Writing can be hard; it takes creativity, time, and may even take lots of research. I personally have always found finding a place to start to be the most daunting task of writing an essay. These tips and tricks will help you find a method to get started.
Make a “messy brainstorm”
Take a piece of paper and write down anything you know or can think of that relates to the prompt. Write down everything, even those ideas you think are crazy or that would never work. Take a look at what is in your list and start crossing things off until you have a topic you like and think you can build off of.
Don’t wait until the last minute
Getting started right away will allow you to have plenty of time to create a quality well edited final product. Getting started early also alleviates a lot of stress that may come with essay writing.
Taking breaks is ok
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your writing is taking a break. Doing other things may spark ideas. It also allows you to come back with a fresh, clear mind that will help you write your best.
Research
If you aren’t familiar with the topic or aren’t sure what words in the prompt mean, always look it up. You can also research examples depending on the topic. Just be sure that you don’t copy other’s work or if you want to quote something use proper citations.
Start with the body paragraphs
If you are struggling to write your introduction, start writing your body paragraphs. Get your information together and use that to craft your introduction. Think of the introduction as giving a sneak peak as to what your essay is about.
Reread the prompt
Try to understand what the prompt is really asking whether that means you need to reread it, take notes or ask your teacher for clarification. Truly understanding what you are writing is the first step to writing a good quality essay.
Make an outline
Find your quotes, facts, format, and length. Making an outline makes it easy to just form the bullet points into complete sentences to form an essay. It also gives you an organized place to store your ideas and quotes too.
Don’t use AI
There are so many ways for teachers to check if you used AI that the chances of you getting away with it are slim to none. Even if you are not a strong writer, getting a B or a C on an essay is better than getting a F because you choose to use AI.