Writing A Quality Essay Is Not An Easy Task: 4 Pro Tips To Follow

6 mins read

Writing A Quality Essay Is Not An Easy Task: 4 Pro Tips To Follow

There are many myths about what an essay is. According to the official definition, an essay is a short prose text that presents the author's emotions and thoughts, has a free composition, and does not claim to be an exhaustive presentation of the topic. This interpretation is generally correct, but it creates a false impression that one is allowed to write as one pleases, without limits and boundaries. This is certainly not the case.

Plan and structure of the essay

An open-ended composition gives you more freedom than a strictly scientific or journalistic piece. But there are still certain rules for writing an essay. There are cases when students don’t have time to write an essay or the muse has left them, in which case you can contact a special essay writing service, but these special services are also not exempt from the rules of essay writing. Creating freely while staying within the rules is challenging, so let's take a closer look at this point.

Imagine a situation where you are telling a friend about a movie. Let's take the 2019 film Joker. Think about how the story begins, how to approach the main idea, develop it, and summarize it. This is the basic structure of an essay written randomly in a lively, conversational language. Nothing supernatural, right? Then let's move on to more practical tips.

How to write an essay? An outline is the first place to start. Using examples from the movies mentioned above, let's analyze the content of each point.

1. Identify the problem

Usually, when you start a conversation, you want to make a point. For example:

The protagonist of the movie is a typical criminal
The movie exposes the misguided behavior of people who blame others for their troubles

All 2 statements have the potential to turn into:

The kernel of your reflection - the contradiction inherent in it pushes the author to share his or her thoughts
The basis for the introduction
A position that needs to be argued and proved

Great, now move on.

2. The hardest part is the first lines

Now that you have a topic, you will certainly have several ideas for starting your text. The most common option is a conversational introduction with an appeal to the reader:

Last Sunday, I watched a movie that is extremely popular online. After re-reading the reviews, to my own surprise, I realized that my impressions were not similar to those of most commentators. The most striking thing was that almost 80% of the audience unconditionally defended the protagonist. To me, Arthur Fleck did not seem worthy of universal sympathy. He is a rather negative character.

Having a position opposite to 80% of the audience is a strong statement. Right from the start, it arouses curiosity and certainly ensures respect. Of course, if you can prove your point of view well.

How to write an essay based on a literary work? Find the sentence where the author himself formulated the main problem. Build the first paragraph around it. The rest of the text will be a response to it.

3. Prove your point of view

Even the most loyal person will not accept your opinion if it is expressed without arguments. Don't let this happen! Break the proof into stages, each of which will be an independent argument or develop the previous one.

Ideally, use the thesis-argument structure when writing a connection: "I consider Arthur Fleck to be a villain who is not worthy of sympathy because...":

The main character is not a talented person. His jokes do not reach the audience. Despite his desire to work as a stand-up, Arthur will likely never become a professional.
Joker is fixated on his own personality, seeking attention. Despite his lack of talent, he continues to dream of fairy-tale success (cite relevant episodes/replays).
The protagonist blames others. The mother, the rich, the imaginary father, from whom he expects a warm reaction and acceptance (share observations of situations where the desire to shift problems to others led to bad results).
Unable to accept rejection. After Thomas Wayne's unwillingness to communicate, he becomes Arthur's enemy. When a popular comedian makes fun of Fleck's weak jokes, the latter goes on a killing spree. As a result, the crime turns into a "stage", a means to win the coveted love of the audience.

Great, now move on.

4. Summarize all that has been said

Have you summarized all the facts? Great, it's time for the final blow! Go back to the beginning and look at the main problem. Does it look more convincing? Has the question been answered? If so, you've done the main part of the job successfully. You have learned how to write an essay and turned your knowledge into an essay that can convince anyone.

The only thing left to do is to write a worthy ending. Choose the means for this according to your own taste. Option one - think about the story so that the last thesis proof continues the previous ones and smoothly transitions into the conclusion.

Why did a self-centered man with high expectations of the world and few talents become a favorite of millions?

You must admit that this is only half a step away from the main dilemma. Another option is to repeat the thesis stated in the introduction and look at it through the prism of arguments.

Conclusion

In the previous section, you will find examples of an introduction and an ending. However, there are no single rules for writing an essay. The main requirement is the presence of internal logic, and the rigid structure is not intended to complicate the writer's life but to simplify the work and emphasize the thread of reflection.

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