How do you write good essays?

Question

I am trying to become a good writer. My tips so far are read, listen to books, and think about my thinking. I agree but I need more tips! Most of my writing work is sucky and horrible!

Answer 1

Evelyn, there is no specific path to effective writing, and from your question, I can see you already have established a voice. To refine that voice so that your writing is authoritative, I have one general piece of advice: Find a model of what you know is effective and powerful writing and use it as a model when approaching writing tasks. Obviously, you need to follow the topic prompt and meet the requirements of a rubric, but good writing specifically includes:

1. Precision in language--accurate and active verbs, effective subordination, and precise modifiers.
2. Economy of language that avoids excessively long and passive constructions.
3. Proper agreement of subjects and verbs, pronouns and their antecedents, and proper mechanics in punctuation.
4. A tone and voice appropriate to the topic, audience, and purpose of the writing task.

Answer 2

Hello Evelyn,

In order to write effective essays, your writing must be well organized at all times. Creating an outline ahead of time of (ideas for) what you want to say in writing--complete with an: introduction, main body paragraph(s), and a conclusion. Establishing a thesis statement is also key in terms of determining the direction you want your writing to head in in terms of content, literary tone, and research that you will carry out in order to defend your reasoning on paper all the way from beginning to end.

Besides developing a main idea and a well-organized paragraph structure, formulating sentences that relate to the primary topic of discussion and fit together well contextually all the while are also essential building blocks to help tighten your essay writing thoroughly. Therefore, maintaining correct grammar with a smooth contextual flow from start to finish is also necessary in order to give your writing solid cohesiveness and neatness on the spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuational literary fronts throughout the overall writing and editing process(es).

Most of all, showing your passion for what you are writing about--be it analytical, informative, fictional, etc.--will help draw your readers into what you are writing about topically. They will catch on to the fact that not only do you as the author know your stuff down cold, but that you also feel deeply about what you are writing about through and through.

I hope this helps! Good luck with all of your future endeavors! Cheers, fellow writer! :)