How To… Start That Essay

Have an essay to write with a set word count, but don’t know where to begin? Or perhaps you have already started and have realised you have now run out of things to say. Here are some tips to help get you started.

Make a plan

Before you have even sat down to write your essay make a detailed plan. Think about the topics you wish to explore and then within those the sub-topics you want to discuss and make bullet points or a mind map for each one. Once you have written your plan it’s a good idea to write your introduction and even your conclusion. The conclusion you might ask? — correct, as some actually find writing their conclusion first actually helps them to not only figure out what their opinions are on a particular topic but actually helps them to shape the essay as a whole.

Started an essay but ran out of things to say?

If you do find yourself in this situation ask yourself what other points can I make? Make sure to go away and research the various topics and arguments you can make in your essay. If need be, go back and check your plan, if there are any sub points that could be discussed or explored in more depth discuss these.

Gone over the word limit?

If you find yourself in a situation where you have actually written more than you are expected to for your word count, don’t panic. It’s actually better to write more as that way you can edit it down afterwards. The best way to approach this situation is to check whether you have repeated yourself on several occasions. Or go back through your plan and number the key points you wish to make, any points that seem less important or possibly invalid feel free to edit these out at this stage.

Useful tips:

If need be, go back and find more research material
Create a mind map linking your ideas together as this can help demonstrate how to link your essay points together