Practical Essay Writing Tips

Before you get started on an essay, lets examine some tips that will not only help you get started, but also have an excellent end result. The practicalities of writing essays are straight forward, but also tend to be overlooked. By preparing your methods, you will strengthen your writing ability and create better work as a whole. If you have written many essays, reference this list and see where you can improve or what you can add to your methodology.

• A strong structured body of an essay is the best way to ensure a strong piece of work. Make sure that you organize the paragraphs in between the introduction and conclusion in an ordered manner. A general rule to go by is writing a 3.5 paper- or 5 paragraphs with 3 major points. This way, the flow of the essay is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
• By writing the introduction and the conclusion paragraphs first, you are making it essential that you know what you need to address in the body of the work. By using this method, it is best to keep these two paragraphs in mind while you are writing the body of material so you do not stray from the topic.
• When using references that are intended to be cited within an essay, keep a stack of index cards nearby. On each card, first write the reference and bibliography- from then on, tally each index card as you use each respective reference. This way, it is easy to keep track of the references used, as well as ensuring you are giving credit to all sources. It is sometimes easy to lose track of references or omit sources, which is a major mistake- better to take precautions with index cards.
• In terms of proof reading, sometimes it is a mistake to have someone that is already familiar with the topic edit your essay. A strong essay should be able to explain the topic to people otherwise unfamiliar with the subject. By finding someone that has no background in your topic, you will ensure that your essay is easily understood and is able to stand on its own. This is an important feature of a well-written essay, and by including a fresh opinion you might be able to find areas that you can expand on for more clarity.

By following some of these guidelines, you will create a well-rounded essay. Stay organized with your forethought, focus on the main idea, and write in an approachable yet stylistic way.