Write A good paper How to write A great essay about anything

There is an assumption in the world This essay is something literary you write for school about a topic so no one but Your teacher would ever care about. At first glance, the dictionary does nothing to allay this sense. The very first definition is of ' a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and gener Ally Analytic, speculative, or interpretative. "

The reality, if any of you has read a blog recently, is this essays can be much more than that. They can anything really. And here, the dictionary comes to our aid. The second definition of an essay is "anything resembling such a composition." So really, essays is written compositions about anything.

Unfortunately, they can also be annoying, tedious and obnoxious. Whether It's a high school essay, a college the paper or even an important office memo at your new job, at any given Moment chances is you ' d probably rather isn't be doing it. And the fact that you had to does it just adds to the misery.

The stress of it all have twenty different things going on your head at Once:where to start? What does I write about? How does I keep the momentum? What's about pacing? I need a good grade, or a promotion, with a RAISE, a lot are riding on this!

Calm yourself. Writing the perfect paper, the kickass memo, the stellar essay-about Anything-is not only possible, it's easy.

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An essay are a lot like a military operation. It takes discipline, foresight, I, strategy, and, if do right, ends in total victory. That's why I stole my formula from a ancient military tactic, invented by the Spartans (the guys in the movie 300). This tactic is a favorite of great generals like Brasidas and Xenophon (an actual student of Socrates) and is deployed s Uccessfully in combat countless times. I Figure:if This one trick can protect a ten Thousand-man march through hostile territory, country after country, it can Probably work for something as silly and temporary as a paper or an essay.

We ' re going to use this tactic as a metaphor-also a great term-to-use with our essays-for the structural elements of our Essay. It'll allow us to forget your teacher ' s boring prompt. Forget "Commentary/concrete detail/commentary/concrete Detail" and all that nonsense.

Here's Xenophon talking about this tactic in his anabasis:

It would is safer for us to march with the hoplites forming a hollow square, so, the baggage and the general crowd Wou LD is more secure inside. If, then, we is told now who should is in the front of the square and who organize the leading detachments, and who Shoul D is on the flanks, and the should is responsible for the rear.

Basically, their tactic is this:to successfully March or retreat, the general brings he troops together in an Outwar D facing square with their supplies and wounded in the middle and the strongest troops at the front and back. As they moved away from unfavorable ground, the men would defend their side, stepping off only slightly to meet their Atta Ckers and then retreating immediately back to the safety of the shape. And thus they were completely impenetrable, able to travel fluidly as well as slowly demoralize the attacking army. As Xenophon wrote, the idea is that has prepared a hollow square in advance, "we should not has to plan [everything D Efense related] When the enemy was approaching but could immediately make use of those who has been specially detailed for The job. "

My method works the same. Consider your introduction as the creator of the shape, and then the following paragraphs making to each side. They venture outwards when called to, but never abandon the safety of the formation entirely. It is a process of constant realignment, maintaining the square at all. In terms of "writing," need-only to create a handful of original sentences for the entire essay:a thesis, a theme, a Mini-thesis that begins each paragraph and a concluding sentence that says what it all means. Everything else is a variation of these four sentences in some. Together they create the square, and this serves as the point of Return-much like Chuck Palahniuk ' s concept of "chorus L Ines "(see Fight Club, where, whenever the plot gets off track, he immediately comes back to something like," I am Jack's Sense of rejection "). The idea was to keep the reader protected, just the troops flowing in and out of the square kept the hollow middle, and Thu s the whole square,Safe.

Getting Started

Let's say you ' re a high school student taking 中文版 or a college student stuck in a writing-intensive core class. You ' re going to has to write a paper. It ' s just a fact of life. So instead of fighting it, let's just make it as easy as possible.

The outline I ' m about to give are simple. Essentially, the format requires just six original sentences and the rest are nothing more than reiteration and support of The ideas in those original sentences. Just like the tactics of Brasidas, you forge the rudimentary shape with the introduction and then all that's left is Defen Se-everyone (every word) knows their job.

No longer is the Professor grading your in terms of the prompt and because you has redefined the dynamic on your terms. You have taken the prompt and made it your own. By emphatically laying out your own rules and track, excellence is achieved simply by following them. The reader in the middle of the square, protected by all sides, and methodically move them forward, defending do Ubts and objections as they arise.

I ' ll go into specific examples soon, but here's a hypothetical outline for a five-page paper:

Introduction

1. Begin with a broad, conclusive hook. This would be the meta-theme of the paper. Example from a paper in the Great Gatsby: "When citizens exhibit a flagrant disregard of morality and law, Societ IES quickly crumble. "

2. Thesis. This needs to specify and codify the hook in relation to the Prompt/subject. Ex: "This atmosphere as shown in F. Scott Fitzgerald's the great gatsby-with blatant corruption and illegal activity-e Ventually seems to become all but incompatible with a meaningful incarnation of the American Dream. "

3. One sentence laying foundation for first body paragraph. (These is mini-theses for each point you'll argue.) Ex:though Gatsby was a bootlegger, he is driven by hope and love, rather than the greed that motivated he status-obsess Ed guests.

4. One sentence for second body paragraph. (Just like the sentence you Just did)

5. One sentence for third body paragraph.

6. Restate the hook and thesis into a single transition sentence into the first paragraph. "The 1920s as the epitome of excess and reactionism symbolized a sharp broke in the American tradition; One, no one seemed to mind. "

Notes/advice:some say the thesis should go at the bottom of the intro instead of the top, which I think is a huge mistake . The point of a paper are to do an assertion and then support it. You can ' t support it until you ve made it.

Body #1

1. Rewrite first body paragraph thesis.

2. Support for the mini-thesis with evidence and analysis.

3. Restate body paragraph thesis in the context of thesis as a whole.

Notes/advice:

-begin with your strongest piece of evidence

-introduce quotes/points like This:broad->specific->analysis/conclusion

-always integrate the quote, and try to incorporate analysis into the same sentence. As a general rule never use more than 5-7 of the author ' s words. Normally you can use even less: "It is Jay, who despite the corruption around him, looked forward to what is described a S an ' orgiastic the future. '

Body #2

1. Rewrite second body paragraph thesis.

2. Support Mini-thesis.

3. Restate body paragraph thesis in context of the paragraph above and thesis as whole.

Body #3

1. Rewrite third body paragraph thesis.

2. Support Mini-thesis.

3. Restate body paragraph thesis in context of the paragraph above and thesis as whole.

Conclusion

1. Restate Hook/meta-theme.

2. Specify this with restatement of thesis once more.

3. One sentence for each body paragraph, surmising its assertion.

4. One sentence for each body paragraph, surmising its assertion.

5. One sentence for each body paragraph, surmising its assertion.

6. Rewrite Hook and thesis into a conclusion sentence.

7. Last sentence must transition-a general statement about human nature. "The American dream-and any higher aspiration-requires a society this both looks forward and onwards as well as holds itself to corrective standards. "

That ' s it. Seriously. It works for a paper of words just as much as it does for one of the pages. It ' s self-generating, self-reinforcing, and self-fulfilling. Could you ask for anything better?

Just like the tactics of the Great generals, by laying out the square in advance with clear, orderly lines, you insulate Y Ourself from the chaos of improvisation. You mark the boundaries now and Don ' t has to later, and excellence are achieved simply by filling them in with your Sen Tences. Each paragraph are given a singular purpose and its only duty are fulfillment. Like I said earlier, with this structure the reader in the middle of the square, protected by all sides, and met Hodically move them forward, defending doubts and objections as they arise. And that is a great essay.

from:http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2013/05/how-to-write-a-great-essay-about-anything/

Write A good paper How to write A great essay about anything