Writing essays - tip#1

I just thought of a good way to go about writing your essay:

1. start with posing your questions. Define clear goal, as precise as possible, as to what you will research and write about (and what not).


2. After you've read half of the shit load of literature you're going to read in too short a time, re-visit your essay plan and try not to re-formulate the questions, but rather add to them. Try to get speciffic questions down on paper. What would you as a reader like to know about the topic? In what order? Yes, OK, I get that, but what about this? (Alternatively, OK, I get this, but what about that?)


3. Read more articles, but be mindful of the living force as well, i.e., write down ALL the references.
   A good idea would be to keep a separate document (or just use your paper/article with your scratches and notes on it) and add the parts of the text you find interesting, highlight (by chance, colour code by and for the different topic/part of your essay) and add your comments.


4. Revisit your questions, add some if necessary. (At the end you'll probably have to cut your essay by a third anyway, so don't worry.)


5. Write, with answering the specific questions in your essay draft. The beauty of it is that you don't necessarily need to do it in order, since the questions are already in order.

Eat, drink plenty and have some healthy exercise inbetween. Have fun, and listen to the midiclorians (er ... your inner ironic/comic, too-tired self). Put some music on.

Happy hunting.

P.S.: Read your essay before you hand it in. (And after you've read it, went to sleep and read it again the next day.)