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Step 1
Engaging essays should start with the experiences of the writer. First, think about something in your life that, when is occurred, left you with strong feelings. Those feelings can be positive (surprise, delight, an a-ha moment), or negative (dismay, fear, sadness). Sketch out a list of the feelings, but don't attempt at this point to write down anything in sentence form.
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Step 2
Make a list with these headings: time, place, setting. List the time in your life (childhood, high school) and jot down a few sentences that describe that time. For example, if you choose an experience from childhood, you might find yourself writing something like this: "I was five and we were vacationing in Florida for the first time. It was winter, but there I was in a bathing suit." The place has become Florida, so next write a few things about that. You could write of the warmth of the breeze, or the lizards that scuttle across the sidewalk or the large leaves on the tropical plants that you remember. Finally, address the setting. Where were you staying? Why do you remember this? If you recall a walkway under the road between the beach and your motel, describe what it was like for the reader.
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Step 3
Begin writing anything you can think of that related to your notes about time, place and setting. Don't worry if your sentences are choppy or your thoughts are out of order. This is the step where you expand on the simple ideas and memories you have jotted down in your notes.
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Step 4
When you are done with Step 3, it is time to go back and make your prose pretty. Pretty prose is, most importantly, grammatical and sensible. If you can speak in sentences (and you can) you can write a sentence. Read each sentence out loud and listen to whether it flows and is comfortable to your ear. Take it paragraph by paragraph, again concentrating on only the elements of time, place and setting.
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Step 5
In this step, you will realize that you have a story, and one that is written in sound sentences. Read the copy and arrange it so it has a beginning, a middle and an end. Going back to our example, you might find that you have told the story about when you were five, you thought you lost your parents in the tunnel underneath the road between the beach and your hotel. Make sure the story flows step by step. At the end, read it again out loud to yourself and remember your most engaging experiences make for the most engaging essays.
