Brainstorm
A good essay starts with good planning. Whether or not you are responding to a prompt, decide what type of essay you are writing. For example, you may write a personal essay, a persuasive essay or an analytical essay. Each form requires a specific tone and strategy, so identify yours early.Brainstorm ideas related to your topic and decide on your thesis statement, a summarizing statement of purpose. For example, if you are writing a persuasive essay about why your school district should provide daycare for teachers and school staff, your thesis might be: "Lupine School District should provide daycare because it will aid in teacher retention, enable school personnel to work more flexible hours and provide a stable location for preschool age children to socialize."
Structure
Once you have identified your thesis, outline your essay's structure. A common structure is the "five-paragraph essay" consisting of an introductory or thesis paragraph, three illustrative or example paragraphs and a conclusion paragraph. Many essays are longer or shorter than five paragraphs, but the basic structure is a useful model for organizing any essay. In your outline, note which aspect of your thesis each example paragraph will address. It is best to address examples in the order they appear in your introductory paragraph.Once your plan is complete, it is time to write your essay. Follow your outline, expanding on each paragraph's notes with complete sentences.
Your first paragraph's goals are to grab your reader's attention and show him what he can expect from your essay. Start with a relevant anecdote, question, statistic or quote. Provide some background information on your topic, and finish your introduction with your thesis statement. A good essay's introduction will usually have at least three sentences.
Your example paragraphs, the second through fourth paragraphs in the five-paragraph model, comprise the "body" of your essay. Each should provide one sentence addressing an aspect of your thesis. This sentence is your topic sentence, and each topic sentence should be followed by two to three sentences supporting it with facts or ideas. In the daycare example, your first paragraph would discuss a daycare's potential to support teacher retention, perhaps referencing studies or statistics to support your claim.
A good essay flows well, so join paragraphs with connecting phrases or sentences. For the daycare example, the third paragraph might begin: "Beyond simply retaining teachers, a daycare would enable school personnel to work more flexible hours."
The conclusion paragraph will briefly summarize your essay and reference your thesis, but a good essay will take the conclusion further. Say something fresh or forward looking to leave your reader thinking about your topic long after she stops reading.
Revision
Author James Michener once said, "I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter" (see Reference 2). Revision is the secret to writing well. After you have written your complete draft, you are ready to revise. Edit with a pen or a word processing program while reading your essay at least three times. For your first read, mark spelling, grammar or style issues. Be sure your verb tenses are consistent, as well as your point of view. For your second read, cross out any redundant, wordy or tangential statements. When you can say something with fewer words, do. Finally, read your essay aloud, listening for the flow between sentences and paragraphs. Note whether any words or sentences cause you to stumble. If so, it is likely that those spots need revision.Once you have marked every weakness in your essay, rewrite it. After revising, ask one or more people to proofread it for you. Choose readers whose writing you respect, who understand your essay's goals and who will be sensitive and honest in their feedback. Use the feedback you find useful and rewrite again.
Tips
Be sure your essay has an appropriate title and that it is formatted according to any predetermined guidelines your intended audience requires. For example, college essays in the humanities tend to use MLA style guidelines, while essays for newspapers tend to use AP guidelines. Be sure to credit all sources and to avoid plagiarism.Source: http://www.ehow.com/way_5372827_ways-write-good-essay.html
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