ESSAY WRITING
How to make an essay pizza
Step 1: Assemble the pizza
You need a strong foundation for your essay the same way a good pizza has strong support from its crust.
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A strong foundation for an essay is a strong understanding of the subject matter. Thus, the first step to writing a good essay is to read and research your topic. Learn everything you can. As you read news articles, publications, and other sources, keep track of what you read so you can quickly and easily reference your sources later. Consider using a spreadsheet or other chart to drop in the source citation and a blurb about what you can or will pull from that source later. Consider listing the relevant page number(s).
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If you need to write an essay about yourself, an experience, or some other subject that does not require research, create a timeline related to the topic. For example, a timeline about your proudest moment (say, winning a soccer tournament) could include a timeline of when you first started playing soccer, your losses and wins over time, different positions you've played, where you started playing soccer, and so forth.
The idea here is to (1) truly understand your topic before you begin to write, and (2) have all references ready for you to drop in your essay as you write.
If you dedicate time to this step, you will save considerable time and frustration later.
Step 2: Check the oven temp
Once you believe you have learned or created a timeline of all that you need to know, do a knowledge check.
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Grab 10 index cards. Write one question on each card. Each question should start with who, what, when, where, or why. Keep the questions broad. For example, a great question to ask yourself about any topic is, "Who cares about this subject matter?" This type of question requires you to think deep into your issue and to discern a purpose for your essay. If possible, have someone else write the questions so that you do not avoid questions you know you can't answer.
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Shuffle and stack the cards upside down in front of you. Grab a timer and set it to five minutes. Start the timer and flip over the first card. Answer that question. Keep flipping and answering questions until your five minutes is up. It's absolutely acceptable to have your spreadsheet, chart, or timeline in front of you. You'll have it handy when you start writing.
If you can talk about your subject matter for five consecutive minutes (without hesitation or breaks), you likely have all the information and comprehension you need to write a complete essay.
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If you can't talk for five minutes, it's likely because of one of the following two reasons:​
You need different questions. You may have asked yourself questions that were too specific. If you were able to answer the questions confidently but not for long, it's likely you understand the subject matter but didn't have the right questions or not enough questions. Make 5-10 more index cards with broader questions and try again.
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You need to do more research or self-reflection. If you struggled to answer the questions or were frustrated, you likely need to do more research OR you may need to understand how what you have researched comes together to make a complete thought. If the former is true, find and read additional sources or add events to your timeline. The number of additional sources or events depends on how long you were unable to talk. Consider what information you didn't have when answering the questions. Your research should focus on that missing information. If the latter is true, re-review what you researched and see if you can piece together what that information says. After more research or self-reflection, try again with the same index cards you used the first round.
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Do NOT skip this step. If you do, your pizza will fall apart later. Writer's block and frustration happen when you write without all the information and understanding you need to write a complete essay. Aim to avoid writer's block. Strategies exist for overcoming writer's block, but those strategies take time away from your essay. Choose whether you will put time into preparing to write or whether you'd prefer to put time into being frustrated. Either way, you will spend time on your essay. Think about how you want to spend that time.
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This step not only ensures you are ready to put pen to paper, but it will help you prepare for a presentation, if one will be required.
Step 3: Bake the pizza
Once you can talk aloud for five minutes on your topic, you're ready to write. Start by creating an outline to fill in. Once you have your outline, start writing inside that outline, not in a separate document. Keep going until you've met the minimum or maximum word count and your thought is complete. Keep your spreadsheet, chart, or timeline handy so that you can quickly add references to your paper as you write. Don't waste time later finding everywhere you need to add citations.
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And then, well, your essay pizza is done and ready to serve your teacher or professor. You now have an essay made with original and meaningful content, a personal touch, and authenticity that will impress your teacher or professor.