Suggestions for Writing Essays
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING ESSAYS
1. Write your thesis statement as an assertion, an idea that you plan to prove, a
question that you intend to answer, a direction you intend to travel. A strong thesis
statement might suggest a forward movement in your essay—might suggest that you plan
to show the change in a character, the development of a theme, that you plan to move
from your own doubt or confusion about something in the work to some kind of clarity,
that you plan to follow a causal path (A leads to B, which leads to C, etc.), that
you plan to show how something reveals itself during the course of the work (either
chronologically or moving from least important to most important, etc.). Let your
thesis be suggestive, but not deliberately confusing or ambiguous.
2. Or consider beginning your essay with a question related to the topic—like why
is T.S. Eliot so difficult to read? Or how can Pound think two lines make a poem?
Or what does Stevens mean by the “malady of the quotidian”? Or why does Fitzgerald
call Gatsby great? Or why doesn’t Sandra Cisneros create a totally likeable character
in “Never Marry a Mexican”? Or what’s the point of having a character talk to a frog
on Murakami’s “super-frog saves tokyo”? Or are Nabokov’s characters realistic? Then
follow it with a quotation or plot detail or something else that seems connected to
your question. Then play off of this quotation/detail attempting to answer the question
until you’re ready to move to another quotation or a plot event. Examine each quotation
and plot detail in a sequence, devoting separate paragraphs to each, constantly trying
to answer the question. You might expand or qualify or alter your question as you
move through. You might (probably will) do the same thing to your thesis which becomes
a kind of evolving thesis. Keep writing until you satisfy yourself with your answer
or grow completely exhausted. Conclude.
3. Do not include the topic ideas you plan to deal with in your thesis. It makes your
paper too much like a mathematical formula. But do provide the reader with a sequence
of topic ideas during the course of your essay. You must have a reason for organizing
your paper in the way you do. A topic idea can be explicitly stated in a sentence
or two, or it can be implied, but if implied, it should be easily understood by the
reader. A good way of thinking about topic ideas might be to consider them signposts
on the journey your essay takes.
4. Write an introduction that captures the reader’s attention either by beginning
with a startling quote (from the story you’re examining or elsewhere) or fact or idea;
or by writing fluent, entertaining prose that eases the reader into your thesis and
essay; or by offering necessary background information; or just begin with the thesis
itself. Obviously, there are many ways to begin an essay. Look at how authors begin
the essays you read for class.
5. Mention the author and title of the work you are writing about ASAP—either in the
title or early in the first paragraph.
6. Build your paragraphs with specific evidence primarily from the text (quotations,
paraphrases, plot details, words, phrases, images, implications) and your own explanation
of how that evidence supports and develops that evidence. Don’t just say the evidence
supports your ideas. Show the reader how the evidence supports your ideas. In fact,
don’t just write directly about the evidence, but frequently use the evidence as a
springboard to think further about your idea, to lead you into more depth. More profundity.
7. Remember a paragraph usually only deals with one idea or one example. When you
shift ideas or examples, consider creating a new paragraph.
8. Don’t just offer evidence and then explain how it supports your idea. Or present
your idea and then offer the evidence. Vary how you present your evidence. For instance,
try to weave your evidence into your own sentences so that you’re constantly arguing,
constantly pondering your topic. Learn to use brief quoted phrases, even single quoted
words from the text in your own sentences.
9. Don’t put any quotation in its own separate sentence. At least say the author states
or describes. Try to explain what the quotation means or at least begin to explain
what the quotation means in the same sentence that you put the quotation in. Avoid
phrases, if you can, like “This means” or “This shows”. Always explain how the quotation
connects to your argument, unless that connection is absolutely clear.
10. Write a conclusion that doesn’t just summarize what you have said, although you
might want to do that, especially in long papers. If you choose to summarize in a
short paper, keep it brief and use different words from the ones you have used in
your thesis the body of your essay. The best way to end a paper is by saying something
important about your topic like answering the question “so what?’ or explaining to
the reader what you think the significance of your essay has been. Consider writing
your conclusion as a call to action.
11. Proofread the entire paper. If you’re short on time, at least proofread the first
paragraph. If there are numerous mistakes in the first paragraph (and all throughout
your paper) you will prevent the reader from understanding what you are trying to
say. She will think you do not care about your essay and she won’t care either. If
you have the time, a good way to proofread an essay is to look at the last paragraph
first, then the next-to-last, and so on, until you arrive at the first paragraph.
This well help you focus on grammatical and phrasing problems.
12. Write as if you are thinking. The illusion of the mind in the process of thinking.
In other words, let the reader accompany you on your journey toward some kind of conclusion.
Let her follow the twists and turns, the forward, backward, and sideways movements
of your mind. Write to excite and please and thrill and instruct and amaze your reader.
13. Organize the paragraphs in the body of your essay in a sequence. Any kind of sequence.
Causal, chronological, least important to most important, etc. But a sequence.
14. Try to organize your essay so that it moves forward toward some conclusion. If
you digress, try to explain why your digression adds to the reader’s understanding
of the topic. If your digression is actually a digression that doesn’t belong in your
essay, but you feel you have to include it for some reason or other, please tag the
beginning with the word “digression” and the end with “end of digression” in order
to let me know that you are aware of violating the unity of your essay.
15. Try to come up with more than one interpretation of every passage or detail or
example you use. Don’t necessarily include all your interpretations in your essay,
but definitely try to see things in multiple, even ambiguous and paradoxical ways.
This will help you arrive at the strongest interpretation and might lead you to a
deeper your interpretation of a passage or detail when you actually write about it
in your essay. A good way to do this is to keep asking why or so what or how, etc.
16. Always question yourself. Never assume that your impressions are completely correct.
But at the same time, trust your intuition. Just be sure to justify it.
17. Consider tone. Should you be humble, assured, aggressive, funny, serious, playful,
etc.?
18. Ask several questions (other than the lead question) in your essay and then try
to answer them. Perhaps, not specifically, but in way that leads to your reflecting
in detail on the question. In other words, don’t write your entire essay in statements. Mix
some questions in. This will pull your reader along giving her the idea that you are
thinking as you are writing.
19. Use hyphenated words somewhere in your essay. You may invent the words if you
wish. The hyphenated words may (and frequently should) combine more than two words.
Three or four-word hyphenated words can be both fun and meaningful. I always give
prizes to the student who creates the most outrageous but still meaningful hyphenated
word.
20. Mention the author’s name at least once every one or two paragraphs. Remember
the author created the work and the characters, wrote the passages, etc. This will
also remind you and the reader that you are talking about a specific work written
by a specific human being maintain an objectivity toward the work itself that is sometimes
lost when you focus strictly on the characters.
21. Try only to use “this” as an adjective followed by a noun, never by itself. Well,
hardly ever and only if the reference is clear.
22. Address your reader directly at least once in your essay. You may call me Bob,
Mr. Dickerson, or some clever bit of profanity of your own invention.
23. Vary sentence lengths, beginnings, and structures. Do not begin two sentences
in a row with the same word or words. Do not write two simple sentences in a row unless
you’re doing it for effect. Try to write sentences of different lengths and kinds.
Write short ones, long ones, in between ones. Write simple, compound, complex, compound
complex. Mix them up.
24. As said above, begin sentences differently. Start with a subordinate clause, an
adverb, an adverbial phrase, even a conjunction—anything to shake up the customary
subject-verb phrasing.
25. Try to write sentences that end not with an anticlimactic whimper, but with a
bang. Sentences that trail off don’t push the reader on. Sentences that explode and
that assert usually drive the reader on.
26. Use mostly who rather than that if you’re speaking of a person or persons. Don’t
confuse the words to, two, and too; or it’s and its (it’s means it is and its is the
possessive); or there, they’re, and their; or woman (singular) and women (plural);
or man (singular) or men (plural).
27. Never use always unless you mean always. Instead use almost all or most or many,
etc.. Never use never. Well almost never.
28. Double-space your essay. Use correct margins. See the edited MLA style sheet in
the reader or look at the LA style sheet either online or in a handbook.
29. Explain, rhapsodize, be clever, make connection to previous sections, foreshadow,
have fun, play, think, argue, astound, excite, teach, show something new—you get the
idea.
30. Surprise the reader at least once in your essay by seeming to change directions,
but then explain why you really didn’t change directions or why it was important that
you changed direction.
31. Make at least two references/connections to other literary works you’ve read in
this class or in another class. Identify the author of the passage you’re using.
32. Refer to a historical event or current political event or something to do with
present day society or culture. Could be a joke. Probably should be a joke.
33. Allude to a famous quote. Transform it. Combine it with your own words. Examples:
“This writer deserves far more than a penny for his thoughts. Give him a nickel.”
“The character definitely pursues happiness, but seems to overlook life and liberty.”
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; frankly, it was the most boring
of times.” Since these are famous quotations, I don’t think you have to cite the author.
34. Intentionally write at least one sentence fragment. Make that two. Sentence fragments
can be fun and they can enrich meaning through emphasis. They can also undercut meaning.
Don’t be afraid to use them. You might let me know that you’re using one by writing
fragment in the margin next to your fragment.
35. Vary words. Try not to use the same word in one sentence unless it’s an article
like a, an, or the. Try not to use the same word in consecutive sentences.
36. Use strong, active verbs. If possible, use the verbs, is, have, become, and their
various forms, sparingly.
37. Try to avoid the phrase “the fact that.”
38. If you want to mention a person, object, or thing after you have mentioned another
person or object or thing, do not use a pronoun, but use the name of the person, object,
or thing. Example: “Flannery O’Connor frequently wrote about violence in her stories.
For instance, the grandmother is killed suddenly and horrifyingly. She is known for
her peacocks” (Wrong since “she” can refer to the grandmother). Instead, write “O’Connor
is known for her peacocks” to make the reference clear. The reader initially assumes
that the pronoun refers to the previously mentioned person, object, or thing.
39. Avoid dangling or misplaced modifiers. My favorite of all time was when one of
my female students wrote: “Standing in his bathing suit, I looked up at him.” I mentioned
that it might be cozy and exciting, standing in that swimsuit with a man or the scene
might suggest a fondness for cross-dressing. Be certain that all your references are
clear.
40. Try to include at least one objection to your opinion or one qualification that
might make you re-think your idea (even a minor objection). Explain how it makes you
rethink your idea or try to disprove the objection. Deal with it in a sentence or
several sentences or paragraph or several paragraphs. This will let the reader know
you are thinking since she has probably already thought of this objection and it will
help you think about stories and life in ways that are not perfectly unified.
41. Use at least two parenthetical expressions in your essay.
42. Use dashes to add explanation or emphasis or to qualify something you’ve just
said. Dashes can also separate parenthetical expressions.
43. Use at least two appositives. If you don’t know what an appositive is, look up
the term in a grammar handbook. Here is an example that uses four appositives: Anne
Sexton, genius poet, mad lover, tortured soul, suicide, performed in a rock band at
Golden Gate Park in front of thousands of screaming fans who had never read a single
line of her verse.
44. Organize at least one paragraph or the entire essay around a metaphor. Use at
least two similes to clarify points. A simile is a metaphor that uses like or as.
45. Imitate the style of the author you’re writing about in at least one paragraph.
46. Imitate the style of another author either in one paragraph or throughout the
essay.
47. Try to write with a musical rhythm, with music as well as sense. Consider the
sounds of your words and phrases and sentences. Each of us has our own rhythm within
us. Call it voice if you want. Or call it music. Or call it your beat.
48. Consider using the following words: consequently, literary, opinion, suggests,
denotes, depicts, implies, complex, simple, irony, paradox, ambiguous, psychedelicize,
although, however, and others of your own choosing. Try to use at least three new
words somewhere in your essay.
49. Write a clever title that fits your topic. Consider using a colon to write a two-part
title.
50. Include an epigraph (a quotation after the title but before the beginning of the
essay), but make sure it relates to the topic. Consider referring to it in your essay.
It could be a famous quotation or a not-so-famous one. Identify the creator of the
quote and identify her if she is not a household name. Shakespeare is a household
name. Believe it or not, Lady Gaga is not and should be briefly identified as “androgynous
chanteuse.”
51. Try to write one sentence that is over fifty or sixty words. On second thought,
try to write two. You need to be able to write long complex sentences that are grammatically
correct and make sense.
52. Write one sentence that is no more than five words. Or two such sentences. Frequently
following a very long sentence with a short one that comments on that long sentence
is an effective way to frame a portion of your argument.
53. Use parenthetical citations correctly. See the handout on MLA citations.
54. Do a works cited at the end of your essay. Do it correctly. Do it MLA style.
55. Use at least one word incorrectly just to see if your teacher is paying attention.
56. Make the reader laugh with a joke or pun or humorous idiocy or bit of foolishness
that connects to the topic. BE SILLY.
57. Take risks. And be brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Do something different each
time you write a new essay.
58. Read your essay out loud to yourself or to someone else. If you read to your self,
try to listen as if you were a different person (conscious schizophrenia), an objective
reader trying to understand your work. Ask the people you read your essay to for their
opinions, but don’t necessarily use them. Make the final decisions about your writing
yourself.
59. Read the written words of others. Read for content, style, and form. Reflect on
how they say what they say.
60. Enjoy yourself and your reader will probably enjoy herself. Teach yourself something
as you write and the reader will probably also learn something. Avoid tight-assed
prose. Write playfully.
61. Break every rule if you feel like it, but be prepared to pay the consequences.
Dare to rebel, to risk danger, to be crazy, to find and tell the truth, even to be
clear, which is the most essential quality of any writing. Follow up that clarity
with passion and intelligence and empathy, and you have yourself the beginnings of
an extraordinary essay.
Originally from Prof. Bob Dickerson