高清福利片

1. Take your time

If you鈥檝e ever left an assignment to the last minute, then you鈥檝e probably asked your friends (and Google) that critical question 鈥� how long does it take to write an essay?

While some suggest you can do it in a few hours (spoiler alert: you can鈥檛), and others say several weeks, Associate Professor Mark Byron鈥檚 answer lies somewhere in the middle.

鈥淚t depends how much background knowledge you have on the topic in question, and how conceptually challenging your essay seeks to be (and it should be as challenging as the response demands, no more and no less),鈥� he suggests. 鈥淔or a typical essay, you might take several days to read primary and secondary materials, and to take notes, and then perhaps two or three days to draft a 3000-word essay.鈥�

If you鈥檙e aiming for top marks, you鈥檒l also need to factor in plenty of time to refine your work. Henry Maher, co-winner of the 2016 Wentworth Medal,听recommends taking at least two weeks to research, and then another week to write and edit 鈥� but the longer you spend on it, the better it will be.

2. Work your angles

You鈥檝e probably noticed 鈥渙riginality鈥� in the coveted HD box of the marking rubric 鈥� but what does that actually mean? How can you write an original essay on a topic that鈥檚 already been covered by hundreds of people?听

According to Mark, originality isn鈥檛 just about covering uncharted territory. 鈥淥riginality can take on a variety of forms. It could be a new combination of existing ideas, brought together in ways that newly illuminate each of them, or perhaps a way of approaching a theme or concept that involves a new approach or methodology,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ne way of seeking out an original approach is to research existing work on a subject, and to identify where the field may lack adequate articulation.鈥�

For Henry, the key to finding an original angle lies in research and passion. 鈥淚f the author is interested, there鈥檚 a much greater chance that the audience will be engaged too,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o I begin with the area that I find most interesting, and then follow the reference trail from other articles until I have a clear picture of the current state of the literature.鈥�

Once you鈥檝e found your angle, make sure you sell it 鈥� let the reader know that you鈥檙e addressing a gap in the literature, or are making an interesting contribution to scholarly knowledge.

3. Build a rock-solid argument

Your essay will only be as strong as your argument, so make sure that every paragraph in your essay drives your point home.

To do so, Henry recommends first focusing on your ideas. 鈥淏reak those down into a series of dot-points, and then fill that out with full sentences until the essay is complete,鈥� he suggests.

鈥淒on't simply believe your own argument; rather test it with the same scepticism that you would with something you learn in a lecture or a journal,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淭his will get you ready to defend your views and to support your claims with evidence.鈥澨�

4. Edit (then edit again)

You鈥檝e reached the word count, finished your conclusion and your paragraphs seem coherent. This is often the make-or-break moment 鈥� to edit, or to just submit?

For good writers, a thorough editing stage is non-negotiable. Henry has a simple strategy that helps him overcome the temptation to submit a first draft. 鈥淚 aim to write 10 percent over the word limit, then remove the worst 10 percent from the essay.鈥�

Mark stresses the importance of considering a first draft as a 鈥減oint of testing ideas鈥�.

鈥淒iscard anything that doesn't contribute to the central argument, no matter how attached you might be to the turn of phrase or the idea,鈥� he says.

5. Find your voice

A strong and independent voice is the holy grail of essay writing, and something that you鈥檒l get better at with practice and plenty of editing.

鈥淭he best essays identify themselves by virtue of the clarity of their thought (argument structure, logical analysis) and the way the flow of ideas aligns with clarity of expression,鈥� Mark notes.

鈥淎 very good essay will do this well, but the best essays demonstrate a higher quality of independent thought, where the voice of the writer comes through, not obtrusively, but in a style that works in harmony with the material at issue in the essay.鈥�

鈥淭he production of complex ideas in elegant language can be arduous, but the final result should be satisfying and rewarding. There is room for enjoyment, even if the process feels a long way from leisure!鈥�
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