1. The Essay What Do You Remember? Let's Review...

2. Start at the End Goal To Defend/Justify, Describe, Teach/Expose, etc. a topic using a number of related paragraphs. STEP ONE: KNOW YOUR PURPOSE! (aka: Your End Goal!) ✔ Do I want to defend my topic? ✔ Or am I being asked to describe my topic? ✔ Is this personal or objective/formal or informal?

3. Steps To Achieve This Goal... Understand the question: break it down so you know exactly what is being asked. For Example: Describe Franklin Crabbe using three specific personality traits deduced from the direct and indirect character development in Journal One of the novel Crabbe.

4. The Thesis: The Most Important Part of the Essay Now brainstorm the possible thesis statements that could answer the question. Do any research needed to help you to understand the question and help you formulate the thesis. Confirm your thesis. Let's look back at our sample question and create a thesis together...

5. A Good Thesis States the specific topic of the essay. Directly answers the question and gives your formal opinion/insight as it relates to the question.

6. A Weak Thesis Is too general Is too specific Makes a simple announcement States the obvious

7. A Sample Thesis QUESTION: Describe Franklin Crabbe using three specific personality traits deduced from the direct and indirect character development in “Journal One” of the novel Crabbe. THESIS: Franklin Crabbe, from the novel Crabbe, is a complex character who is forced to suppress his sensitivity using clever banter and a tough attitude.

8. What's Next? It is time to build the introductory paragraph Ingredients: ➔ The Lead ➔ The Plan of Development ➔ The Thesis

9. The Lead Grabs the reader's attention using any of the following: Rhetorical question Famous Quote(properly referenced) Definition (properly referenced) Dramatic, interesting, funny story Surprising statistic Historical Background This is the first sentence of the essay.

10. The Plan of Development This identifies the sub-topics that will be used to describe, justify, or expose the main topic – your thesis. For Example: Franklin Crabbe uses clever banter with Dr. Browne in order to avoid being asked the tough questions. If Dr. Browned manages to see through this guise, Crabbe continues to avoid discussion by performing a tough guy role. All of these actions help him to hide his more sensitive side.

11. Sample Introductory Paragraph From our Crabbe example: Have you ever hidden your true feelings from an authority figure? Franklin Crabbe uses clever banter with Dr. Browne in order to avoid being asked the tough questions. If Dr. Browne manages to see through this guise, Crabbe continues to avoid discussion by performing a tough guy role. All of these actions help him to hide his more sensitive side.Franklin Crabbe, from the novel Crabbe, is a complex character who is forced to suppress his sensitivity using clever banter and a tough attitude.

12. Now build the essay You have an introductory paragraph. Now use point, proof, comment to write the body paragraphs. A good basic essay has one or three body paragraphs.

13. The Body Paragraph Point: Re-state the first sub-topic identified in the plan of development. Proof: A summarized example or a direct quote from the text with page numbers that shows this sub-topic “in action”. Comment: An explanation to defend why this quote or example is good proof for the point/sub-topic; therefore, defending the thesis.

14. The Conclusion Invert the introductory paragraph to create a conclusion: 1. Re-state the thesis 2. Summarize the three points of proof or sub-topics. 3. Create a generalized statement that connects to or reflects the lead and keeps the reader thinking or leaves him/her with a lasting impression.