I finally figured out how to write an essay without hating every second of it. Here's my method.

I used to dread essays. I mean, full-on anxiety attacks, procrastination for weeks, the whole disaster. This semester, something clicked, and I wanted to share in case it helps anyone else. I stopped trying to write the introduction first. I literally start with the body paragraphs—the ones where I'm just analyzing quotes or presenting evidence.

I don't worry about transitions or elegance. I just dump all my 'proof' onto the page. Then, once I see what I'm actually arguing through the evidence, I go back and write the introduction and thesis. It's backwards, but it works for me. The blank page isn't as scary when you're just 'taking notes' instead of 'writing an essay.' Anyone else have a weird method that saves them?

Cler, what you're describing is actually a well-documented writing strategy called "writing to discover" or "generative writing." Many composition theorists argue that you can't know what you think until you see what you've written. Your thesis should emerge from evidence, not the other way around. The traditional "thesis-first" model works for some, but for many of us, it creates paralysis. Your method bypasses the inner critic by reframing the task as exploratory rather than performative. Smart.