Essay Writing: Basics of Beginning

Most of us have had the discomfort of sitting in class as the teacher unveils an essay writing assignment accompanied by all the groans, moans, and other guttural sounds we use to express our displeasure. However, essay writing does not have to be a torture session if we take things in stride. Here are some tips to help with your initial brainstorming:

1. Choose an essay topic you actually enjoying writing about. Seriously.

Many people have no idea what to write about and then choose a topic that does not interest them at all. Big mistake! Writing coherently, informatively, and constructively is a challenge in itself, so to have the added burden of an uninteresting topic can make things even more frustrating. Of course, teachers usually include a limitation in the range of topics when assigning essays, but, even then, we still have wiggle room about what we can write about. Most likely, you will have to write an essay about a form of literature (e.g., novel, play, short story, newspaper articles, etc.), so the first thing you can do is write about an aspect of the literature that makes you ask a lot of questions. For example, when I had to write an essay about Shakespeare’s Othello, I chose to write about the deviousness of Iago, one of my favorite villains in English literature. During my reading of Othello, I pondered about Iago’s impact on the other characters, what underlined his hatred for Othello, and what motivated his actions. There is always something that strikes someone when they read anything. Don’t complicate things. Just choose what you really want to write about and you are on your way to the beginning of a good essay.

2. Organize the content and structure of your essay before writing.

You should have a rough outline of what your essay is going to look before you begin writing. Personally, I like to jot down what I will include in my introduction, each paragraph, and the conclusion. Also, I label each paragraph with the main idea I will discuss and jot down the specific examples from the text that I will use to demonstrate that particular point. The most important aspect of your draft should be what your main thesis will be. Your thesis does not have to be written in stone when you write your draft. Keep it malleable and flexible, so you can change it accordingly as your essay develops. Fine tune it according to your points and examples in order to maximize its effectiveness. Here is an example from a psychology research paper I wrote in my senior year:

I. Introduction
a. Thesis: Frequent burnout conditions cause more stress upon healthcare providers and, as a result, leads to poorer patient care and provided services.

II. Factors
a. Occupational Stress
b. Consciousness of Stress
c. Patient Chronic Disorders
d. Career Transitions
e. Contextual Prevalence
i. Dieticians
ii. Palliative Care

III. Implications
a. Workplace Aggression
b. Quality of Life
c. Worker Engagement
d. Work Attendance
e. Psychopathology

IV. Responses
a. Psychological Empowerment
b. Organizational Features
c. Leadership Development
d. Interprofessional Collaboration

V. Conclusion

Each point under each section is a paragraph contributing to my thesis and each point analyzes and criticizes particular peer-reviewed journal articles. I begin every paragraph with a thesis of the idea I will be discussing and the final sentence in the paragraph relates it back to my main thesis. As an aside, my thesis was vastly different upon completion from what it was above. Finally, as you read through your particular piece of literature, make notes in the margins or in a separate notebook. This can jog your memory and stir up ideas when you think about your essay topic later on. For example, highlight important quotes, put question marks next to text you do not understand, and put asterisks to words you need to look up definitions up for. Always be an active, engaged reader!

3. Just write.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the phrase: “I don’t know what to write about.” My advice: Just write. You are not handing in your draft. You are handing in your typed up final copy. I give you permission to write nonsensically, if need be. We usually think we have to write a perfect, flawless copy of our essay on our first go around, but that is not realistic. Experiment with your thoughts. If you follow the outline process discussed above, you have something to guide you as you write. Stick to your points and examples, but do not be afraid to add your own commentary throughout. In fact, this is what your teacher will be most interested in; how you analyze and understand the themes behind the literature. With regards to your commentary, be honest! What did you really think about how a specific example related to the over-arching themes of the novel? Did it make sense? Was the author accurate in his or her assessment of the situation? Add your voice to the conversation! Don't forget, you are a writer in your own right!

4. Research

Speaking of opinions, including scholarly experts’ insights is a great way to increase your mark. You might be thinking, “but nobody does that.” That’s the point. If you are the only one in your class who reads extra sources for your essay and wisely includes them in support of your thesis, you will be the standout student. Teachers love students who “go the extra mile” and will be biased towards them (in a good way!) in the future. No, you don’t have to read the same amount as a doctoral student writing a doctoral thesis. But, if you include several other intelligent voices from several well-respected academics sources, in addition to your own, you will demonstrate the skills necessary and emphasized in undergrad. With the accessibility the online world brings to your fingertips, it has never been easier to do research from the comfort of your own home anytime of the day!

These are just a few of ideas of what you can do to engage the text as you read. Be creative! These are just my ideas. If you can personalize all of this for yourself, you will develop a system you can master for future writing endeavors, no matter the type of writing.