Tips on Writing :: Literature

Tips on Writing There are many different aspects to consider when writing a paper. In order to get the reader's attention, the topic or thesis has to be of interest. Choosing a title appropriate for the essay is also important. Detail and proper structure are also important. These things combine together to make a good essay. The title of an essay is important to the way a reader views the essay. Some titles turn the reader off to the article. In the definition essay we chose, "The Value of Honesty," the title explains that the article is about honesty and that honesty is being valued. Our second essay, "Unlikely Learning," lets the reader know what the essay is about. It talks about the learning a student experiences in unexpected places. "Athenian Adventure" is a good title because the essay is full of the adventures of a day in Athens. The fourth essay we chose was a narrative, "Blue Band Emotional High." This was a good title because it explained the feeling of being chosen as a band member. We think the titles of the essays we chose were good indicators of what the essays were about. Along with capturing the reader's attention, coming up with an appropriate title and adding plenty of detail, a well-written essay has to have the proper structure. Structure consists of an introduction paragraph, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Examples of strong structure can be seen in "Blue Band Emotional High." In this essay, the writer uses a strong thesis sentence to build her body paragraphs upon. she writes, "The proudest moment of my life was when I became a member." The following body paragraphs go on to describe the rigorous practice, the suspense of waiting in the trampled field waiting for her name to be called, and then finally hearing it over the megaphone declaring her a member of the band. Without this kind of structure the essay wouldn't even be worth reading. All in all, structure is an extremely important element, if not the most important to good essay writing. A good piece of writing has to keep the audience interested and entertained. If it's hard to keep one's attention on writing, the reader won't fully comprehend it. It would be hard to have every reader interested in one's writing, so one should appeal to a certain audience.