Considering the fact that I’m about to graduate with an English degree, it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve mastered the art of essay writing. While writing is definitely a subjective practice (everyone has their own unique process), there are definitely a few universal tips that have helped me become an effective writer (and arguer).
Find a (quiet) study spot
Before even beginning the actual writing process, it’s important to find a space which supports your creative process. Personally, I love to work with noise cancelling headphones on so that it really doesn’t matter if I’m in a loud/crowded place, but also work well in the Dinand stacks, science library, or even Kimball (preferably from the hours of 2-4pm when it isn’t too crowded).
Office Hours!!
For a final paper, especially, I find it important to consult my professor with potential ideas/questions. Even going to office hours for a brainstorming session is helpful, but I try to go in with at least an idea of what I want to write about and how I want to make my argument. In my experience, professors have always been happy to help!
Outline/Draft
I have a pretty unique drafting process in that I prefer to messily get all my thoughts/ideas out on the page in paragraph form rather than formally outlining. Once I have my thesis, I tend to find quotes and evidence to support that thesis along the way. For longer papers, I also think it’s helpful to break the writing process up into sections. Whether that be research vs textual analysis vs argument, it’s less overwhelming to work in smaller pieces.
Research/find quotes and evidence
So, once the thesis is formed, I’ll look for supportive quotes and scholarly research. Usually I try to incorporate these, along with my own thoughts and argument, as I just word vomit across pages. At this point, I just want to get words down, and can clean them up later.
Revise!!
Revision is really the time, for me, to put everything together in a way which flows well. I’ll clean up any sloppy or unclear parts of my argument, and make sure that my formatting is also up to par. And then, I submit it and forget it. Okay, not really, but I’ve found that driving myself crazy over something that’s out of my hands is pointless.
Good luck and happy writing!!