I Can Write Great Essays!

     Writing is a process. A great essay can be written if you follow these steps. 

Step 1: Brainstorm

      Ask yourself all the wh-questions.   

Who? (Who are involved in the story/issue?)

- Gary and his younger sister, Georgina went to a bank one day.

- Two robbers held two hostages at gunpoint, rushing the cashiers to put all the money in their bags, while the rest of the customers in the bank were forced to lie face down on the tiled floor.  

- Despite his old age and bad knees, Mr. Brown works hard in his garden everyday. 

- Being a fan of action-packed movies, Sammy arranged a movie-outing for five of us and bought the tickets online the moment we said yes to her request.  

What? (What is the situation? What are the things that are relevant to the story/issue?)

- It was a bank robbery.

- There are many colourful flowers and interesting plants lined in beautiful pots in Mr. Brown's garden.

- "Final Destination 5" is a blood-curdling horror film.

When?  (When did it happen? If it is happening now, use PRESENT TENSE. If it happened in the past, use PAST TENSE.)

- On a sunny Sunday morning, just like every other quiet morning in Kampung Baru, ...

- It was a dark and stormy evening, so gloomy that it was hard to believe that it was only five o'clock. 

- It rained cats and dogs that night. The pitter-patter of raindrops hitting on the roof over my head was a soothing rhythm to my ears.   

Where? (Where is the setting of the story/issue?)

- So off we went to the cinema. 

- His garden is situated just a stone's throw from his house. 

Why? (Why is the story/issue happening in such setting? Why is it important for readers to know the reasons?)

- Eating too much junk food is bad for health because of the high sodium, preservative and calorie content. 

- Gary and Georgina were there to deposit some cash into their bank accounts. 

- Mr. Brown loves gardening because he feels the happiest when he sees his plants grow and his flowers bloom. 

How? (How did the story/issue develop? How can readers take initiatives after know "why"?)

- The robbers threatened to kill the hostages if anyone did not listen to their orders and tried to contact the police. Helplessly, the cashiers followed the robbers' instructions and started to fill the bags with money. 

- We can keep diseases at bay by practising healthy lifestyle through eating well-balanced meals and exercising. A healthy, well-balanced meal contains fruits, vegetables, white meat and very little fat, oil, sugar and salt. 

Step 2: Outline

   a. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So plan, plan, plan!
  b. Outline by putting the wh-elements you brainstorm in order. Write out what you want to write in paragraph 1 to 5. Mindmap all your ideas.  

Step 3: Develop

   Start writing!

Step 4: Edit

   a. After you finish writing your essay, read through your work to see if there is flow between paragraphs. 

   b. Check for spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Step 5: Revise

   Correct what needs to be corrected and a great essay is born!

   

   If you want to write like a pro, there is no shortcut to it, you just have to read a lot. Reading will expose you to many writing styles and awesome vocabulary to make you an awesome writer! So, read up and start writing!

p.s. When you feel like giving up, tell yourself this: nothing in life that is worth having comes easy!