does anyone have tips on writing essays ?

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Tips on writing essays
I have AS and ADD, (actually I was originally diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disability and I guess still carry that diagnosis.) I wonder if anyone has tips for me on how to apply myself to writing assigned essays. This is a really big problem for me.

My mind seems to wander and I wind up doing researching other things online. I think I am too much of a perfectionist in a way also, so it impedes my ability to just freely get my ideas on paper. It seems to be worse the more narrow the subject is.

http://www.ryanholiday.net/archives/on_ ... rfec.phtml

make an outline and don't deviate unless you have a little talk with yourself about why you are doing this. that helps me, even if it makes things a little less fun.

Think of an essay as you just explaining something to someone, except written down. "Oh, how did the invention of the movable type printing press relate to the splintering of the Catholic church? Funny you ask..." An essay assignment is a question. Just find the answer.

Writing an essay topic

I used to have trouble organizing my thoughts until, after many trials and errors, figured it out. In the old days we had to start researching right away becuse there was no internet or word processing (I had a 1940's typewriter and paper, and two bottles of correction fluid, as there was not even a corrector ribbon!! Later I got an electric typewriter in 1989, with the corrector ribbon, so things went faster. ). Now we can do almost everything on a computer!! Do not procrastinate.

Make sure you know the format preferred by the instructor, regarding title page, pagination, table of contents, references (including graphs, tables, illustrations) and bibliography. Understand the nature of plagiarizing (taking someone else's ideas or even an essay as your own without documentation). Make sure you indent paragraphs. Check spelling, grammar, punctuation and the sentence structure to ensure that all the sentences and paragraphs are logically written and flow smoothly.

Check on line to see a skeletal format of an essay. It looks like a sheet of paper with headings such as topic sentence , Introduction, Body with numbered paragraphs, and Conclusion. The essay can be of any length (number of pages) but what I have just written is common to any essay.

Using the format above, write your topic, then state supporting ideas (these become topic sentences beginning each paragraph). The body of the essay comprises paragraphs which will expand the topic sentences, adding detail and evidence (sources or documentation) supporting your central idea. You should already have a conclusion in mind when writing the essay, which restates the idea, reviews the evidence and then you write that based on the evidence provided in the essay, your have successfully argued that your position on the topic is sound, even if the instructor does not agree with everything you write. In this part of the essay you can also provide further information to support your idea, then state that it is hoped the reader is clear about what you have written. You should also reread your essay many times and make sure you have logically progressed from the introduction to the conclusion.

If you have a documented learning disability, there should be some accommodations made. Check with your instructor.

I hope this can assist you in some way.

Last edited by sartresue on 16 Feb 2009, 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

I used to teach writing to special education students.

First of all, just brainstorm. Write down your thoughts and put them into bubbles (circle them.) Next, organize the thoughts into categories (we are good with categories!)

Come up with 3-4 categories. Then, write paragraphs with each category. When you are finished, write the introduction and conclusion, tying together the subject matter from all three paragraphs.

You'll do great!

My Politics teacher taught me a style that really worked, although depending on how your marked and your teacher's preference this may not work for you.

Paragraph 1: introduction.

Paragraph2: Your first point and its explanation; back it up with statistics, quotes from text given to you as part of the exam whatever fits, we often used general knowledge of current affairs back in politics, the examiner really marked you down if you hadn't been paying attention.

Paragraph3: A counterpoint to paragraph 2, if paragraph two is a criticism of the European Union because of their Common Agricultural Policy Paragraph 3 should praise the CAP it dosn't matter if you absolutely loath it, there must be something you think it did right, identify that and write a paragraph saying why that's good.

Repeat 2 and 3 until you have the required length, I usually had 2 sets of point counterpoint.

Finally a conclusion, this is the first place where you insert your own opinion, if I remember the conclusion was basically saying what side is right useing the points/counterpoints to explain why.

I have similar problems with procrastination and perfectionism. Here's what I've found helps:

(1) Start with a question. I find it easiest to write papers when the assignment is an actual question, i.e. "What does the whale represent in Moby Dick?" When the assignment is open-ended, i.e. "Write a 1,000-word essay on the topic of your choice, drawing from our discussions about Moby Dick", I find it much more difficult. It gives me no structure. The key is turning the assignment into a question. Brainstorm some on your own. If you have trouble, ask your teacher to help you frame a good question. Once you've done that, all you have to do is track down the answer

(2) Give yourself permission to write incoherently. The first idea you get in your head, just sit down and start typing. Type whatever connections your brain makes, in whatever form it makes them. Don't worry about grammar, punctuation, etc. Type the silly word jokes that pop into your head. The most important thing is to just keep typing. Then walk away. When you come back, you'll probably be surprised at the quality of the ideas. THEN worry about coherency.

(3) Write first; research later. I often get paralyzed by research. It takes me in too many different directions. Once you have the slightest grasp on the topic, start writing. I find that the process of writing the paper itself forces the research questions to rise to the surface. Write until a question surfaces, then research the answer. Write until another one surfaces, then research that answer. Before you know it, you have a pretty solid paper.

(4) Stare at a grammar book until it becomes second-nature. Grammar is a system, almost like math. Once you figure out the system, it can become quite automatic (and fun). The less you have to worry about grammar, the less you will be bogged down by perfectionism. And even if your thoughts are completely nonsensical, if they're grammatically impeccable, you'll trick many a reader into thinking you know what you're talking about. (Trust me, it works ... at least until graduate school)

Good luck! Trust your brain ... you know more than you give yourself credit for.

there is a lot you can do, but first and foremost you hav to allways be proving your thesis everything you write has to be driving towards your point.

and allways remember to cite and do not plagerize, that is the number one sin of essay writing.

i usually start with a hamburger paragraph and expand upon it. but you can do what ever works for you.

Sketch an outline real quick -- just topics you wanna cover. It also gives you a place to store information if you're researching.

But if your writing skills are good, then there's only one solution: Just Write. You can edit later. ... Also, before you get in the habit of writing, take a break every couple pages and let your mind wander, or get a snack and stretch your legs. Then return, review what you've wrote (and correct mistakes\grammar), and continue on.

I'm also an aspie. I had a diagnosis of NLD as a child. Experts can't agree whether is still applies.

I am strong at writing, but I sometimes find it difficult to get myself started on a task. Often, because I'm a verbal person, I will discuss the topic with someone to get myself interested in it before I start writing. This gets me interested enough to focus.

Doing brainstorms and outlines in MS word also helps.

I'm a pefectionist as well and I also sometimes find it hard to word what I want to say in my essays. I'm a lot better now and what I do is figure out a good structure (Intro, main, main, conclusion etc) and basically I just write and try not to think too much. Then once I know that the structure and grammer is good I keep going over it and perfect it.

My problem with writing is that my brain just writes what it wants to and I am horrible when it comes to organizing my ideas. I just write and could probably write my own biography just going back and forth

But I am seriously scared stiff because my school requires me to take an writing exit exam before I graduate, and I MUST PASS!
I am not a great writer, and I pray they don't hold my degree just because of that!

Again, I just write. I hate outlines....I try to organize it after I am done. Unfortuantely, by then the words could almost go anywhere in
the paper

Just organize your thoughts before you write, it can take up to 30 minutes or so, but when that's done, you'll hardly need an outline, or a rough draft. At least that's how i do my essays ^^;

Similar to waht has been mentioned as above, this is how I structure an essay.
I go with usually three parts, sometimes two or four. i usually target three and do it in the following manner...

1st paragraph (150 - 200 words)
[intro sentence][two to three sentences to describe what I will talk about in the essay][last sentence, transition sentence to lead into the second paragraph]

2nd paragraph (200-350 words)
[three to six sentences, first sentence being topic #1 and the remainder being two or three supporting points for the #1 topic][last sentence leads into the next paragraph]

3rd paragraph (200-350 words)
[three to six sentences, first sentence being topic #2 and the remainder being two or three supporting points for the #2 topic][last sentence leads into the next paragraph]

4th paragraph (200-350 words)
[three to six sentences, first sentence being topic #3 and the remainder being two or three supporting points for the #3 topic][last sentence lead into the next paragraph]

5th and final paragraph (~120-200 words)
[summary of what was said in 2nd to the 4th paragraphs in 3-6 sentences. Might be a contrast/comparision format as well][last 1 or 2 sentences as a conclusion, final result or main point established, etc...]

I write essays in a plain text editor using LaTeX. It allows me to focus on document structure and what I'm trying to get across, and I don't have to worry about the looks of a document (that part is taken care of by the compiler programed by expert document designers).

I have no preplaned structure (generally). I go with whatever feels right while I'm writing, as I can always add a section, or subsection, or subsubsection, or even a subsubsubsection where I happen to need it.

Another nice feature is that you can have comments and anotations in the document that don't show up in the compiled-for-print version.