Essay Writing Guidelines: Things to Remember while Creating Your First Draft

When you set out to write your essay, it is imperative that you follow these tips. Plan your essay prior to sitting down and actually writing. Start out by brainstorming the topic using free writing or mind mapping to gather all of your ideas. This should come before you start the research, and be repeated after you have completed your research. Before you start the research, brainstorming is used to test what you know, but after you start the research, brainstorming can be a place to gather the ideas that have resulted from your research.

• Create an order for your material. Determine the best order in which to present your points.
• Create an outline after this, one with your subheadings and headings. Beneath that you should include the supporting evidence found in your research. As you are doing this, it is important that you keep your essay question in mind.

As you write, you should aim for well structured paragraphs. Remember that the reader needs to be able to follow all of your points as they are presented, and the best way for the reader to do this is to have well structured paragraphs which contain one idea per paragraph. Try and explain each point in a clear and simple fashion, and back up each point with explanations and evidence. You should provide logical transitions in between each of the paragraphs so that the reader can move seamlessly from paragraph to paragraph. Make sure you have a clear train of thought and that you write out the connections that you are making. Just because you think of the connection, does not mean the reader will think of it too.

As a writer, it is important to note that a first draft will never be the best draft. No writer has produced a stunning first draft the first time. No matter how gifted you may be as a writer, you will need to produce multiple drafts before you finally have the best presentation of your information.

That being said, editing and reviewing your information regularly will ensure high quality content is produced in the end. When you sit down to edit your work, you will need to print a tangible copy that is double spaced. Take a red pen and your favorite cup of tea and sit down to work. Give yourself plenty of time to review the piece and reflect upon it, then incorporate any revisions. If you are able, give a copy to someone else like a close friend or family member and get feedback from them.