Essay Guide
Our comprehensive guide to the stages of the essay development process. Back to Student Resources
Getting it down on paper
Because of the length of time it takes to complete a dissertation, it is important to start writing straight away.
A common trap students engaged in research fall into is to spend too much time reading and as a result have too little time left for writing.
So start writing – and write straight onto the computer. The sooner you start writing, the sooner you will start to have a piece of writing you can work with. Even if you start writing rubbish, you can only make it better – which is better than having nothing at all.
If you are really struggling to start, try some writing games:
Exam – imagine you have nothing but a pen and paper and you have to answer a question on your topic.
Letter – try writing a letter explaining your topic and the argument you are going to make.
Quotes – copy out important passages from textbooks and journals and arrange them under headings and then try to link them together – make sure you reference everything correctly as you do this.
Presentation – imagine you have to make a 15 minute presentation to classmates on the key aspects of your topic.
Brainstorm – write down your topic and its in-depth areas – then make notes about each of the areas: what do you know? What do you need to find out?
However you decide to start doing it, the writing should be an ongoing process.