Essay+Writing

media type="youtube" key="nWqMQ26Gqi4" height="349" width="560" **Introduction to Essay Writing** Traditional essays follow a very specific format and style. While this format may seem a bit awkward at first, it starts to come more naturally with practice, and once you have it down, it is easy to manipulate for a variety of purposes.

The traditional essay format is as follows:

Introduction: Saying what you are going to say Body: Saying what you need to say Conclusion: Saying what you said Following the process outline below will help you understand the step necessary to write powerful, traditional essays.

**Step One: Analyze the Question** 1. What is the question asking you to do? Look for command words, such as “argue,” “defend,” or “compare and contrast.” This will help you understand what your task will be.

2. What are the key words? Is the question, for example, about character, conflict, or symbolism? Perhaps it deals with irony or a theme.

3. What is your position? This is the first step in deciding how you will deconstruct the topic to then build your paper.

**Step Two: Brainstorm** 1. The best way to ensure you create a thoughtful paper is to take the time to brainstorm. Get down as many ideas as possible. You can either do this on paper or on the computer.

2. Do not simply rely on what pops into your head, but rather go to the text. Can you find quotes that deal with this topic (Be sure you write down the page numbers as you go!)? Being as thorough and specific as possible will make the writing of your essay easier. Find support not only for the position you think you will take, but for all sides of the argument.

3. Sort your ideas. Group ideas that work together. Eliminate ideas that you do not want to use. Think about a logical order for presenting the ideas that you want to keep.

**Step Three: Propose a Thesis** 1. Looking at your brainstorming, write a thesis. This should be one sentence that sums up your argument. It is perhaps the most important sentence of your paper, so be prepared to spend some time thinking about it, and do not be surprised if you need to revise it as your ideas further develop!

2. Ask yourself: Does your thesis answer the question? If not, go back to the brainstorming stage.

**Step Four: Create an Outline** 1. Writing an outline will make your final writing more organized and much faster. Some people find using a graphic organizer the best way to do this but others work better in a simple Word document. Either way, you need to decide at this point what you are going to have in each paragraph.

a. Introduction: How are you going to introduce your topic? What kind of frame work does the reader need in order to understand what is to come? Provide a context. Remember, your thesis statement will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, so what do you need to do to build to that?

b. Body Paragraphs: At this level, most essays your write will have 3-4 paragraphs (though you can have more if needed). Each body paragraph should deal with a main point that directly relates to the thesis. Write a topic sentence for each and, in point form, list the evidence you will use to support your position (direct references, quotes, ideas…).

c. Conclusion: Your concluding paragraph should start with a restatement of your thesis. The purpose of the conclusion is to recap your main points and to provide closing thoughts for the reader.

2. Before moving on, review your work so far. Do all of your ideas work together to support your thesis? Is there anything that is off-topic (if so, omit it now). Does your paper develop in a logical way? Does anything need to be added or rearranged? Does your thesis still reflect your position? Does it need to be modified?

**Step Five: Write a Rough Draft and Edit Your Work** 1. Using your outline, write a rough draft. If you have been thorough in creating your outline, all of the information should already be there and this should just be a matter of turning your ideas into prose. If as you write though, you find there is something that does not work, do not hesitate to take a step back to the outlining stage and rework some of your ideas.

2. Whenever possible, have somebody else edit your work. Ask your editor to read not only for grammar and spelling mistakes, but also for feedback on your ideas and overall structure. Also be sure to ask for feedback on what you are doing well – this is just as valuable!

3. If you do not have somebody else to edit your work, note the following tips to help with self-editing:

a. Take a break between writing your work and editing your work. Go have a cup of tea and then come back with fresh eyes.

b. Read your work //out loud// to yourself – slowly! Because you are the writer as well as the editor, it can be hard to separate yourself enough to catch errors otherwise - the eye tends to see what the mind thinks! This technique can make a real difference (I speak from experience!).

**Step Six: Write Your Good Copy and Submit Your Work** 1. Write or word process your good copy, making any corrections necessary.

2. Double check that your name is on your work and you have completed any required self-assessments.

3. If on a computer, be sure you save your work one last time!

4. Submit your work as instructed.

**Have You…** 1. Responded to the question?

2. Maintained a formal tone?

3. Checked for spelling and grammatical errors?

4. Used the third person (avoided “you”)?

5. Provided specific evidence and support for your argument?

6. Included a powerful thesis?

7. Followed the Introduction/Body/Conclusion format?

8. Developed the ideas fully?

9. Named the book (and author) you are discussing?

10. Used transitional words and a variety of sentence lengths to add interest to my writing?

11. Avoided contractions (said “does not” instead of “don’t”)?

12. Written a thoughtful, interesting essay that will engage the reader?

**Finally...** [|//The UVic Writer's Guide//] is one of the most comprehensive, user-friendly writing resources you will ever find. Spend some time reviewing it. I would strongly recommend you bookmark this page for current and future use: http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/MasterToc.html