A lot of people believe that essay writing is just another type of writing which focuses specifically on essays. While this is true, it is an oversimplification of the art of essay writing. Essays are not just assignments students complete at school – they can be pieces of art. Here’s everything you didn’t know about that art and craft of essay writing.
What Is Essay Writing?
The word “essay” comes from the Latin word “exagium” which can be roughly translated to “presenting one’s case”. In this regard, essays are about presenting ideas, discussing a topic, and sharing your perspective on something. An essay is a short piece of writing that presents points supporting one, two, or multiple sides of the argument or shares someone’s experiences or stories.
Essays are generally quite personalized, but there are different formats and types of essays you can write. At the most basic level, the structure of an essay consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Your audience could consist of just your professor, but you could also be writing essays that are published in professional magazines or online journals.
Is It Difficult to Write Essays?
Most people who have never written an essay before are usually worried about the difficulty of the task. Aren’t essays supposed to be complex texts? Don’t you need to have special skills to be able to write essays? Well, it depends on the kind of essay you want to write. However, you can probably write a decent essay on your first try as long as you don’t try to do something overly complex.
Students in middle school get assignments to write essays, so why not start with an essay like that? As you develop your essay-writing skills, you will be able to write essays at the high school level and then at the university level. Perhaps you want to get your essays published in a magazine – in that case, check what types of essays get published there.
One of the best things you can do as a beginner attempting to write your first essay is get in touch with a professional who can guide you. You can contact the writing agency Trust My Paper and find an expert essay writer who will explain to you how to write your essay, what to pay attention to, and so on.
What Types of Essays Are There?
So, what types of essays are there? You already have an idea of the complexity level an essay can have, but it is also necessary to keep in mind that essays can pursue different goals which is why there are different types of them:
- Narrative – This type of essay includes a narration of the events that happened with the author of the essay. Such essays are usually written in the first-person perspective. Narrative essays aim to immerse the reader in the story of the writer.
- Descriptive – As the name suggests, such essays describe a place, object, event, etc. using the different human senses to paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Descriptive essays are similar to narrative ones because they are so personal to the author, but the main difference is in the topic you choose.
- Expository – In an expository essay, the writer presents a discussion or study of a particular topic. Such essays are usually balanced with different points and counter-points, but there is no room for the writer’s own feelings. There are also subtypes of expository essays that include cause and effect essays, contrast essays, etc.
- Persuasive – Like expository essays, persuasive essays focus on a particular topic, but their aim is to persuade the reader to take the point of view of the author. You will have to present different points to support your perspective, though you can also mention some counterarguments and address them as well.
What Are the Best Practices for Writing Essays?
If you decided to write your own essay, then there are some best practices you should follow to make the most of the process and get a good result in the end. While there are many ways to write great essays, there are still some things to keep in mind if you are a beginner who is just trying your hand at essay writing:
- Get professional help with your first essay. Contact the writing service Write My Essays and find a writer who can guide you through the process. Having a mentor will be extremely helpful if you have never written an essay before.
- Follow the guidelines you already have. If you are writing an essay for school or university, then you will probably have strict requirements for it. Stick to them as closely as possible.
- Plan your essays well. Do the necessary research and make an outline to structure your thoughts. When writing your essay, don’t be afraid to deviate from that structure (but follow it as closely as possible).
- Write your essay – then edit it. Don’t mix the two processes because it will slow you down. And during the editing stage, don’t be afraid to remove parts, add new ones, or move around the ones you already wrote.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes them. The goal is to learn from them and improve. Even once you are confident in your essay writing skills, you should still aim to improve them progressively.
What Are Some Famous Essays?
To give you some inspiration for your own essay and help you get started, here is a short list of some of the most famous essays on different topics:
- Roger Ebert “Go Gentle into That Good Night”
- George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant”
- Sigmund Freud “Thoughts for the Times on War and Death”
- Susan Sontag “Against Interpretation”
- Margaret Atwood “Attitude”
- Edward Said “Reflections on Exile”
- Albert Camus “The Minotaur (or, The Stop in Oran)”
Wrapping Up
As you can see, writing essays is not just about creating the essays themselves. It’s about presenting new and innovative ideas, discussing an interesting topic, or sharing your experiences. There are many ways to write a good essay, so if you want to write one yourself, use the tips in this article to get started and begin writing high-quality essays.
