How to Write an Essay - Writing a Rough Draft

Choose a place to write where your concentration won't be interrupted.

Learning to write a rough draft of an essay is a skill that will serve you well throughout your education and into your chosen career. The purpose of a rough draft is to organize your writing and research to frame a presentation on a topic that will educate, entertain or inspire your target audience. Think of your rough draft as the blueprint for a house you want to build. The more time and care you put into giving your essay a strong foundation and a well-defined structure, the easier it will be to add finishing touches to the final product.

Things You'll Need

• Index cards

Instructions

1. Choose an essay topic that is exciting to you. This can either be something you already know well -- sports, family life, ballet -- or something you have always been interested in studying. If you are assigned an essay topic by your instructor, look for an unusual slant. For example, if your assignment is to write about a Civil War hero, instead of gravitating to well-known generals on either side, consider the fact that dogs were used as regiment mascots, messengers, trackers and camp guards by Confederate and Yankee soldiers.

2. Make a list of everything you know about your essay topic. In the example about dogs, you probably know that their sense of smell and sense of hearing are superior to humans'. They're fast, they're strong, they can be trained to follow commands, and small breeds can slip into tiny places. Make a second list of what you need to research to supplement your existing knowledge. Examples might include: types of breeds, history of dogs used in combat, significant accomplishments, number of casualties.

3. Assemble all of your reference books and notes before you start writing. If you have to keep running to the library or looking up information on the Internet, it could break your concentration and interrupt the flow of your writing.

4. Identify key points you want to cover in your essay. Jot down each point on a separate index card. Arrange the cards in a logical and cohesive order. For example, you can: start with simple concepts first, then move toward those that are more complex; group similar elements together; or list events chronologically.

5. Create a five-part outline that includes an introduction and a conclusion or summary. Divide the main body of your essay into three sections, and give each one a subtitle. For example:

   History of War Dogs

   Training and Duties

   Canine Heroes

   Refer to your index cards to parse the information you have researched into the appropriate sections.

6. Expand each section of your outline into full paragraphs using layers of detail from your research notes. Write transitional phrases that will smoothly lead your readers from one idea to the next. Constantly evaluate the relevance of your content to your essay's core theme so you don't stray off-course. Have others read your rough draft to ascertain whether any additional information is needed before you proceed to turn it into a polished paper for submission.

Tips & Warnings

• Maintain a running list of titles, authors, publishers and page numbers that you use in your essay. This is much easier than trying to remember which reference book contained the information you cited.

• Resist the temptation to edit your essay while you are in the middle of writing it. Say everything you want to say, then go back and review what needs to be expanded, deleted or corrected. This editing process also includes checking your spelling, grammar and syntax.

References

• "How to Write Essays: A Step-By-Step Guide for All Levels, with Sample Essays"; Don Shiach; 2009
• "How to Write Better Essays"; Bryan Greetham; 2008
• "Essay Writing for High School Students: A Step-by-Step Guide"; Newsweek Education Program and Kaplan; 2006
• "Essay Writing for High School Students"; Peterson's; 2005