What it Means to Write: The Second One

Doing this again…

So, as you know, we recently had another in-class essay, and it was probably better than the last one (hopefully). I felt like mine was better than last time, but I feel like I can’t say that until we get the grades back. Anyway, here’s some more tips for you on how to write an essay that doesn’t flow like expired milk.

 

Figure out your rhythm

One way to get your essay to flow better is to determine your argumentative/analytical beats (see what I did there). I myself am not very good at this, as my first essay read like three ping pong balls in a blender. However, I can conceptually understand how. As many of you do (and I don’t out of sheer laziness) write outlines, I feel that it greatly helps with the flow of an essay. Read it back, and if it sounds like an old man’s joints, you might want to check those transitions. 

 

Watching out for off topics

I have written many an essay where I completely miss the prompt, like an archer that fires into the stands. This is mostly because I end up being able to write more clearly on a tangential topic, and then accidentally write about that instead. For example, in my first in-class essay, I  went on a tangent about desensitization that ultimately went nowhere. Speaking of writing, have you ever…

 

Be Concise

Yeah, that’s all.