If you know me, you know that I love to write. I even enjoy writing essays, but only when I’m interested in the topic at hand. Due to my passion for writing, I’ve learned a thing or two about what really makes an essay sound proper and worthy of a high grade. Although I’m no expert, here are some tips that help me when I’m writing an essay!
Plan it out
Whether you’re writing an essay or an article, practically when you’re writing anything, the writing is always going to come so much easier once you plan it out and create an outline. But if you won’t take it from me, take it from Best-Selling author John Grisham. I had the chance to speak with him while at my old school, so naturally I asked what his advice is for anyone looking to pursue a career in writing. He said that no matter what you’re writing, you just have to take the time to really, really plan it out. That being said, before you start, plan out the topics for your body paragraphs and find pieces of evidence to support them. You’ll thank yourself later once you’re writing the essay the night before its due, because instead of scrambling to find the right words, you already have it written out in outline form.
Be Concise
Sometimes I find that I end up writing too much and really push the limit on the maximum page-count. It’s a nice problem to have, instead of not having enough pages, but it’s harder and more frustrating to eliminate parts of an essay than to add some. So, if you’re like me, try to be concise with your wording and phrases from the start. That is, try to use the minimal amount of words possible to describe something and eliminate phrases that aren’t necessary. Basically, get rid of the fluff.
Analyze it
On the other end of the spectrum, if you find yourself writing too little and not meeting the minimum page count, the solution is to simply write more. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but to help yourself write more, you need to analyze the statements you make. You have your topic sentence and evidence to support that topic, but you need to analyze that evidence. Ask yourself, “So, what? Why is this significant?” Once you answer these questions, you’ll find you’ve added some length to you essay.
Use Synonyms
No professor, reader or audience likes hearing the same word or phrase used over and over again. It can be easy to slip into the habit of using the same words but being repetitive isn’t entertaining to the reader and can show a lack of writing ability. We all do it, and I’m 100% guilty of it, but to cut back on sounding repetitive, use synonyms! My go-to is thesaurus.com to find words or phrases that sound more sophisticated. Be careful when doing this though, as you need to make sure that synonym still works with the sentence.
Proof-Read
This is my least favorite step of the whole writing process but it’s 100% necessary. When I’ve finally finished an essay an hour before it’s due, all I want to do is submit it and be done. Yet nobody is perfect, because odds are while you were writing, you made some typos. If you go ahead and submit it without proof reading for typos, you run the risk of sounding sloppy which can take a toll on your grade. Take the time to read the essay over when you’re done. In addition, have a friend or family member read the essay over because a fresh set of eyes can catch the typos that you missed. If you have enough time before it’s due, set the essay aside for a couple hours or even a couple days and come back to it with a fresh mind.
Give It Your Best
Trying your best works with basically anything you do in life, and it can be applied to essay writing. As long as you write to the best of your ability and give it all you got, you should be proud of what you wrote. That’s all that really matters.