GENERAL TIPS FOR WRITING A SUCCESSFUL ESSAY

Ø      You MUST have a THESIS. From the Greek, thesis literally means POSITION. This means your thesis must make a clear and effective argument (take a position on something). In a literary essay your thesis can persuade the reader of the validity of your analysis. But you still have to state your specific insight, interpretation or analysis of the work very clearly and boldly in the first paragraph, and then you need to spend the rest of the paper demonstrating (or proving) your thesis, with specific discussion/analysis of passages and strategic use of quotes from your research.

Ø      YOU MUST CITE correctly all sources of outside information. Your citation should be in standard MLA or similar format. Mechanical mistakes in citations will detract from the overall grade you receive on the final draft.

Ø      Be sure your interpretation / analysis / argument is logical and convincing. Remember if it doesn’t make sense to you it probably won’t make sense to your reader.

Ø      Your ideas should be organized in a logical and convincing fashion. For instance think about putting your strongest examples first, or arrange your ideas in order of ascending importance.

Ø      All paragraphs should support the thesis statement. If you don’t know why a paragraph is there or if you can’t show how it supports the thesis, then cut it out (or change your thesis to accommodate that paragraph). Also, be sure to make clear how the details you give actually connect to / support your thesis. Don’t assume that if something is clear to you it will be clear to your reader. Explain each stage in your thinking. Step back and analyze your own writing objectively to make sure it communicates the whole argument / analysis clearly and effectively.

Ø      Write sentences that show the connections between supporting details and your thesis. For example, if your thesis is that Flannery O’Connor’s work is not bitter in spite of her often dark subject matter and you just analyzed a passage from the story that shows this, be sure to include a sentence or two after your analysis tying it back to the thesis, as follows: “The situational irony of Hulga being duped because of her faith in the boy’s goodness lends the story a humorous edge that keeps the reader from taking her situation too seriously or grimly. Thus O’Connor uses humor and irony in her stories as central elements that alleviate a potential cynicism that bitterness relies upon. She is not dwelling on the ugliness of the situation, but humorously on Hulga’s own hypocrisy.” These several sentences show a PARTIAL discussion that might only be based on a line or two from O’Connor’s story. Show connections between each stage of your thinking.

Ø      Your interpretation / analysis (i.e., your ideas) should be the central focus of your essay. Only use outside information (required sources) to support or demonstrate your ideas. Do not overuse quotes, facts, expert testimony, etc. Long quotes are rarely necessary and instead tend to show your attempt hide your own confusion or lack of willingness to write your own analysis.

Ø      Keep your essay interesting. Work on a topic that you enjoy and find stimulating, and about which you really have something important to share. Be sure your topic is useful and interesting to you and then try to maintain that enthusiasm throughout the essay.

Ø      Keep your essay as CLEAR, SIMPLE, and STRAIGHTFORWARD as possible. Do not try to sound fancy or complicated. Bigger words are only better if they are the best possible words for what you are trying to say. If you don’t understand a word or phrase you are using, neither will your reader. Write in language that is comfortable for you. Remember that writing is about communication. If you communicate your ideas effectively and follow these other rules, you will not be graded down because your language is “too easy.” Simple can be the most beautiful, as long as it is effective.

Ø      Proofread carefully. Incorrect grammar, spelling and mechanics do detract from your overall message and make it seem as though you don’t care enough about your work to do your best.

Ø      Writing is a PROCESS. Always be willing to consider your essay a work in progress that can be revised, edited, changed, updated, and improved. Be open minded, flexible and honest in your revisions and self-appraisal.

Ø      Length is less important than QUALITY of your argument. It may be possible to make an effective and well-developed argument in fewer words than are required. But you might need more space to develop your argument. The important thing is that you make your point and prove it with developed, well-analyzed examples and key research sources. Talk to us if you are in doubt.