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?
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?