-
Step 1
Look carefully at the rubric you have been given. Most teachers have very specific ideas about what a reflection should be. They will tell you how long it is, which topics it should cover and sometimes even how it should be organized. No matter how good your ideas are, if you do not follow the rubric, you probably will not get a good grade.
-
Step 2
Write down your thoughts about the book. Don't summarize the plot. Instead, think about one or two episodes and what they made you think of. Did they remind you of other books? Could you relate to what the character went through? What was the author trying to express, and do you think he did a good job expressing it? Start writing and don't stop until you get all of your thoughts out. You are brainstorming, so just let it flow.
-
Step 3
Look at the rubric again. Now look back at your writing. Ask yourself what you have in your writing that you could use in actually drafting the essay. Then ask yourself what pieces you are missing. Come up with a way to fill in those missing pieces while also making use of the ideas you have already written down.
-
Step 4
Write the body of your essay. You should already have it half written at this point. Take the strongest pieces of your prewriting and organize them. Specifically address the issues in the book, but also make it a personal essay. Reflections are not supposed to summarize the book but rather use it as a jumping-off point to examine deeper issues of life, society and human nature. Your essay should show that you understand the book but also that you can think creatively and relate it to your own life.
-
Step 5
Write the introduction. Your introduction should make the connection between the book and your own life. You can start with either as long as you show how they are related, leading into the body of your essay. Some teachers require you to mention the title and author of the book in the introduction, so follow all the instructions in the rubric.
-
Step 6
Write a conclusion. In a reflective essay, and the conclusion should create a feeling of poignancy. You want to relate what you're talking about to your reader. You are telling a story, and you have already gotten the reader's attention at this point. Give him a satisfying ending that relates back to the book, and perhaps to his own experiences.
