The+Writing+Process

Writing an essay can be intimidating, but there are some general strategies that apply to almost every essay. The goal of this page is to provide you with tools and guidance for each step of the process so that writing an essay is not only painless but enjoyable. Follow the steps in order to begin an essay, or jump to a specific link if you have already started the process. As always, remember, writing an essay is a process. There are steps to follow. Skipping steps will almost always result in frustration and writer's block. Yes, writing takes time, but the final product is something that will last forever.
 * 1) **Inventing Ideas:**
 * 2) Free Writing
 * 3) Cluster Mapping
 * 4) **Outlining:** (Choose __one__ of the following)
 * 5) Comparison and/or Contrast:
 * 6) Point-by-Point
 * 7) Block Format
 * 8) Argumentative
 * 9) Analysis
 * 10) **Maintaining References:**
 * 11) Annotated Bibliography
 * 12) Sample Annotated Bibliography
 * 13) Documentation and References Page (APA)
 * 14) Documentation and References Page (MLA)
 * 15) **Research:**
 * 16) Kentucky Virtual Library Help
 * 17) MSU Library (Requires MSU Student ID)
 * 18) The Introduction Paragraph
 * 19) **The Thesis Statement:** (Choose __one__ of the following)
 * 20) Argumentative
 * 21) Synthesis
 * 22) Analysis
 * 23) Poetry
 * 24) Novel
 * 25) Prose
 * 26) The Topic Sentence
 * 27) **Body Paragraphs:**
 * 28) Quotes, Paraphrases, Summaries and Signal Phrases
 * 29) Commentary
 * 30) The Conclusion
 * 31) The Abstract (APA only)
 * 32) Revising
 * 33) Peer Editing
 * 34) Sample MLA Paper
 * 35) Sample APA Paper