Essay writing strategy

In essays, like no other work, the first paragraph, the introduction, is important. It can be used to capture the reader’s attention and set the tone for the whole work. An essay is a creative work, and each introduction pretends to be individual, but there are common features for different works. Let’s discuss effective essay writing strategies.

Important aspects of essays

Essay writing is not governed by general standards or guidelines – it is a completely creative work. Nevertheless, it is characterised by certain aspects. In the introduction, these are:

  • relevance of the topic;
  • historical overview, description of the degree of study of the topic, the extent to which the topic is studied and covered in the scientific community;
  • characteristics of the object and subject of the research, assessment of its condition and basic terms.

Options for essay introduction

Having analysed the literature and various essays, we have chosen a few options to start with. These are the introductions:

  • Historical. You can refer to a moment from the past (a specific century, year, period) or compare the past and the present;
  • Biographical. If your essay is about a person or their work(s), feel free to use this option. It may begin with an interesting fact from your biography;
  • Analytical. Means an explanation of the main terms mentioned in the title of the topic or the essay itself;
  • Quotable. Remember: a simple quote is no surprise. Approach the question thoroughly. Find a juicy and vivid quotation related to the topic of the essay;
  • Personal. It’ s simple here. Tell a life story that explains the choice of topic.

Writing plan: what is a recommended strategy for writing effective essay questions?

Our plan is 7 simple steps to help guide your writing and understand what words to start the essay with.

  1. Think about the first sentence that will interest the reader. This is important: not everyone is willing to take the time to read information that does not interest them and does not solve their problem. The reader needs to understand immediately what the story is about. It is not easy to find such ‘hooks’, but they guarantee a high score. These are little-known facts, original statistics, “hot” information (like feminism, body positivity, vaccinations, etc.). You can create a vivid picture with words.
  2. Get to the point. The 2nd and 3rd sentences should serve as a link between the 1st, the main one, and the rest of the piece. They should develop the thought from the first sentence, expanding the context. Create a smooth transition, not a springboard transition.
  3. Now tell what the essay is about. When you are going to write it, you have set a certain goal: not just to communicate something, but to express your opinion, to convince you of something, to reveal some secret. Share this with the reader, so that he or she decides to stay (or go).
  4. Outline the structure. This will help you maintain the logic of the narrative, making the work understandable and coherent. By having an idea of structure, you don’t run the risk of forgetting something. You are the only one who should see the structure, while the reader should see a smooth and clear text. If the topic of the essay is simple and doesn’t require concentration, specificity, you don’t have to think about the structure. Spontaneity is the key to response and discovery.
  5. Formulate the main point. As with structure, if there is a need and a desire. This is just one sentence, succinctly and briefly describing the main message. Sometimes the main point is mandatory (it depends on the specialty). This clause concludes the first paragraph.
  6. Decide on the tone of the essay. Writing style is the main factor influencing the attractiveness of your text in the eyes of the reader. Write simply and clearly, try to establish a connection with the reader, speak the same language with him/her.
  7. Keep it short. Keep your introduction as short as possible. Write everything you want to say. Reread it. Reduce what you’ve written by a third. Reread it. You may find places where you can write simpler and shorter sentences. So do it.

Specific writing strategies

If none of the above seems to be working for you, don’t panic. We’ll share some special strategies with you. Here they are:

  • Write the introduction last. You don’t have to write the introduction first. If you already have a main text, start with it. You can tweak the introduction later;
  • Work on ideas. If you get lost and don’t know where to start, just write down all the ideas that come to mind. Then choose what fits. It definitely works;
  • Let someone else read what you’ve written. An outsider’s view will point out things to work on better. And in the process of discussion, you’ll find new solutions. Double benefit.

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