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Writing Essays Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Workbook & Writer's Guide Paperback – July 5, 2011

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• Print length 78 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 5, 2011)
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How to Get Better at Writing Essays: 10 Steps

by Joe Bunting | 64 comments

Do you dread essay writing? Are you looking for some essay tips that will help you write an amazing essay—and have fun doing it?

Lots of students, young and old, dread essay writing. It's a daunting assignment, one that takes research, time, and concentration.

It's also a piece of writing that you can break up into simple steps that make writing an essay manageable and, yes, even enjoyable.

These ten essay tips completely changed my writing process—and I hope that they can do the same for you.

Essay Writing Can Be Fun

Honestly, throughout most of high school and college, I was a mediocre essay writer.

Every once in a while, I would write a really good essay, but mostly I skated by with B's and A-minuses.

I know personally how boring writing an essay can be, and also, how hard it can be to write a good one.

However, toward the end of my time as a student, I made a breakthrough. I figured out how to not only write a great essay, I learned how to have fun while doing it . 

And since then, I've become a professional writer and have written more than a dozen books. I'm not saying that these essay writing tips are going to magically turn you into a writer, but at least they can help you enjoy the process more.

I'm excited to share these ten essay writing tips with you today! But first, we need to talk about why writing an essay is so hard.

Why Writing an Essay Is So Hard

When it comes to essay writing, a lot of students find a reason to put it off. And when they tackle it, they find it difficult to string sentences together that sound like a decent stance on the assigned subject.

Here are a few reasons why essay writing is hard:

• You'd rather be scrolling through social media
• You're trying to write something your teacher or professor will like
• You're trying to get an A instead of writing something that's actually good
• You want to do the least amount of work possible

The biggest reason writing an essay is so hard is because we mostly focus on those external  rewards like getting a passing grade, winning our teacher's approval, or just avoiding accusations of plagiarism.

The problem is that when you focus on external approval it not only makes writing much less fun, it also makes it significantly harder.

Because when you focus on external approval, you shut down your subconscious, and the subconscious is the source of your creativity.

The subconscious is the source of your creativity.

What this means practically is that when you're trying to write that perfect, A-plus-worthy sentence, you're turning off most of your best resources and writing skills.

So stop. Stop trying to write a good essay (or even a “good-enough” essay). Instead, write an interesting  essay, write an essay you think is fascinating. And when you're finished, go back and edit it until it's “good” or “proficient” according to your teacher's standards.

You don't have to sacrifice your interests to make academic progress. Your goal is to learn something new and expand your effective communication skills in the process.

Yes, you need to follow the guidelines in your assignment. If your teacher tells you to write a five-paragraph essay, then write a five-paragraph essay! If your teacher asks for a specific type of essay, like an analysis, argument, or research essay, then make sure you write that type of essay!

However, within those guidelines, find room to express something that is uniquely you .

I can't guarantee you'll get a higher grade (although, you almost certainly will), but I can absolutely promise you'll have a lot more fun writing.

The Step-by-Step Process to Writing a Great Essay: Your 10 Essay Writing Tips

Ready to get writing? You can read my ten best tips for having fun while writing an essay that earns you the top grade, or check out this presentation designed by our friends at Canva Presentations .

1. Remember your essay is just a story.

Every story is about conflict and change, and the truth is that essays are about conflict and change, too! The difference is that in an essay, the conflict is between different ideas , and the change is in the way we should perceive those ideas.

That means that the best essays are about surprise: “You probably think it's one way, but in reality, you should think of it this other way.” See tip #3 for more on this.

How do you know what story you're telling? The prompt should tell you.

Any list of essay prompts includes various topics and tasks associated with them. Within those topics are characters (historical, fictional, or topical) faced with difficult choices. Your job is to work with those choices, usually by analyzing them, arguing about them, researching them, or describing them in detail.

Academic writing is a conversation. It's likely one that was started years (maybe centuries?) ago. Experienced writers know that you can wade into that conversation or story and choose or develop an essay question that gives you opportunities to look at the conflict and change happening within a topic.

2. Before you start writing, ask yourself, “How can I have the most fun writing this?”

It's normal to feel unmotivated when writing an academic essay. I'm a writer, and honestly, I feel unmotivated to write all the time. But I have a super-ninja, judo-mind trick I like to use to help motivate myself.

Here's the secret trick: One of the interesting things about your subconscious is that it will answer any question you ask yourself. So whenever you feel unmotivated to write your essay, ask yourself the following question:

“How much fun can I have writing this?”

Your subconscious will immediately start thinking of strategies to make the writing process more fun.

The best time to have your fun is the first draft. Since you're just brainstorming within the topic, and exploring the possible ways of approaching it, the first draft is the perfect place to get creative and even a little scandalous. Here are some wild suggestions to make your next essay a load of fun:

• Research the most surprising or outrageous fact about the topic and use it as your hook.
• Use a thesaurus to research the topic's key words. Get crazy with your vocabulary as you write, working in each key word synonym as much as possible.
• Play devil's advocate and take the opposing or immoral side of the issue. See where the discussion takes you as you write.

3. As you research, ask yourself, “What surprises me about this subject?”

The temptation, when you're writing an essay, is to write what you think your teacher or professor wants to read.

Don't do this .

Instead, ask yourself, “What do I find interesting about this subject? What surprises me?”

If you can't think of anything that surprises you, anything you find interesting, then you're not searching well enough, because history, science, and literature are all brimming   over with surprises.

When you look at how great ideas actually happen, the story is always, “We used  to think the world was this way. We found out we were completely wrong, and that the world is actually quite different from what we thought.” (This is also at the heart of critical thinking, too.)

These pieces of surprising information often make for the best topic sentences as well. Use them to outline your essay and build your body paragraphs off of each unique fact or idea. These will function as excellent hooks for your reader as you transition from one topic to the next.

(By the way, what sources should you use for research? Check out tip #10 below.)

4. Overwhelmed? Write five original sentences.

The standard three-point essay is really made up of just five original sentences surrounded by supporting paragraphs that back up those five sentences. If you're feeling overwhelmed, just write five sentences covering your most basic main points instead of trying to create a detailed outline..

Here's what they might look like for this article:

• Introductory Paragraph:  While most students consider writing an essay a boring task, with the right mindset, it can actually be an enjoyable experience.
• Body #1: Most students think writing an essay is tedious because they focus on external rewards.
• Body #2: Students should instead focus on internal fulfillment when writing an essay.
• Body #3: Not only will focusing on internal fulfillment allow students to have more fun, it will also result in better essays.
• Conclusion: Writing an essay doesn't have to be simply a way to earn a good grade. Instead, it can be a means of finding fulfillment.

After you write your five sentences, it's easy to fill in the paragraphs for each one.

Now, you give it a shot!

5. Be “source heavy.”

In college, I discovered a trick that helped me go from a B-average student to an A-student, but before I explain how it works, let me warn you. This technique is powerful , but it might not work for all teachers or professors. Use with caution.

As I was writing a paper for a literature class, I realized that the articles and books I was reading said what I was trying to say much better than I ever could. So what did I do? I quoted them liberally throughout my paper. When I wasn't quoting, I re-phrased what they said in my own words, giving proper credit, of course. I found that not only did this formula create a well-written essay, it took about half the time to write.

It's good to keep in mind that using anyone else's words, even when morphed into your own phrasing, requires citation. While the definition of plagiarism is shifting with the rise of online collaboration and cooperative learning environments, always  err on the side of appropriate citation to be safe.

When I used this technique, my professors sometimes mentioned that my papers were very “source” heavy. However, at the same time, they always gave me A's.

Make sure you're reading the sources in full. You don't want to cherry pick a paper or study's content for your own term paper only to realize the author was actually refuting the information you pulled.

To keep yourself safe, I recommend using a 60/40 approach with your body paragraphs: Make sure 60% of the words are your own analysis and argumentation, while 40% can be quoted (or text you paraphrase) from your sources.

Like the five sentence trick, this technique makes the writing process simpler. Instead of putting the main focus on writing well, it instead forces you to research  well, which some students find easier.

6. Write the body first, the introduction second, and the conclusion last.

Introductions are often the hardest part to write because you're trying to summarize your entire essay before you've even written it yet. Instead, try writing your introduction last, giving yourself the body of the paper to figure out the main point of your essay.

This is especially important with an essay topic you are not personally interested in. I definitely recommend this in classes you either don't excel in or care much for. Take plenty of time to draft and revise your body paragraphs before  attempting to craft a meaningful introductory paragraph.

Otherwise your opening may sound awkward, wooden, and bland.

7. Most essays answer the question, “What?” Good essays answer the “Why?” The best essays answer the “How?”

If you get stuck trying to make your argument, or you're struggling to reach the required word count, try focusing on the question, “How?”

For example:

• How did J.D. Salinger convey the theme of inauthenticity in  The Catcher In the Rye ?
• How did Napoleon restore stability in France after the French Revolution?
• How does the research prove girls really do rule and boys really do drool?

If you focus on how, you'll always have enough to write about.

8. Don't be afraid to jump around.

Essay writing can be a dance. You don't have to stay in one place and write from beginning to end.

For the same reasons listed in point #6, give yourself the freedom to write as if you're circling around your topic rather than making a single, straightforward argument. Then, when you edit and proofread, you can make sure everything lines up correctly.

In fact, now is the perfect time to mention that proofreading your essay isn't just about spelling and commas.

It's about making sure your analysis or argument flows smoothly from one idea to another. (Okay, technically this comprises editing, but most students writing a high school or college essay don't take the time to complete every step of the writing process. Let's be honest.)

So as you clean up your mechanics and sentence structure, make sure your ideas flow smoothly, logically, and naturally from one to the next as you finish proofreading.

9. Here are some words and phrases you don't want to use.

• You  (You'll notice I use a lot of you's, which is great for a blog post. However, in an academic essay, it's better to omit the second-person.)
• To Be verbs (is, are, was, were, am)

Don't have time to edit? Here's a lightning-quick editing technique .

Also note: you will need some “to be” verbs, but they often signal passive voice. You want to write in active voice as much as possible.

A note about “I”: Some teachers say you shouldn't use “I” statements in your writing, but the truth is that professional, academic papers often use phrases like “I believe” and “in my opinion,” especially in their introductions.

10. It's okay to use Wikipedia, if…

Wikipedia is one of the top five websites in the world for a reason: it can be a great tool for research. However, most teachers and professors don't consider Wikipedia a valid source for use in essays.

Don't totally discount it, though! Here are two ways you can use Wikipedia in your essay writing:

• Background research. If you don't know enough about your topic, Wikipedia can be a great resource to quickly learn everything you need to know to get started.
• Find sources . Check the reference section of Wikipedia's articles on your topic. While you may not be able to cite Wikipedia itself, you can often find those original sources and cite them . You can locate the links to primary and secondary sources at the bottom of any Wikipedia page under the headings “Further Reading” and “References.”

You Can Enjoy Essay Writing

The thing I regret most about high school and college is that I treated it like something I had  to do rather than something I wanted  to do.

The truth is, education is an opportunity many people in the world don't have access to.

It's a gift, not just something that makes your life more difficult. I don't want you to make the mistake of just “getting by” through school, waiting desperately for summer breaks and, eventually, graduation.

How would your life be better if you actively enjoyed writing an essay? What would school look like if you wanted to suck it dry of all the gifts it has to give you?

All I'm saying is, don't miss out!

Looking for More Essay Writing Tips?

Looking for more essay tips to strengthen your essay writing? Try some of these resources:

• 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay
• Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

How about you? Do you have any tips for writing an essay?  Let us know in the  comments .

Need more grammar help?  My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid . Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 10 percent off: WritePractice10

Coupon Code:WritePractice10 »

Ready to try out these ten essay tips to make your essay assignment fun? Spend fifteen minutes using tip #4 and write five original sentences that could be turned into an essay.

When you're finished, share your five sentences in the Pro Practice Workshop . And don't forget to give feedback to your fellow writers!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

64 Comments

Good pointers, Joe. I could have used this advice 50 years ago when I was in college. I’m sure it would have been a great help. Adelaide

Thanks Adelaide! Me too!

Ironically, this essay was published right after I completed all my work for my English BA. 🙂 Overall, this is pretty good advice– why NOT write a fun essay? You know the professors are reading not only the papers of your classmates, but also the essays of students in their other classes. I have also used wikipedia as a way to find general information or additional citations. I have also tried a variation of #4 and #8, where you jot down some ideas to focus the essay before filling the paragraphs out. It’s how I write in general. It’s so much easier to write that way, since otherwise if I try to write straight through, I just start editing and stop writing. I do differ on #6, though. I have to write the introduction first– otherwise, I can’t lay out the other paragraphs. The intro is where my thesis is, and the beauty of a word processor is that it is easy to go back and just rewrite the thesis if it’s not totally working. But even with this help, there are professors (in several areas besides English, like history, psychology, and art) who love my writing, and classes where most people including myself are getting Bs, and nobody in the class knows who are getting the As. You could write the BEST essay ever, but it’s just not for THAT professor. Sometimes it felt like the trick was learning how to write an essay for a particular professor who wouldn’t really tell you want they wanted, and was just trial and error to figure out what they wanted. Those are just my thoughts since I actually felt like I had something to say on one of these helpful articles. 🙂

As anon native English speaker Can I borrow other writers’ phrases , sentences or expressions for my story especially I need to use the Dictionary sometimes,without being scandalous .or turned down (did I used it correctly ) And while Iam reading I discover a new wide variety of vocabulary which I admire a lot .

Unfortunately, that would be plagiarism, Maha. Sorry!

So why do we have to read a lot before we start writing ,if it isn’t or couldn’t consider to be a dictionary?

I looked for Plagiarism in the dictionary ;I found it is stealing ideas but I didn’t talk about that .I talked about the words that are used , be sure I have my own ideas .Example:stepped away & walked; that one ( writer ) used one of the previous verbs to get someone went away from some one else , and I want him to get away from a door for example or a phone ,what’s wrong ?

Hi Joe, Great points. I wish I had paid closer attention in school. I did not have the desire or the opportunity to go to college but I have written all of my life and just now realizing I can be a writer and publish on my own.

OK – using tip [I can’t remember how to do the hashtag and I only have fifteen minutes so I don’t want to go and look it up, so…] ‘hashtag’ 4, to write five original sentences that could be turned into an essay… Using an essay writing prompt when you have no need to write an essay can be beneficial in many ways. Writing in any form allows, in my opinion, the writer to express thoughts and create a piece of writing. Personally, I think an essay about writing essays could be interesting and fun, and almost certainly challenging; though it’s possible I’ve had too much coffee this morning and am failing to grasp the purpose of this prompt… either way, I’m writing – and writing is good for me. It’s making me smile. That was only four sentences but one of them was pretty long and fragmented.

Thanks, Joe 🙂

And I didn’t use my fifteen minutes up so now I have time to {alt key and press 3} #

Thanks for the tips, Joe. I don’t have occasion to write a lot of essays these days, but I do need to write tech specs and internal white papers fairly regularly. Here is a five-sentence skeleton from my “day job.”

Information technology as a career has traditionally been considered a bastion for technofiles who have little to offer beyond tweaking computer programs, but true success in modern IT requires a well-rounded world view and the ability to effectively interact with and influence others.

While previous generations of technology professionals may have been able to succeed by learning one or more core technologies, today’s fast-changing tech landscape requires a nimble mind in order to remain relevant.

Beyond the need to learn quickly and often, IT staff in the 21st century must be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders in all areas of the business.

In fact, today’s technology professionals are in a position to positively transform their organizations by translating powerful technological capabilities into consumable information that business influencers can understand and embrace.

The days of choosing a career in IT because you want to hide away in an office and write obscure software are over. The technology leaders of today must work in partnership with our customers to effect real competitive advantages.

This sounds like an essay I would enjoy reading, and I’m not even an IT person.

Thanks, Erica. Maybe I’ll write the full thing some day.

Thanks for the amazing post 🙂 Really great points ..

I get many confused looks whenever I tell people I have a degree in English yet hated writing papers in college. I wish I had taken the time to learn how to write one properly, so then they might not have sucked all the fun out of my life back then. I struggled to get Cs on my papers (granted, I usually waited ’til the night before to write them – such a bad habit for me). Anyway, I took a stab at the prompt and here are the results:

Title: Why The World Needs More Adoptive Families Thesis: Adoption can be a rewarding and beneficial experience, despite its own unique challenges. Body #1: Even though being raised by biological parents is the ideal, the reality is that adoption is likely the best option for children who are already waiting for a permanent family. Body #2: Thousands of children age out foster care each year without the support system of a stable family. Body #3: Supporting adoption is a Biblical mandate, regardless of one’s personal ministry calling. Conclusion: Adoption isn’t for everyone, but the need is great enough that more families must step up to meet it.

Great tips to creative writing…

I hate writing essay’s

Joe, thank you so much for this! I was in a bit of a writing slump and this was exactly the read I needed.

Thank you for your wonderful tips on writing an essay. How do u suggest we gather information for an essay for example, a school essay(narrative, argumentative and reflective)

how about an opinion essay what advice would you give me

I’m so glad to see you used Wikipedia as source tool. As someone that is more of a technical writer, research scientist/business man and who sells his work in the form of technical reports and occasional publications – I am a huge proponent of Wikipedia. There is no better way for the average person to research a subject (and that is a fact, see below). I am always saddened when I run into some severely handicapped uninformed soul who thinks that Wikipedia is not a valid source because it isn’t on paper. Few people take the time to read the comparison studies that have been done regarding the accuracy of Wikipedia and other encyclopedic sources – and none of which are 100% accurate and or unbiased. The first of such comparisons was done by Nature in 2005:

“For its study, Nature chose articles from both sites in a wide range of topics and sent them to what it called “relevant” field experts for peer review. The experts then compared the competing articles–one from each site on a given topic–side by side, but were not told which article came from which site. Nature got back 42 usable reviews from its field of experts.

In the end, the journal found just eight serious errors, such as general misunderstandings of vital concepts, in the articles. Of those, four came from each site. They did, however, discover a series of factual errors, omissions or misleading statements. All told, Wikipedia had 162 such problems, while Britannica had 123.”

Since 2005 there have been several other comparisons and Wikipedia fairs very well in all. One article I found in Forbes also reveals a curious phenomenon, conservative personality types tend to have a general bias against Wikipedia – and are also uninformed as to accuracy. Not unlike conservative college professors who have biases against even high quality online courses. Never underestimate the limitations of the conservative personality type.

Here are some the references I’ve found:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7084/full/440582b.html

http://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/08/02/seven-years-after-nature-pilot-study-compares-wikipedia-favorably-to-other-encyclopedias-in-three-languages/

Conservative bias and Wikipedia

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2015/01/20/wikipedia-or-encyclopaedia-britannica-which-has-more-bias/

I love your thinking. Wikipedia is a great site. It provides directions and the general knowledge from a broad perspective. Many thanks for your references. I shall dig deeper and develop my writing skills.

Luke Ramirez

July 16 2015

Do you love mom? You really should. Mom is the one who loves you. Here are some reasons why I LOVE my mom!!!

My mom gives me food. She gave birth to me. She loves me and likes me a lot…. She gives me clothes. She lets me live. She helps me learn how to type. She wants me to be smart. She gives me discipline. My mom is the best mom in the world.

Always look up to your mom unless she is on drugs or something. You should always love your mom. She’s the one who went through pain for you. She’s awesomeness thing you could ever have.

(My son’s hilarious essay for all to view!) Also, bear with him because he is just starting.

hahaha, great post. It reminds of me when I was young

Hey Joe ! Thank you for your wonderful advices. I struggle a lot during essay writings but if I use your tips correctly, I’m sure I will get better results. Thanks a lot Joe 🙂

I totally agree with you 100 percent

I hate writing in APA. The citing. The reference page has to be perfect. Getting my Masters was so frustrating at times. I had to write a 30 page thesis. At least with essays, you don’t have to if it doesn’t apply. When helping my son with his we had a title page and cited only if necessary and providing a reference page. His teacher loved that because he is in middle school. The paper was really professionally written. He got a solid A.

This is the best advice on essays I’ve read in a long time. I’m about to write an essay and am a bit rusty. However, I’ve written a few over the course of my studies and the ones that got the best marks were the ones where I applied the sort of techniques you write about here… thanks for the refresh!

I read the whole thing in a woman’s voice oops! But great tips! Will be using those tomorrow!

This is great. We just apply the tips together with other sweetness to provide the best writing experience in our work.

This is a real inspiration man, keep up that same spirit.

I started reading this instead of doing my essay…

yeah me too

i got an essay due tommorow morning and yet here i am

I am having so much trouble writing my essay and even though these are great points and i can probably use them, I cant get my brain to use them. I really need help and i don’t even know how to begin to ask.

Thanks this helped a lot

Great points. Just a question, is it okay if we use let’s give it a try as a suggestion at the end of conclusion paragraph?Thanks

Great article! Helps me get past my fear of writing for grad school

Well done, Joe. You’ve successfully made, both my day and essays, better in every way. Thank you.

Hi Joe, thanks for the pointers they are really helpful with writing an essay (which I struggle with); but what about writing an exemplification essay?

Writing an essay is not easy, these are some useful hints and tips on how to construct and write the best essay possible. These simple steps will guide you through the essay writing process: • Decide on your topic. • Prepare an outline or diagram of your ideas. • Write your thesis statement. • Write the body. Write the main points. Write the sub points. … • Write the introduction. • Write the conclusion. • Add the final changes. • Read More At htpps://essaypeer.com

Writing is my favorite hobbie and these tips are very helpful. Thanks!

Global warming is being ignored by massive companies who emit most of the carbon dioxide, world leaders must act to stop them or there would not be another future.

These companies emit over half the carbon dioxide over a year period are choosing to ignore Global Warming.

Governments must put sanctions on these companies and increase their tax rate unless they switch to another renewable source.

Global Warming is getting worse and worse and it is only a matter of time that the governments of these companies started putting a stop to it.

Do you accept guest post here? I have a site that I think it’s close related to this post. Would that be possible?

this helped. thanks!

Great suggestions! I applied your ideas and I got an A from a super harsh teacher. I’d give this a 9/10!

Writing a perfect essay is not a easy task. It is so difficult to write perfect,creative,informative and quality essay. The essay also reveals what you can do when you have time to think and work on a writing project. Your tips are very helpful for writing a quality essay. Thanks.

This is a good piece overall, but leading with the idea of Bs and A minuses as mediocre is so unhelpful. Those are very good grades that most students would kill for.

They are good grades if you are a mediocre student. For those striving to get into an Ivy League school or other good colleges/careers, at least an A is needed in every class.

I am only at Tip #2 and can already feel my “inner writer” coming back to life. I’ve been torturing myself for so long — many new ideas and perspectives to share and nothing but dread at the thought of the actual writing. I was always such a “good student”, and by the time I finished grad school I no longer enjoyed either reading or writing. Pretty sad statement, even sadder that the ill effects have lasted three decades. The only writing advice I’ve read so far basically boils down to: it’s work, you just have to do it, set aside a specific time and force yourself…. all about as appealing as my mother’s shoe leather lamb chops. I can’t thank you enough for your approach. I think it’s going to work for me, and just know I am immensely grateful beyond what words can express. Yes!

Also I want to advise listening music when you are writing an essay. That’s what I found on youtube:

– Music for Brain Power – Study Music Alpha Waves – Classical Study Music

I think, it will be usefull for everebody ^_^

I want to ask Joe whether it is possible to post this article on our blog ? Our readers will enjoy to read these 10 Effective Tips

I’m struggling with an essay right now, I should have started it like 6months ago and I just couldn’t do it … even with the help of everyone around me. Though, reading your article, it gives me hope ! Thanks a lot 🙂

This is possibly the most useful article I have read. After severe procrastination lasting days you have reminded me about what I need to do I have finally managed to get myself into the right mental state for writing. You may not see this but massive thanks 🙂

Writing is one of my hobbies as well, but it’s just so frustrating when you brainstorm and then the person that grades your paper returns it to you with a lower score than you deserved. I would like to see them try. One thing I did noticed is that boring topics may reflect the writing style. When the topic is interesting that’s when the grades sky-rocket.

Hey dude, you just “unstuck” me. Thank you, I was trying to at least set the framework for a Didactics in Philosophy essay and you give me that initual impulse. Thank you !

nice article

Good article.

You’re so right, Joe, the biggest reason why writing essay is so hard for me is because I regularly focus on outside rewards and it makes my writing significantly harder! And I stopped doing it, and you know, I write much better now! Thanks! Also wanted to add that recently I found great free plagiarism checker for students and want to share it with others. It allows you to check 500 words for free and then after signing up it gives you five additional free pages. This is just enough to check the essay. Personally for me, it was a great find! Since it’s hard to find a free and good checker. Good luck to all!

My biggest problem is that I struggle writing my thoughts into words. When working on an essay, a discussion post, or an e-mail to my teacher, I need to try to make something that’s absolutely 100% perfect and I usually struggle to get the wording to sound great. I start off writing an essay just fine, but I either delete everything I’ve done because it doesn’t sound perfect or I sit in front of the screen and panic because I can’t think of the right way to word anything.

This then leads me to procrastinate by either doing something else to calm myself down or looking for self-help sites online, thinking I’ll find some magic cure all advice that I can say to/use on myself to overcome my block and start writing. In fact, me writing this post right now is due to procrastinating because I’m struggling to write something perfect for a class assignment.

Thats how I exactly feel when I have to write an essay! I have great difficulty writing the exact words or writing a good sentence. Im currently stuck too and my essay is due tomorrow ;(

While I love to eat cinnamon rolls, they are loaded with sugars which can be detrimental to my long-term health. Sugars are empty calories that trick the mind into always wanting more sugar which can result in addiction. Addiction to sugar-coated foods will encourage people to substitute their diet with sugar-heavy foods habitually. In the long term, the individual will have an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes. Consequently, foods having artificially-added sugar should be avoided to prevent disease.

I know I am *several* years late… but an essay came up, I know this is a reliable writing website, So I turned here!! I was not disappointed with this wonderful “how to write an essay” page. thank you for this help, Joe! And I look forward to many more readings in this site.

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How to Write an Academic Essay in 6 Simple Steps

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Written by  Scribendi

Are you wondering how to write an academic essay successfully? There are so many steps to writing an academic essay that it can be difficult to know where to start.

Here, we outline how to write an academic essay in 6 simple steps, from how to research for an academic essay to how to revise an essay and everything in between. 

Our essay writing tips are designed to help you learn how to write an academic essay that is ready for publication (after academic editing and academic proofreading , of course!).

Your paper isn't complete until you've done all the needed proofreading. Make sure you leave time for it after the writing process!

Download Our Pocket Checklist for Academic Papers. Just input your email below!

Types of academic writing.

With academic essay writing, there are certain conventions that writers are expected to follow. As such, it's important to know the basics of academic writing before you begin writing your essay.

Read More: What Is Academic Writing?

Before you begin writing your essay, you need to know what type of essay you are writing. This will help you follow the correct structure, which will make academic paper editing a faster and simpler process. 

Will you be writing a descriptive essay, an analytical essay, a persuasive essay, or a critical essay?

Read More: How to Master the 4 Types of Academic Writing

You can learn how to write academic essays by first mastering the four types of academic writing and then applying the correct rules to the appropriate type of essay writing.

Regardless of the type of essay you will be writing, all essays will include:

An introduction

At least three body paragraphs

A conclusion

A bibliography/reference list

To strengthen your essay writing skills, it can also help to learn how to research for an academic essay.

Step 1: Preparing to Write Your Essay

The essay writing process involves a few main stages:

Researching

As such, in learning how to write an academic essay, it is also important to learn how to research for an academic essay and how to revise an essay.

Read More: Online Research Tips for Students and Scholars

To beef up your research skills, remember these essay writing tips from the above article: 

Learn how to identify reliable sources.

Understand the nuances of open access.

Discover free academic journals and research databases.

Manage your references. 

Provide evidence for every claim so you can avoid plagiarism .

Read More: 17 Research Databases for Free Articles

You will want to do the research for your academic essay points, of course, but you will also want to research various journals for the publication of your paper.

Different journals have different guidelines and thus different requirements for writers. These can be related to style, formatting, and more. 

Knowing these before you begin writing can save you a lot of time if you also want to learn how to revise an essay. If you ensure your paper meets the guidelines of the journal you want to publish in, you will not have to revise it again later for this purpose. 

After the research stage, you can draft your thesis and introduction as well as outline the rest of your essay. This will put you in a good position to draft your body paragraphs and conclusion, craft your bibliography, and edit and proofread your paper.

Step 2: Writing the Essay Introduction and Thesis Statement

When learning how to write academic essays , learning how to write an introduction is key alongside learning how to research for an academic essay.

Your introduction should broadly introduce your topic. It will give an overview of your essay and the points that will be discussed. It is typically about 10% of the final word count of the text.

All introductions follow a general structure:

Topic statement

Thesis statement

Read More: How to Write an Introduction

Your topic statement should hook your reader, making them curious about your topic. They should want to learn more after reading this statement. To best hook your reader in academic essay writing, consider providing a fact, a bold statement, or an intriguing question. 

The discussion about your topic in the middle of your introduction should include some background information about your topic in the academic sphere. Your scope should be limited enough that you can address the topic within the length of your paper but broad enough that the content is understood by the reader.

Your thesis statement should be incredibly specific and only one to two sentences long. Here is another essay writing tip: if you are able to locate an effective thesis early on, it will save you time during the academic editing process.

Read More: How to Write a Great Thesis Statement

Step 3: Writing the Essay Body

When learning how to write academic essays, you must learn how to write a good body paragraph. That's because your essay will be primarily made up of them!

The body paragraphs of your essay will develop the argument you outlined in your thesis. They will do this by providing your ideas on a topic backed up by evidence of specific points.

These paragraphs will typically take up about 80% of your essay. As a result, a good essay writing tip is to learn how to properly structure a paragraph.

Each paragraph consists of the following:

A topic sentence

Supporting sentences

A transition

Read More: How to Write a Paragraph

In learning how to revise an essay, you should keep in mind the organization of your paragraphs.

Your first paragraph should contain your strongest argument.

The secondary paragraphs should contain supporting arguments.

The last paragraph should contain your second-strongest argument. 

Step 4: Writing the Essay Conclusion

Your essay conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay and primarily reminds your reader of your thesis. It also wraps up your essay and discusses your findings more generally.

The conclusion typically makes up about 10% of the text, like the introduction. It shows the reader that you have accomplished what you intended to at the outset of your essay.

Here are a couple more good essay writing tips for your conclusion:

Don't introduce any new ideas into your conclusion.

Don't undermine your argument with opposing ideas.

Read More: How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph in 3 Easy Steps

Now that you know how to write an academic essay, it's time to learn how to write a bibliography along with some academic editing and proofreading advice.

Step 5: Writing the Bibliography or Works Cited

The bibliography of your paper lists all the references you cited. It is typically alphabetized or numbered (depending on the style guide).

Read More: How to Write an Academic Essay with References

When learning how to write academic essays, you may notice that there are various style guides you may be required to use by a professor or journal, including unique or custom styles. 

Some of the most common style guides include:

Chicago style

For help organizing your references for academic essay writing, consider a software manager. They can help you collect and format your references correctly and consistently, both quickly and with minimal effort.

Read More: 6 Reference Manager Software Solutions for Your Research

As you learn how to research for an academic essay most effectively, you may notice that a reference manager can also help make academic paper editing easier.

Step 6: Revising Your Essay

Once you've finally drafted your entire essay . . . you're still not done! 

That's because editing and proofreading are the essential final steps of any writing process . 

An academic editor can help you identify core issues with your writing , including its structure, its flow, its clarity, and its overall readability. They can give you substantive feedback and essay writing tips to improve your document. Therefore, it's a good idea to have an editor review your first draft so you can improve it prior to proofreading.

A specialized academic editor can assess the content of your writing. As a subject-matter expert in your subject, they can offer field-specific insight and critical commentary. Specialized academic editors can also provide services that others may not, including:

Academic document formatting

Academic figure formatting

Academic reference formatting

An academic proofreader can help you perfect the final draft of your paper to ensure it is completely error free in terms of spelling and grammar. They can also identify any inconsistencies in your work but will not look for any issues in the content of your writing, only its mechanics. This is why you should have a proofreader revise your final draft so that it is ready to be seen by an audience. 

Read More: How to Find the Right Academic Paper Editor or Proofreader

When learning how to research and write an academic essay, it is important to remember that editing is a required step. Don ' t forget to allot time for editing after you ' ve written your paper.

Set yourself up for success with this guide on how to write an academic essay. With a solid draft, you'll have better chances of getting published and read in any journal of your choosing.

Our academic essay writing tips are sure to help you learn how to research an academic essay, how to write an academic essay, and how to revise an academic essay.

If your academic paper looks sloppy, your readers may assume your research is sloppy. Download our Pocket Proofreading Checklist for Academic Papers before you take that one last crucial look at your paper.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

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