How to: Write an Engaging/Interesting Essay

Let me begin by saying that this is simply an introduction to some of the basic concepts required for an engaging essay and is by no means comprehensive.  Instead, these are the qualities I have found used in my favourite prose or that I know through psychology to be effective.  These should be things that anyone can do even if they do not have an expansive vocabulary, or a strong grasp of grammar, or a talent with words.  Instead, these are techniques that any writer can keep in mind in order to enhance writing, especially in essays.  I split this post into sections so that those who need to only read parts can skim or skip entirely what they do not need while those who wish to read it all have a logical structure, each section addressing a different stage in writing: Format, Introduction, Body, Conclusion, and Revision.

The overall concept of the five paragraph essay, reliable, flexible, and straightforward.

Stage 1: Format

Public school, at least where I grew up, taught a simple  five paragraph essay format.  For those of you unfamiliar with the format, merely look to the image on the right and it should provide enough background to understand as I move forward.  The five paragraph essay is, in essence, a template onto which any essay can be grafted.  Of course lengths will vary, there is no reason to give the first argument only one paragraph or use exactly three arguments, but the template remains constant.  For those new to essay writing, I recommend using this until comfortable with their own style.

Once comfortable with your own writing style, how one thought flows into another, what kind of support you use, the length and rhythm of your sentences, vocabulary, and how you approach the reader, start experimenting.  There are formats which interrupt between arguments to answer criticism or which present arguments in tandem, but for the most part I want to focus on the essay as more of a discussion.

I want you, the reader of this, to think back to a time where you kept talking and talking about something.  You were passionate about it, you had something to say and felt it vitally important to say.  Perhaps you were talking about sports, teaching your children a life lesson, persuading your significant other that you are right (as always), or even something as mundane as telling a friend about an amazing, or abysmal, restaurant you went to.  If you can remember having done something to that effect, where you spoke for minutes with minimal feedback from your audience, whoever it might have been, then you can write an essay.

The problem with the five paragraph essay is that it is clearly designed for academia.  It screams “I’m an essay!” to anyone who reads it, and not in a good way.  Instead, try to draw upon that conversational approach you use in life all the time.  Certainly, polish it for presentation purposes, but the ideal essay format is much more a discussion.  It starts with one idea and that idea’s importance then moves through a river of ideas, each drawing upon the one before it and leading inexorably to the one after it until all the ideas come together into your fully realized and expanded message.  Remember that, more than anything else, essays are supposed to communicate a message.

This approach succeeds where the five paragraph format fails simply because it is a flow of consciousness.  Reading a five paragraph essay feels like being lectured but reading a discussion-based essay feels like a conversation, even though it is clearly not.  By all means, write two essays on the same subject: one as the five paragraph essay and the other as a discussion and judge for yourself, or ask a friend to judge for you.

Stage 2: Introduction

Click the image for additional tips on starting any kind of writing.

Under either format, you have to start somewhere, and that is usually the hardest part.  Some would recommend simply doing the introduction last, and there is merit in that approach, but I recommend against it for two reasons.  First is that having the introduction first is you, as a writer, dedicating yourself to a train of thought even if later on you decide to change it.  Second is that an introduction capable of drawing in a reader will also propel you into the heart of the essay.  It is easy to do the introduction last in the five paragraph format, and it is a worthwhile strategy to attempt, but it can also frequently lead to a feeling of disconnect for the reader.  An introduction that does not lead naturally into the body of the essay is liable to lose a reader as quickly as an introduction that does not get their interest.

So what makes a good introduction?  Although it varies based on your style and approach to the particular essay in question, generally the introduction gives a some background for the reader.  As a rule of thumb, the introduction should pull the reader into the essay and say why it matters as well as what you will be talking about.  How you do this is entirely up to you.  Sometimes it is safe to assume reader interest, such as some controversial topics or when you anticipate only an interested audience being exposed to your writing (as I have with this particular post).

The thesis, a vital part of any introduction, is also tricky to do well.  This is because you have to strike that delicate balance between adequate forecast but without over-telling.  A good thesis lets the reader know specifically what your point is in brief.  You want them to know what to be looking for as your overarching message even as you lend support to your message through the body.  A thesis is extremely helpful in giving your essay flow and cohesion if done properly.  A poorly done thesis, on the other hand, stops an otherwise wonderful introduction in its tracks.  Always make sure it fits with the rest of your paragraph.  If it doesn’t, consider rewriting the thesis, the sentences around it, or perhaps even the entire paragraph.

Stage 3: Body

The body is the most straightforward section of any given essay, but also the most prone to losing interest.  There are a few different problems that can arise, some of which are sometimes fundamental difficulties in someone’s writing style.

Calvin and Hobbes on essays- What not to do!

Magniloquence- Some people like to use big words, and I will admit to being among them. However, it is important to remember two things about vocabulary.  The first is that not everyone has the same vocabulary and that if you use an uncommon word it has to have sufficient context for the reader to figure out what it means.  The second is that using words with more syllables than necessary to convey your message bogs down the reader.  Academia is notorious for this kind of error, you practically need to be an English major to decipher any ‘properly academic’ writing.  Esoteric words offer a precision that most common words lack, but every word has to be chosen to ensure your point is conveyed properly.  As always, remember that the point of an essay is to convey a message.

Repetition- Repetition is a difficult literary device to use effectively.  In most cases, it results in the impression that you as the author are not saying anything of worth.  Or, even if you are, that you are taking far longer to say it than necessary.  By all means, indulge in parallel structure and limited repetition, they make for more interesting prose.  However, also carefully avoid using the same word or expression too many times, lest it lose its significance.  This includes sentence structure.  If all your sentences look the same it is almost as bad as using the same word five times in two sentences.

Paragraph divisions- This is one of the hardest parts of writing an essay, breaking from one idea and moving onto the next.  No, I am not talking about transitions (although they are very important), but simply the size of paragraphs.  A paragraph that is too small sticks out in an essay, for better or for worst.  A paragraph that is too large will cause the reader’s eyes to bleed just looking at it, if not scare them off outright.  The larger a paragraph, the more easily a reader gets lost in it.  I have found that paragraphs of around 100 words each are a good size.  Large enough to reach a natural point to move on but also small enough to not be intimidating.  Up to this point, these paragraphs average just a little over 100 words each.

Poetic devices- By all means, make your prose poetic where you can.  It is far more interesting than the analytical text typical of academia.  That being said, be very careful when using it.  Too much poetry and you lose the focus and credibility that analytical prose brings.  You have to introduce it sparingly and carefully, when describing something dramatic.  Used judiciously, poetic elements in the prose can keep the reader actively paying attention instead of just reading through with their mind on everything but what you are trying to communicate.

Quotes- First, a note of the utmost importance: Cite your sources!!  I can not begin to stress how important it is that you give credit to those whose ideas and quotes you use.  Punishment aside, it improves your credibility if you have a clear indicator of what material is yours and what is not.  The difficult part about using quotes is using them sparingly enough that the essay is still your work but also often enough to lend support wherever necessary.  What I have found is that using smaller quotes to support the point you just made is more effective than introducing the quote then your point after it.  If your ideas come first then the quotes are seen for what they should be: support.

Person and tense- Of the most technical pitfalls an essay writer can encounter, the two most likely are errors in person and tense.  Errors in person are errors where the essay slips into the first person “I, me, us, we” or second person “you, yours”.  In informal essays this can be acceptable, but the more formal the writing the less permitted it is.  Always remain in third person “he, she, it, they”, use the passive voice if necessary to avoid second person.  There is also the issue of changing tense.  This happens whenever the essay shifts from past, to present or future, or visa versa.  This can throw off the reader and rob the essay of its continuity.

Stage 4: Conclusion

The conclusion is where, if the rest of the essay is logically or naturally constructed, all your thoughts flow into one cohesive message.  If you have been writing to persuade, you restate your point.  If you have been writing to analyse, all the aspects of your analysis should come together in this paragraph.  No matter what your subject or intent, the entire essay should lead to your conclusion and your conclusion should be the core of whatever you were talking about.  More than just restate your focus, a good conclusion will leave the reader with the desire for more, be it action, information, or just your writing.  The introduction and conclusion will be those parts most remembered by your audience, so make sure you have the reader leaving with what you want them to leave with.

Stage 5: Revision

Editing is the most important part of any essay.  If you write an essay and do not read over it for errors or possible improvements, you have not done the best work you could, or even necessarily good work (depending on how much natural talent you have).  Always read over what you write to make sure it flows the way you want it to, conveys the message you want it to, and is interesting.  Failing to look over and at least consider revisions is one of the most frequent pitfalls of any essay writer.  It is so easy and so tempting to simply write it and be done, but doing that robs you of the chance to make possibly vital improvements.

 

I promise, the last time I will say this in this post:

A good essay communicates a point clearly and effectively, and how you accomplish that is entirely up to you.