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Writer's pictureDr. Eric Bischoff

How to write an essay, Here are the Top 30 tips.

Updated: Apr 20, 2020


Writing an essay is not complicated, you just need to understand the writing principles.
Writing an essay is not complicated, you just need to understand the writing principles.

Want to write an essay like a seasoned academic writer? I have compiled a list of all the significant tips, prerequisites and measures that upon implementation, can help you drastically in writing the next academic masterpiece within no time. So you ready to give it a read?

For students, the ability to write essays is essential. By knowing how to write good essays, we can do academic assignments well too. The result is certainly fun right? So, this time we will discuss how to write the best essay so that the resulting essay can seem appealing.

So as not to be too confused, we will discuss how to write essays through practical steps.

1. Specify the topic

When writing an essay, of course, we must have a specific topic. For an interesting essay, also choose a compelling essay topic. An interesting essay topic is a unique theme that has its uniqueness, and in it displays the strong character of the author.

A typical theme means the theme is focused or narrow. Do not be too broad because it will seem pedantic and confusing readers. At the same time, the strong character is shown from the ability of the writer to put his position in viewing ideas or main ideas from the essay discussion. Will the writer be pros, cons or neutral?

The more focused the topic, the better. Likewise, the stronger the character, the better. A good essay must have one clear idea, and that is to not be at an obscure point of view because it will reduce the quality of the essay.

2. Prepare an outline

Outline means a kind of general description that contains specific points of the topic to be elaborated. In an essay, an outline can be made as a mind map or outlined in particular questions that show what will be elaborated in the essay.

The outline of the essay is essential. Unfortunately, many are confused and underestimate the making of an outline when trying to make an essay. In fact, it is the outline that plays a role in maintaining the consistency of our writing. It is the outline that will be our benchmark in outlining what the subject matter will be discussed in the essay.

For example, such as will be discussed "Nation's Moral Degradation". Means the outline that might be made is:

3. Moral importance

  • The moral condition of the present era.

  • The moral condition of the nation of the past era.

  • The development of moral conditions in the world.

  • The influence of world morals on the morals of the Indonesian people.

  • How is moral education nowadays?

  • Broad community participation in moral education.

4. Gather material

From the outline that has been created as a guide to writing an essay, we can start collecting material to outline the points in the outline. Choose material that is relevant and supports the main idea of ​​the essay. Make sure that the selected material can strengthen the character of the essay. It would be nice if the essay was equipped with factual data to support the argument.


5. Describe the contents

After getting the material according to the outline, the next way to make the essay is to outline the main points. Describe each point you wish to describe according to the concept of the outline. Make sure that each paragraph must have ONE main clear TOPIC to describe.

In addition, the contents of each paragraph must also be considered. The description in one paragraph must be intact and coherent to describe the main idea of ​​the paragraph, including to support or elaborate on the main idea of ​​the essay. Essay ideas should be explained and illustrated through examples, details, and descriptions. This can strengthen the argument presented in the essay.

6. Write an introduction

After the idea or content of the essay is written, then we can write the introduction. It is best to write the introduction in the essay after we have finished describing the contents of the paragraph, not the other way around. Because, when we have finished describing the contents of the essay, we better understand the contents of the essay so that we can make a more appropriate introduction to support the content of the essay and lead the reader to understand the contents of the essay.

7. Write a conclusion

After the contents and introduction are written down, the final essay can be written about the conclusion of the essay. The concluding essay can be written last. This allows us to be able to make the right essay conclusions because we have understood and have finished outlining all the other parts of the essay so that conclusions and suggestions can be made accordingly.

8. Reread and put the finishing touches

If all parts of the essay are finished writing then proceed towards self-editing. Self-editing is done by rereading the entire essay from beginning to end carefully. Pay attention to each word, sentence, and paragraph. Observe and understand whether the writing is coherent, whole and easy to understand.

Make sure the language used is appropriate and easily understood by the reader. So, readers can easily capture the message conveyed in the essay. All forms of typos, spelling mistakes, and punctuation must also be considered. If there are errors, correct them. If there are sentences that are still confusing, it can be rearranged. Give the finishing touches for an interesting essay.

9. Mastering the Writing Themes

A good essay is an essay that has a strong message and the message is well conveyed and can be received by readers. So, how to produce a good essay? We must know what the criteria for a good essay are and adjust it. Here are some tips that need to be considered to produce a good essay.

  • Master the material or essay theme by enriching the literature related to the related theme. Enrich as much and as best insight as possible. Choose references only that are trusted. Determine a firm attitude, whether to the pros or cons of a matter.

  • Affirm what message is to be conveyed. Start with an outline of the core issues that you want to discuss or convey.

  • Don't just argue in essays. Strengthen the argument with updated data or facts.

  • Compare with other points of view or the opposite to give a broader picture to the reader.

  • Avoid writing terms or abbreviations that are not public without explaining the point.

  • Make sure to comply with the Indonesian Spelling General Guidelines. Avoid typos and abbreviations such as etc., reply, etc., etc.

  • Make sure there is no plagiarism. Use all of our own writing, ideas, and thoughts. Learn also how to check plagiarism in an article. After the writing of the contents is complete, then make an opening or introduction to the essay. After completing the introduction, just make closing or concluding essay.

10. Accuracy and Authenticity is the key

In writing an essay, we must comply with writing ethics. Why is the accuracy of spelling important? The main objective is to avoid the reader's misperception and so that the reader can understand and enjoy the writing or essay that we make.

In essence, whatever language is used in the article, the spelling must be correct. Correct spelling indicates neatness, discipline, and appreciation of language rules. The spelling includes all the rules of how to write in a language, including writing capital letters, punctuation, and others.

Remember that good and right ideas, if they are written with chaotic spelling, will still be very annoying. This can also distort the writer's thinking so that the reader fails to understand what the writer wants to convey through his essay. Often found in the writing of scientific papers, articles, essays, and others, written with chaotic spelling, but seriously, the author does not feel guilty.

11. Spelling Mistakes to be avoided

There are some of the most common spelling mistakes that should be avoided, such as:

  • Typo

  • Error writing capital letters

  • Writing errors in foreign spelling or italics

  • Writing punctuation errors, especially when placing dots and commas

  • Abbreviations of words that are not in place

  • Ineffective use of sentences

12. The Philosophy of Writing and essays

The eminent Italian writer, Umberto Eco, when asked if writing was difficult, answered that he did not. Just write "from left to right". And now uncomplicated, right? But it's not enough to write. You have to write so that someone else would like to read what we have written. And this is much more difficult. We need to take care not only of the appropriate language, style, spelling, and grammar, which is what the American writer Stephen King calls the tools that every writer should carry in his handy box. We also need to make sure that what we write is interesting.

When we create a story, the story itself should be interesting. Interesting hero, captivating events and the story ended with a point. However, when we create an essay, history is not the most important thing. The most important is what we want to convey to our readers, our emotions, thoughts, and reflections. Therefore, the essay is seemingly simple - because we can write about anything, but in reality, it is a form that is very difficult to write, requiring not only an efficient pen but also the stop of the author, who in words should convey his thoughts on a specific topic.

13. Make the writing interesting

The essay defies rigid definitions. Although we can divide it into a scientific essay, i.e. touching issues related to various fields of science, philosophical - concerning philosophy or ethics, critical - devoted to art or journalistic - here the starting point can be social or everyday life themes, the form of the essay itself, that is, the way we present the topic depends entirely on us. An important feature of the essay is the subjectivity of the author, who can present his point of view.

Unlike the press article, in which we have to provide documented facts, in the essay we can describe our own thoughts. Facts can serve as a starting point for the reflections we will include in it, but this is our opinion, our opinion is the most important here. So when we start working on an essay, we must first rethink the problem, about which we want to write. Do I agree with the opinion of others on the topic? Can I see something that others can't see? I like what it means or not? Why? These are the questions we should ask ourselves before we put the first letter before we write the first sentence of our essay.

14. Essays are better when Subjective and reflective

And here we come to a certain paradox. The essay should be subjective and reflective, but it should not be a chaotic stream of words thrown out by the author. Maybe, when presenting your own feelings or reflections, reach for sophisticated stylistic measures like metaphors, digressions, and flashbacks. It may cite quotes from other authors, although they should be presented in relation to one's own opinion, be the basis of polemics or illustrate the author's opinion on a given topic. However, it never turns into a story or takes the form of literary fiction. The essay is not a story, not a scientific essay, but a way of expression, the ability to convey to others in the form of own opinion, own thoughts.

15. Read excellent works

This is obvious, but the immediate method. If you do n’t read more good works, you do n’t know how to write better ones. Excellent writers start by reading other people's works, then start imitating, and finally surpass them to form their own style. Read masterpieces as much as possible. When reading the content, pay more attention to the problems of the article and writing skills.

16. Write as much as possible

The more you write, the better you write. Practice makes you perfect. Write about yourself, write a blog, and contribute to the publishing house. Just writing, the more you write, the more you practice, the faster your writing will improve.

17. Write down your inspiration anytime, anywhere

Bring a small notebook with you. When you are inspired by the novel, article, or character in the novel record. When you listen to other people's words and all epiphanies or see a prose poem or lyrics that touch you, you can immediately write them down. Inspiration is always fleeting, and you can record it in time to become your writing material. My habit is to make a list of the articles to be written on my blog and constantly add to it.


18. Special writing time

Find a time period without any interruption as a special writing time every day, making this a habit. For me, the early morning time is the best, lunch, evening, or late night time is also ok. No matter what you do, think of writing as a daily task.

19. Random graffiti

In the face of the entire white paper and the entire white screen, there is no way to start, it must be terrifying. You will think: I still check the mail or take a break! Don't do this, sir. Start writing right now, typing right away. It does n’t matter what you write, just let me hear your typing on the keyboard. As long as you start writing, everything will be easier to handle. Like me, I like to type in my name and the title of the article first. It should n’t be difficult, and then slowly unfold the plot, fully integrated into it ... The key is: you can write and write at will, and graffiti at will Start writing the text.

20. Concentration

Writing is a single-minded thing. It is impossible to write in a noisy environment or doing other things at the same time. Writing requires a quiet environment and a little soft background music. Clear all the distractions that have nothing to do with writing. Turn off the Smartphone, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, turn off the TV, and the gazillions of other distractions holding you back from creating an academic masterpiece and clean up the useless things on the desk. Now is the time to write. It seems that you put yourself in a box and enter the writing state without any interruption.

21. Plan first, then write

This seems to contradict "random graffiti", but it's actually not the case. Before sitting down and writing formally, make a plan or rehearse in your mind. This is a very effective method. Think about what you want to write when you run every day, or brainstorm when you take a walk; then write down the thoughts and make a brief outline; when you are really ready to start writing, you can start quickly because of the ideas And ideas. Here, there is a trilogy of conceptual novels, you can refer to this: Snowflake Method.

22. Innovation

You need to imitate famous artists, it does not mean that you have to write exactly like them. You can try a new way of writing, learn a little from here, and learn a little from there. Gradually, you will have your own style, your own style, and your own ideas. Try some different expressions, or create some different expressions. You can try each method to see how it looks. If it's not good, don't use it.

23. Modification

Good works are made after repeated scrutiny and modification, which will make your work stand out from mediocrity. Look at the stuff you write, not only those spelling and grammatical errors, but also those meaningless words, chaotic structure, and sentences that people don't understand. The goal of the modification is clearer, more direct and fresher.

24. Be concise

This is the most important thing in the process of your modification. One sentence after another, all the irrelevant topics are deleted. A short sentence is more persuasive than lengthy nonsense and vernacular is more popular than obscure professional terminology. Remember: simplicity is power.

25. Infectious sentences

Use infectious verbs in short sentences. Of course, this is not required for every sentence. You need to change. However, try more attractive sentences. Moreover, you don't have to wait until you want to modify it before using it. You should consider this issue when you first start writing.

26. Obtain feedback from others

There will be no progress in making cars behind closed doors. Let others read your articles to give you feedback. It is best to have experienced writers and editors. They are knowledgeable and will give you very pertinent and insightful advice. Listen carefully, even if it is some criticism, accept it and be honest, this will only make you write better.

27. Is it a mule or a horse, pull it out

As far as you are concerned, you need to let others read your work. Your work is not what you want to see, so everyone can read your article. You are about to publish your own book, publish your own short stories and poems, and contribute to the publishing house. If you have already started blogging, congratulations, this is a good start. If no one has browsed it yet, you need to put it on a blog service site with more traffic, let readers leave a message for you, and give you suggestions. Everyone will look at what you write. Maybe it will be a headache at the beginning, but this is the only way for every writer to grow up. Publish your text immediately.

28. Conversational style

Many people write very formally, but I find that writing as we speak will make the article more fluent (no new words). In this way, the reader will look more comfortable. It is not easy to write this at the beginning, you need to stick to it. Perhaps, it will bring another problem. In order to read more colloquially, you need to break some grammatical rules (like my previous sentence). Because if you insist on hard grammar, your article will look very unnatural. If there is no other reason, don't break the grammar rules. You need to know what you are doing and why.

29. Good beginning and end

The beginning and end are the focus of the article. Especially at the beginning. If you ca not attract readers at the beginning of the story, it’s hard for them to read the whole article patiently. So invest more time to think about how to write the beginning. Once the reader is interested in your beginning, they will want to know more ... After writing the beginning, make a wonderful ending, which will make the reader look forward to you more Of the next article.

30. Summary

In summary, the essay should have the following features:

Subjectivity - the author should provide his own opinion

Reflectiveness - the topic should evoke the thoughts of the author, who, by showing the problem in the essay, will also provoke the reader to think

Aestheticism - the author should show language skills

Openness - the essay does not have to have a well-defined ending, a point, or a moral ending. It can leave the reader with a question to which he will have to read it after reading

Syncretism - when writing an essay, the author should use forms borrowed from other literary genres

Intertextuality - the author should draw on the works of other authors, cite their statements, relate to the artistic works of other artists, and argue with them

Digressiveness - the essay has no rigid form, so we can escape into digressions when writing it, although they should relate to the main topic of the essay.

An essay is, therefore, a difficult form, requiring knowledge and sensitivity from the author. However, writing an essay can be an intellectual challenge that will not only improve our ability to speak but also make others interested in the topic to which we draw attention.

So, this is a summary of tips or ways to write essays that are good and right. I hope this guide will help you write your next essay in a manner which displays your aspirations along with your academic proficiency regarding the topic.

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