A lot of times, the process of writing an essay might be an annoying and frustrating process. But does it have to be? My answer is an emphatic "No". Writing an essay can even be easy and fun. This paper offers a 7-step process of writing essays. These steps include:
• Research
• Analysis
• Brainstorming
• Outlining
• Writing
• Revising
• Language/Editing
1. Research: The first step in the whole writing process is to really understand what you are writing about. It is after this that all other things come in. The topic of the subject is very needful for research. You have to check for information about the subject because you cannot write brightly on something you do not know anything about. There are several places where you can get information. These include the internet, academic databases, and local libraries. The internet is especially a very important resource. There are over 500 billion web pages on the web, each or which can be quickly accessed through search engines such as Google.com, yahoo.com. The academic databases are also important sources of information. These include JSTOR, CQ researcher, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, Academic Search Premier. You can also check your local libraries for more information about your subject of interest.
2. Analysis: The nest step is to analyze all the information at your disposal. This is because not all information will be necessary at that particular point in time. Although, in most cases, you analyze your information as you research.
3. Brainstorming: This refers to the art of thinking creatively and intensively. After the first two steps above, you would have generated a lot of ideas and concepts. Then you brainstorm over them. At this point, you ask yourself some critical questions about the subject. You examine the biases of the authors of the ideas you have gotten. You explore all the evidence you have and attempt to give a reasonable explanation. You do not have to just copy the ideas you have gotten. You attempt to create a new original idea. This gives your writing an edge.
4. Outlining: Have you ever seen a construction engineer that attempts to build a magnificent structure without having the blueprints? No. Similarly, a good piece of writing must have a set of blueprints or outline. Drawing up an outline gives a picture of what the final picture would be. When creating an outline, your points must be brief and concise, about one line each. Each point must summarize a whole idea. Then, you draw up a suitable arrangement for the outline, that is, how each point would fit in the whole build.
5. Writing: Now comes the writing proper. A classical essay should have three sections: an introduction, a middle part and a conclusion. The major role of the introduction is to capture the reader’s attention and to state your focus – the main topic. The introduction also should not be too long - a lengthy introduction is hardly needed. The middle part is the main body of the essay. It should contain two and above number of paragraphs. Each paragraph should explain a particular idea and in most cases should start with a topic sentence. Each paragraph should proceed in a logical sequence and all the ideas must be connected with transitions. When you write your ending (conclusion), you should restate your focus, summarize your main points, and more importantly should leave a lasting impression on the mind of the reader.
6. Revising: After finishing the first draft, it does not end there. You still need to revise all what you have written. You need to check the following traits: idea, organization, voice, word choice and fluency of the first draft. These traits are the major factors that determine the quality of the essay.
7. Language/Editing: Finally, you go over your work again and check for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and sentence errors. You can use some tools offered in the Microsoft Word software. These scan your essay for spelling and grammar errors. Also, take note of the writing style. Add all necessary citations according to the writing style chosen.
Once you have gone through all these steps, your essay should be ready for submission or publication. Congratulations!
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