The Secret to Writing "A+" Essays

Why do some students excel at writing essays while others do not? Simple, they know the formula. I will take through this formula in detail as I explain the importance of knowing your audience, preparing for the assignment, engaging your material, organizing your material, writing, and revising. Once you understand the process of finding a suitable topic and carrying your idea through from inception to completion, you too can write "A+" essays.

First, know your audience. Just like politicians, some professors are conservative and some are liberal.

Conservative professors are very concerned with the traditional essay structure, the use of Standard English, and supporting citations published in scholarly journals.

Liberal professors are often swayed by the originality of the content; generally they won't mind a logical deviation from the traditional structure. If it's a personal essay, they may encourage the use of your own "voice." With research papers, they may encourage you to disagree with scholarly opinions as long as you present enough evidence to support your case.

And of course, there are the moderates who may tolerate a little deviation from traditional rules as long as you've previously established that you understand them.

How do you figure out which kind of professor you have? Read the syllabus. Most professors will clearly indicate their expectations. Conservative professors will often give you a lot of direction on the format of your essay. Liberal professors are often intentionally vague to allow for surprises.

Next, listen carefully to lectures. Does your professor prefer writers who have mastered form, or who rebelled against it? Pay attention to their response to student discussions. Does your professor tend to agree more with comments that support the traditional interpretation of material, or is she excited buy new and different opinions.

Finally, if anyone you know has already taken a course with that professor. Ask if you can see their graded essays. Along with the final grade, the professor's comments and corrections can give you a better idea of what he is looking for.

Once you've become acquainted with your audience, you will be able to proceed with the end in mind. If you have a conservative professor, any deviation from traditional structure, Standard English, and scholarly opinion may get you penalized. A liberal professor, on the other hand, may see a conservative paper as dull and may not give you the highest mark possible. If in doubt, it's best to go conservative until you get some indication that your creativity will be appreciated.

Evaluating your "audience" should begin on the first day of class. By the time you receive your first assignment, you should have a pretty good idea who you're writing for. Now it's time to think about what you'll write about. First, you need to get the creative juices flowing.

If it's a personal essay, spend some time jogging your memory. Pull out old photos, talk to people who've known you for a while, find old journals or diaries, anything that will help you recall the details.

When writing a research paper, become a specialist. Beginning with a broad perspective will lead to an essay filled with generalizations. These essays never score well. But if, for example, you're faced with a literary essay, become familiar with the different forms of literary criticism. Find a school of criticism that intrigues you and use that information as your focus when you begin your reading assignment. An "A+" essay is always specific. Being specialized on certain topics will allow you to read with a critical eye.

After preparing yourself for the topic, engage the material. When writing a personal essay, you need to challenge your own memories. Life doesn't happen in a convenient narrative arc, so you'll need to create one. Search your memory for interrelated episodes. Establish a clear connection: cause and effect, conflict and resolution, what you knew then and what you know now. This is a good time to utilize mind mapping.

With a research paper, become interactive with the reading. Underline passages, draw arrows, circle words, and write questions or comments in the margins. As you do this, a hypothesis will begin to form in your mind and it will be easier to locate passages later. When writing a research paper, back up your hypothesis with solid research. This DOES NOT include chap notes or on-line encyclopedias. They may be useful in giving you ideas, but NEVER use them as a reference source. You can use mind mapping to start tying your own ideas and your research together.

Once you've engage your material, it's time to organize. I admit, as an undergraduate, I often wrote without an outline. I can tell you from personal experience that this method leads to writing that circles around a subject instead of hitting it head on. Your professor doesn't have time for the scenic route (even if it increases you word count). Like any reader, she wants a clear, concise message. The best way to do this is to create an outline.

Creating an outline for a personal essay is very important. Listen to any conversation and you'll hear the gradual evolution of the discussion. During a conversation we wander from topic to topic, verbalizing whatever comes to mind next. An essay, no matter how personal, should have a specific destination. You may have a fascinating story about Aunt Marge, but if it doesn't clearly enhance the narrative, save it for another day. Using an outline will create a clear chain of events that will keep you on track.

When creating an outline for a research paper, keep your basic essay structure in mind. You should have an introduction (which includes your thesis), three supporting arguments (with ample evidence for each one), and a conclusion (where you sum up how the supporting arguments prove your point).

Now that you've developed your idea and organized your resources, it's finally time to write. Believe it or not, you've already done most of the work. You've got your material mapped out and your outline will serve as the framework. Now you just have to talk your reader through it.

Even though you may view your professor as an expert, assume they know nothing about your topic. You want to take your reader on a step by step voyage. Transitions are very important in an essay. Don't jump from one topic to another. Lead your reader there, open your next paragraph with an idea expressed at the closing of the previous paragraph. Watch the evening news and listen to how they seamlessly transition from one news story to another.

Help the reader see how you came to your conclusions. Try to anticipate objections to your argument so you can remove those obstacles with your own evidence. Be clear and concise. Don't try to meet your page requirement by using six words to express what can be said in two. "A+" essays are content driven. Every sentence takes you somewhere. Each phrase is important. But don't worry about achieving perfection the first time around. After all, this is the rough draft.

It's important to give yourself enough time for revisions. What may have sounded great at two o'clock in the morning might not sound so good the next day. After you write your rough draft, set it aside for a day or two. The brain has an awesome ability to self-correct grammatical errors, making it difficult to see your own mistakes. Setting your work aside and coming back to it fresh increases the chances you'll view it more objectively. Although tools like spell check and grammar check are great. Don't rely on them exclusively. Make sure you have the right word for the context. Team up with a classmate and proofread each other's work.

Finally, make sure you follow your professors formatting instructions very carefully. You've put so much effort into your paper it would be shame to lose points because your MLA citation was incorrect.

With a little practice and the application of this essay formula, you'll soon be writing "A+" essay.