Help me Write an Essay!

So many students struggle with essay writing and yet once they begin the process they find it was nearly as difficult as they thought. Oftentimes the greatest obstacle is a mental block and once that block is discovered and resolved, the rest is easy. Different people experience different kinds of mental block. Some can’t begin the writing process, some are stumped when it comes to research, some can’t find the right topic and some struggle with spelling, grammar and syntax. All of these problems are easily overcome.

Help me write an essay – I don’t know where to start!

This is easily the most common complaint and it is all about simply putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you are struggling with where to begin and you have your laptop in front of you, it may in fact help to switch to pen and paper. There is simply more scope for mind mapping on a blank page where you can easily create lines and circles. So do it! Start by taking any idea options even if they seem absurd or not quite right. Before you know it, you have begun writing. Now start typing.

Help me write an essay – I don’t know where to research!

Research has changed dramatically with the advent of the internet. Even if you don’t (or can’t) do all of your researching online the internet offers an easy place to start. Sources need to be credible so don’t waste your time with a broad Google search. Rather go straight to Google Scholar which you will find under “More” search options. Here you can select all scholarly articles, patents, etc., or you can refine the search. Either way you will be offered reams of articles about your subject. Use these articles as a starting point to refine your topic and your search. From here, you can use Google Books, SparkNotes and the library. As with these other problems, just starting is often the greatest challenge.

Help me write an essay – I can’t think of a topic!

As with “Help me write an essay – I don’t know where to start!” begin with a mind map. Write a word in the center of a page and then start writing words around that word, whatever comes to mind is fine. Just write and write until you’ve exhausted your ideas and then write words off the outer circle of words. Not only will you find the seeds of some ideas but you will also find that some of those seeds begin to take root and form theses that are more comprehensive.

Help me write an essay – I’m no good with spelling, grammar and syntax!

Believe it or not, this is the easiest problem to solve. Modern word processing has come a long way in identifying grammar and spelling issues. If your program isn’t giving you all the information you need in a spell check the solution may be as simple as changing your review settings. Find your options menu, go to proofing and tick all the boxes you need. When you do a spell check, the computer will not only check your spelling but also offer advice and suggestions for how to improve the prose, fragmented sentences and passive sentences. All of these tools will help to tighten your prose. If you really aren’t sure about the result, it is possible to have your paper professionally proofread or even re-written with your ideas and evidence at relatively low cost.

Remember the old adage, “The difference between a writer and someone who wants to write is, A writer writes.”