So many people who would love to be writers, simply can't get past the blank page that is staring at them as the sit down to write.
But, assuming that you have a decent command of the English language, writing a good essay is easy if you just follow a few simple guidelines.
Just like any other form of writing, such as a short story, a thesis, a fictional book, and so on - the essay has a certain structure to it. But that structure is not set in stone. As a matter of fact, there are over a few essay forms that you can take advantage of. For the beginning writer, however, the basic steps of writing an essay can be stated in 6 separate actions.
1) Select your topic
When looking for advice from older and more seasoned writers - inevitably the advice that they will give to their younger proteges is to "write what you know." While many writers make a great living researching topics that they know little about and writing essays and articles on them, for the beginning writer, writing about what you know is good advice. It's one less step that you have to worry about. So choose a subject that interests you personally and break it down into a smaller topic, something that you can fully write about in an essay length piece of writing.
2) Devise a brief outline for the subject.
Although the outline doesn't have to be on paper, if you're just beginning to write, putting the outline on paper or in your computer can help you to organize your thoughts and focus on what you want to say.
3) Write the Introduction
The introduction should be relatively short and should focus on what you plan to prove or accomplish with your essay. Of course, this pre-supposes that you've answered the question for yourself. If you ask yourself the question, "Why am I writing this topic?" and you fail to come up with an interesting and convincing reason, you've likely chosen the wrong topic and should think about changing it.
4) Write the body using your outline as a guide
If you've written an outline, this should be easy. Simply write one paragraph for each point in your outline. If you know your subject well, the paragraphs should almost write themselves. Don't focus too much on grammar or style as you are writing. Simply try to get your thoughts down on paper in a coherent manner.
5) Write your summary
Write a paragraph summarizing all of the points what you've just written about.
6) Edit and re-write your essay
Many writers would call this the most important part of the writing process. You've got your initial thoughts on paper, now you simply have to improve them. This is where you spell check, grammar check, finalize your paragraph transitions, and recheck the facts presented in your essay. It's not unusual for professional writers to re-write three, four, or more times. In fact, many say that the difference between a good writer and a great writer is the amount of effort put into re-writing.
Even if you have no natural talent for writing, by following the above steps you can easily put together an essay presentable enough for almost any purpose.
Author Resource:-
Martha Liu is webmaster and writer for bookauthorservices.com . Please visit her site and find articles on writing children's book, writing a fiction book / rules, and other author related information and products.
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