the ideas, you should be clear of how will the essay be organized. Choose the headings. For example, for a reflective essay you can have the headings like background, what I learnt, what do I wish to change and summary.

Step 4: Write a tentative thesis

Before writing anything you should be very clear of the central idea of the essay. The essay will be woven around this main idea or what we call as thesis. Writing the thesis will help you to think and be around the focal point of the essay rather than diverging from the main point. The tentative thesis means that you can also change or modify the it if you really have to.

Step 5: Researching on the essay

Once you decide the tentative thesis,  research on the topic. When you research, you may find that your topic is too broad. You might want to narrow it down. If you choose a broader topic, you might not be able to do justice with the essay, especially, if you have a word limit.

The research can be done over internet, in the library or at home. While reading, you will be taking notes, jotting down the name of the author/book or website. you may take as many as notes those fit around the central idea of the thesis.  The notes can be editing and rearranged later. The outline you made in the beginning of the essay writing will help you at this point. You will find the information keeping in mind the headings the essay is divided in.

Step 6: Create the first draft

The first draft is a rough essay, which you have written to communicate what you want to say through the essay. There might be many grammatical or spelling mistakes. Don’t worry about them, Just organize and write the notes and your  thoughts. Once you have organized the rough draft focus on the beginning, middle and end of the essay.

Step 7: Revise

Now it is time to see, if everything is in the place. Look for any kind of grammatical or spelling mistakes. Make changes, edit and then proof read. If you find a third eye to read your essay, get it. You may also read it aloud so that you can make sense of what you have written.

Step 8: Finalize

Once everything looks  good, read it and then submit. Don’t push yourself into reading over and over again driven by the thought of making it the  best   ever. Just think that you did the best you could! Keep a copy for yourself and submit the final essay.