Essay Writing Process: Essential Steps and Stages
Writing is a complex activity, with several factors impacting the effort to compose a great essay. However, the fundamentals of writing are always the same, no matter the specifics of an assignment. From a professional grant proposal to a university paper, quality writing requires a standard process meant to share information clearly and concisely that projects both detail and insight.
The objective of most writing is to develop an idea using evidence, analysis, and interpretation. Before you begin writing, make sure you are prepared. You should take several steps to create a central theme in your paper that is easily understood by others. Gather and review research sources, develop a thesis, and construct an outline. If you do this, you will write and edit your paper faster and deliver a better overall result.
A thesis is a brief statement of your paper’s main point. It will help give structure and is often just one or two sentences. A good thesis provides the reader with a clear understanding of the essay’s contents and should be easy for the reader to pick out. The thesis should appear in the first 150 words. Refer to it throughout your paper. There should only be one thesis per paper.
The outline provides the overall structure of the paper. While it may seem like little more than an afterthought, a good outline can make a significant impact. It defines how easy it is to read an essay and how well it drives the main points home. A good outline can give a writer more flexibility as they write, choosing to write the main body before adding the opening and closing paragraphs. Less experienced writers tend to jump around as they acquire information and build their case. This is acceptable if they are referring back to the outline to stay organized. Get help with these steps at AffordablePapers.com, the leading writing resource for university students. Get access to writing experts on-demand and apply these techniques to meet your rapidly approaching deadline (we prepare papers in as little as 4-8hrs).
A great essay should:
- Grab the reader – People have a lot of competition for their attention. To convince someone to read your work, you must ‘hook’ them. Include a relevant backstory and context to make your writing relatable.
- Rely on informed and authoritative sources – What constitutes a reliable source has changed due to the internet. The world’s most used reference, Wikipedia, is sourced from the public rather than from a small pool of leading experts. But peer-reviewed scientific journals from databases like EBSCO Host (In the U.S) are considered the go-to for research and typically form the backbone of any quality essay. Blogs found through a conventional web search can range from helpful to misleading. They should be used with caution.
- Make a strong conclusion – A well-written conclusion should be brief compared to your essay’s other paragraphs. It should expand on your original thesis and opening paragraph, mirroring the essay’s structure while driving home the point. Don’t use the conclusion to make new arguments or add data to the discussion.
These general steps are crucial but not sufficient to write a quality essay. Careful attention to grammar, style and syntax is necessary for a writer to capitalize on sound research and a well-crafted thesis statement.
- Good Grammar: Correct grammar is the most fundamental element of an essay. Poor grammar is distracting and can detract from your augment and undermine your authority. Some great tools, both free and paid, have emerged on the market in recent years. Put them to good use; even the best writers need to be reminded of proper grammar rules.
- Style: Does the assignment require creativity or data? Do you need to write from the first person or the third? Should your essay be entirely original or rely on paraphrasing and sourced material? Answer these questions before starting.
- Syntax – This refers to the way sentences are constructed. Even when grammatically correct, a sentence can be arranged in several ways and either improve or detract from the meaning. Active rather than Passive Voice is often best and should guide sentence syntax throughout.
Additional elements to consider are essay and paragraph length, as well as transitions. Transitional words and phrases like “such as” and “comparatively” can be used to show agreement between points or add more information. Alternatively, phrases like “although,” “conversely,” and “on the contrary” indicate disagreement.
This guide is helpful but by no means complete. To fill in writing gaps, rely on AffordablePapers.com to meet an upcoming deadline with help from our over 500+ on-demand writers. Excellent writing can be made to feel like more than the sum of all parts. An essay that includes elements listed while connecting with the reader in logical and relevant ways is off to a great start. Practice using these techniques to develop a style of your own. When you have mastered the basics, you will find that writing can hold infinite possibilities. In the meantime, access the fastest, most reliable tools via AffordablePaper.com.
