Use these steps to brainstorm, organize, and develop your essay effectively, ensuring it aligns with your purpose and audience:
- Brainstorm Ideas
Generate ideas for your essay, then draw lines to connect ideas that fit into similar categories. Examples of categories include:
- Past, present, and future (for chronological essays)
- Pros and cons (for argumentative essays)
- Part-to-whole relationships (for analytical essays)
- Causes and effects
Note: These categories are not exhaustive; adapt them to your essay’s needs.
- Ask Questions to Generate Ideas
Pose questions about your subject to spark ideas. Consider who, what, when, where, how, and why to explore all aspects of your topic.
- Understand Your Audience
Consider your audience’s profile:
- Who are they?
- How much do they know about the subject?
- How much background information do they need to understand it?
- What are their feelings about the subject?
- How should their knowledge and feelings shape your language and level of detail?
- Define Your Purpose
Clarify the essay’s purpose: Do you aim to let readers experience an aspect of the subject, inform them, argue a position, or persuade them? Shape your content to align with this purpose.
- Choose Development Strategies
Select development methods that suit your purpose and audience, such as:
- Illustration of a point
- Narration of a relevant story
- Analysis of the subject’s components
- Definition of key terms
- Classification within a broader context
- Exploration of causes and effects
- Comparison and contrast with related subjects
- State Your Thesis
Write your thesis in one sentence to guide your essay. Recognize that it may evolve during writing and revise it as needed to reflect your final focus.
- Create a Tree Diagram
Map out your main points and their relationships in a tree diagram. Identify points that support your thesis and specific evidence for each point to enhance organization and focus.
