how to improve essay writing high school

Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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14 Ways to Write Better in High School

Write better essays, papers, reports and blogs

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• B.A., English, University of Michigan

Whether you're putting together a research paper for class, posting a blog, composing your SAT essay or brainstorming for your college admissions essay , you just kind of need to know how to write. And sometimes, high school kids really struggle to get the words from their brain onto paper. But really, writing is not all that tricky. You should not break out in a cold sweat when your teacher announces an essay exam . You can write better in six minutes if you just use some of these tips to help you get the ideas that flow so easily from your mouth to do the same thing from your fingertips. Read on for 14 ways to write better essays, blogs, papers, the works!

1. Read Cereal Boxes

Yep, cereal boxes, magazines, blogs, novels, the newspaper, ads, e-zines, you name it. If it has words, read it. Good writing will challenge you to up your game, and bad writing will help you learn what not to do.

A variety of reading materials can influence you in subtle ways, too. Ads are often perfect examples of succinct, persuasive text. The newspaper will show you how to hook a reader in a few lines. A novel can teach you how to incorporate dialogue seamlessly into your essay. Blogs are great for demonstrating an author's voice. So, if it's there, and you've got a second, read it.

2. Start a Blog/Journal

Good writers write. A lot. Start a blog (maybe even a teen blog?) and advertise it all over Facebook and Twitter if you're interested in feedback. Start a blog and keep it quiet if you're not. Keep a journal. Report on things happening in your life/around school/ around your home. Try to solve daily problems with quick, one-paragraph solutions. Get started on some really unique creative writing prompts . Practice. You'll get better.

3. Open Up a Can of Worms

Don't be afraid to get a little risky. Go against the grain. Shake things up. Tear apart the poems you find meaningless on your next essay. Research a touchy political subject like immigration, abortion, gun control, capital punishment, and unions. Blog about topics that generate real, heartfelt, impassioned discussion. You don't have to write about hummingbirds just because your teacher loves them.

4. To Thine Own Self Be True

Stick with your own voice. Nothing sounds faker than a high school essay with words like alas and evermore sprinkled throughout, especially when the author is a skater kid from Fresno. Use your own wit, tone, and vernacular. Yes, you should adjust your tone and level of formality based on the writing situation (blog vs. research paper), but you don't have to become a different person just to put together your college admissions essay . They'll like you better if you're you.

5. Avoid Redundancy

Just drop the word "nice" from your vocabulary. It doesn't really mean anything. Same goes for "good." There are thirty-seven better ways to say what you mean. "Busy as a bee," "sly as a fox," and "hungry as a wolf" belong in country songs, not in your ACT essay .

6. Keep Your Audience in Mind

This goes back to adjusting your tone and level of formality based on the writing situation. If you're writing to gain entrance to your first choice for college, then perhaps you'd better not talk about that time you made it to second base with your love interest. Your teacher is not interested in your sticker collection, and the readers on your blog don't care about the stellar research project you put together on the migratory habits of emperor penguins. Writing is one part marketing. Remember that if you want to be a better writer!

7. Go To the Dark Side

Just for the heck of it, allow yourself to consider the possibility that the opposite opinion is actually correct. Write your next essay defending the 180 of your thought processes. If you're a Coke person, go Pepsi. Cat lover? Defend dogs. Catholic? Figure out what the Protestants are talking about. By exploring a different set of beliefs, you open up your brain to endless creativity, and maybe garner some fodder for your next debate, too.

8. Make It Real

Boring writing doesn't use the senses. If your writing assignment is to report on the local parade and you fail to mention the shrieking kids, dripping chocolate ice cream cones, and rat-tat-tatting from the marching band's snare drum, then you've failed. You need to make whatever you're writing about come alive to your reader. If they weren't there, put them on that street with the parade. You'll be a better writer for it!

9. Give People Goosebumps

Good writing will make people feel something. Tie something concrete – relatable –to the existential. Instead of talking about justice as a vague idea, tie the word, "judgment," to the sound the gavel makes as it hits the judge's desk. Tie the word, "sadness," to a young mother lying on her husband's freshly dug grave. Tie the word, "joy" to a dog careening around the yard when it sees its owner after two long years at war. Make your readers cry or laugh out loud at the coffee shop. Ticked off. Make them feel and they'll wanna come back for more.

10. Write Creatively When You're Sleepy

Sometimes, the inspiration bug bites when you're all strung-out from being up too late. Your mind opens up a bit when you're tired, so you're more likely to shut down the "robot-I-am-in-control" portion of your brain and listen to the whisper of the muses. Give it a whirl the next time you're struggling to get out of the gate on your take-home essay.

11. Edit When You're Fully Rested

Sometimes those late-night muses steer your writing vessel directly into a rocky shoreline, so don't make the mistake of calling your work done at 3:00 AM. Heck, no. Make time the next day, after a long, satisfying rest, to edit all of those ramblings and misspelled words.

12. Enter Writing Contests

Not everyone is brave enough to enter a writing contest, and that's just silly. If you want to become a better writer, find some free writing contests for teenagers online and submit everything you wouldn't be embarrassed to see plastered all over the Internet. Often, contests come with editing or feedback, which can really help you improve. Give it a shot.

13. Dive Into Nonfiction

Not all good writers write poetry, plays, scripts, and novels. Many of the most successful writers out there stick to nonfiction. They write memoirs, magazine articles, newspaper articles, blogs, personal essays, biographies, and advertisements. Give nonfiction a shot. Try describing the last five minutes of your day with startling clarity. Take the latest news report and write a two-paragraph description of the events as if you were there. Find the coolest person you know and write your next essay about his or her childhood. Write a two-word ad for the best pair of shoes in your closet. Try it – most of the good writers do!

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

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Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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In This Section

How to improve writing skills for high school students.

Developing strong writing skills is essential for high school students, no matter what path they intend to take after graduation. From submitting college entrance essays to preparing research papers to communicating with colleagues, writing skills are critical to every student's future plans.

However, teaching students to write more clearly or concisely is often easier said than done. Learn how to improve writing skills and help your high school students master this important accomplishment.

Assess Students' Levels

Before you begin designing a strategy or preparing lesson plans, it's important to know how much help your students actually need. You can easily create a simple writing assessment. Think about the type of assignments you expect students to complete. Then create a relevant assessment with both multiple choice and short answers.

After reviewing the assessments, use the results to guide your approach. For example, your students may need more or less assistance with grammar, exposition, research, or other aspects.

Invite Students To Share Opinions

In many cases, students who struggle to pen complex thoughts or write longer essays can improve by sharing their opinions. To help high school students write better persuasive essays, start by asking a question that requires nothing more than an opinion to answer.

For example, you might ask students about their opinions on educational policies or the technology they use every day. Encourage them to respond to the question affirmatively or negatively and then write down about a half-dozen points to support their view.

Then guide them through turning the list into an outline, which can become the basis for their essay. Consider this assignment an in-class activity so you can ensure every student spends at least a minimum amount of time writing the essay.

Teach Students To Brainstorm

Lists can work well for some writing assignments, but they may not be optimal for every student or project. To avoid letting students feel discouraged at the very beginning of the writing process, introduce them to alternative brainstorming techniques.

For example, you might teach students:

• Outlines, which can easily transition ideas into rough drafts and completed assignments.
• Mind maps , which allow them to organize thoughts, connect relationships, and form more cohesive arguments.
• Sticky notes, which add a physical element to structuring thoughts and formulating more complex papers.

Make Time for Writing Practice

Whether you're teaching creative writing or you simply want to help students expand their tool set, regular practice is important. Consider giving daily assignments, but keep them short to help students maintain focus and avoid burnout.

Giving students daily journal prompts can help them think and write creatively without requiring excessive time. Craft each prompt so it helps them hone different skills, such as using new words, experimenting with different styles, or trying out alternative methods of organizing their thoughts.

Write as a Group

Students who struggle with writing may constantly feel like they're a step behind other classmates. In turn, they may feel like they'll never catch up, which may prompt them not to try to complete their assignments or invest more time than necessary.

To help high school students become better writers, balance teaching time with group practice time. You'll effectively give students a wider variety of opportunities to master writing — including learning from their peers and practicing their skills.

To facilitate group work, give students tasks like transforming storyboards into plots or writing new endings for their favorite movies. Assign each student a role to ensure that everyone contributes, and leave them with plenty of time to discuss their thoughts, make the case for their preference, and work together to produce a successful result.

Encourage Reading

Teaching students new skills and encouraging them to practice regularly can help many high school-age writers improve dramatically. However, some students need more than lessons and assignments. Many students can benefit from reading good essays, articles, and passages — or seeing good writing in action.

In addition to your regular lesson plans and homework schedule, make time for students to read in class. Assign short passages that convey a range of writing styles, linguistic methods, and structures. By showing students what good writing can look like, you can help them identify patterns and techniques that they can apply to their own assignments.

Edit Assignments in Class

For many students, the writing process can be downright discouraging. As they write, they may have the sense that their introduction could be better or that their argument could be more persuasive. Yet if they don't have the skills to edit their work, they may never be able to improve effectively.

Start by teaching students a standard editing workflow. For example, you might encourage them to read their work aloud to check for typos, misused words, or poorly written transitions.

Then walk students through editing sample assignments in class. Go beyond the standard typos and errors and show students how to make their writing markedly better. As a class, brainstorm better ways to phrase concepts or ideas for improving key parts of the essay.

Allow Draft Submissions

Turning in a complete writing assignment in its final form can be daunting for any high school student, especially when a grade is at stake. Taking this step can be especially difficult for students who question their work or writing skills.

To help students feel more confident in their work, allow or require them to submit one or more drafts before the final due date. With this process, you get multiple opportunities to help students correct issues and improve their work.

In addition to or in lieu of drafts, consider allowing students to revise and resubmit their work for a better grade. This policy can help students improve outcomes in a quantifiable way, and it can also guide them towards becoming better and more confident writers.

Helping your students develop better writing skills doesn't have to be as difficult as you might think. Use these tips or modify them to work with your teaching style to help students understand how to improve their writing skills — and learn why this ability is so important.

As an Ontario Ministry of Education inspected high school, Blyth Academy Online offers over 160 Ontario high school course credits for students looking to advance their learning and stay ahead of the curve.

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Our 2020-21 Writing Curriculum for Middle and High School

A flexible, seven-unit program based on the real-world writing found in newspapers, from editorials and reviews to personal narratives and informational essays.

Update, Aug. 3, 2023: Find our 2023-24 writing curriculum here.

Our 2019-20 Writing Curriculum is one of the most popular new features we’ve ever run on this site, so, of course, we’re back with a 2020-21 version — one we hope is useful whether you’re teaching in person , online , indoors , outdoors , in a pod , as a homeschool , or in some hybrid of a few of these.

The curriculum detailed below is both a road map for teachers and an invitation to students. For teachers, it includes our writing prompts, mentor texts, contests and lesson plans, and organizes them all into seven distinct units. Each focuses on a different genre of writing that you can find not just in The Times but also in all kinds of real-world sources both in print and online.

But for students, our main goal is to show young people they have something valuable to say, and to give those voices a global audience. That’s always been a pillar of our site, but this year it is even more critical. The events of 2020 will define this generation, and many are living through them isolated from their ordinary communities, rituals and supports. Though a writing curriculum can hardly make up for that, we hope that it can at least offer teenagers a creative outlet for making sense of their experiences, and an enthusiastic audience for the results. Through the opportunities for publication woven throughout each unit, we want to encourage students to go beyond simply being media consumers to become creators and contributors themselves.

So have a look, and see if you can find a way to include any of these opportunities in your curriculum this year, whether to help students document their lives, tell stories, express opinions, investigate ideas, or analyze culture. We can’t wait to hear what your students have to say!

Each unit includes:

Writing prompts to help students try out related skills in a “low stakes” way.

We publish two writing prompts every school day, and we also have thematic collections of more than 1,000 prompts published in the past. Your students might consider responding to these prompts on our site and using our public forums as a kind of “rehearsal space” for practicing voice and technique.

Daily opportunities to practice writing for an authentic audience.

If a student submits a comment on our site, it will be read by Times editors, who approve each one before it gets published. Submitting a comment also gives students an audience of fellow teenagers from around the world who might read and respond to their work. Each week, we call out our favorite comments and honor dozens of students by name in our Thursday “ Current Events Conversation ” feature.

Guided practice with mentor texts .

Each unit we publish features guided practice lessons, written directly to students, that help them observe, understand and practice the kinds of “craft moves” that make different genres of writing sing. From how to “show not tell” in narratives to how to express critical opinions , quote or paraphrase experts or craft scripts for podcasts , we have used the work of both Times journalists and the teenage winners of our contests to show students techniques they can emulate.

“Annotated by the Author” commentaries from Times writers — and teenagers.

As part of our Mentor Texts series , we’ve been asking Times journalists from desks across the newsroom to annotate their articles to let students in on their writing, research and editing processes, and we’ll be adding more for each unit this year. Whether it’s Science writer Nicholas St. Fleur on tiny tyrannosaurs , Opinion writer Aisha Harris on the cultural canon , or The Times’s comics-industry reporter, George Gene Gustines, on comic books that celebrate pride , the idea is to demystify journalism for teenagers. This year, we’ll be inviting student winners of our contests to annotate their work as well.

A contest that can act as a culminating project .

Over the years we’ve heard from many teachers that our contests serve as final projects in their classes, and this curriculum came about in large part because we want to help teachers “plan backwards” to support those projects.

All contest entries are considered by experts, whether Times journalists, outside educators from partner organizations, or professional practitioners in a related field. Winning means being published on our site, and, perhaps, in the print edition of The New York Times.

Webinars and our new professional learning community (P.L.C.).

For each of the seven units in this curriculum, we host a webinar featuring Learning Network editors as well as teachers who use The Times in their classrooms. Our webinars introduce participants to our many resources and provide practical how-to’s on how to use our prompts, mentor texts and contests in the classroom.

New for this school year, we also invite teachers to join our P.L.C. on teaching writing with The Times , where educators can share resources, strategies and inspiration about teaching with these units.

Below are the seven units we will offer in the 2020-21 school year.

September-October

Unit 1: Documenting Teenage Lives in Extraordinary Times

This special unit acknowledges both the tumultuous events of 2020 and their outsized impact on young people — and invites teenagers to respond creatively. How can they add their voices to our understanding of what this historic year will mean for their generation?

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Best Writing Strategies For High School Students

by Gordana S | Nov 13, 2020 | Skills & Career | 0 comments

Table of Contents

Essential Writing Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Your Assignments

Even if you aren’t passionate about writing, it is a skill that you must possess. Not only will it help you complete your school assignments with more ease and success, but it will lead to better performance at work. Maybe you even plan to choose a career that involves writing—since so many today do.

If you want to put in true effort into honing your writing abilities, you should start using the writing strategies we list here as early as today. Once these strategies become a regular part of your writing practice, any text that you wish or need to compose will come out clearer and more effective.

Credit: Debby Hudson

What Are Writing Strategies?

A writing strategy is any approach or method you employ to get to the outcome—the version of your text as you’ve envisioned it before you started writing it.

Many attempts have been made to come up with a shortlist of the ultimate writing strategies. At the end of the day, any conscious effort you put into your project as you’re working on it is a strategy —whether it’s brainstorming ideas or putting your first draft together.

For example, you can analyze a problem for which you want to propose a solution in an essay. To convince your readers that this problem does need the solution you’re suggesting, you’ll need to prove it to them that it’s serious. Researching the issue and then backing it up with valid sources and arguments is a writing strategy that you use to prove your point.

Buckle Up! You’re Getting a List of Writing Strategies With Examples

Credit: Kelly Sikkema

You could put writing strategies on a list of any length—from three to ten items or even more. It is because there are so many types of text that the methods you can adopt to construct them are so numerous. Some broad categories into which we can fit those methods are:

• Prewriting strategies
• Drafting strategies
• Revising strategies
• General writing strategies

Prewriting—A Writing Strategy That Comes Before All Others

To produce a piece of writing that will get your main point to the reader effectively, you have to put some technical work into it first. Everything that you do before you sit down to write your first draft can collectively be termed prewriting. The strategies that go into it include:

• Mind-mapping

Researching

• Targeting your readers
• Getting feedback on your outline

Mind-Mapping

Credit: BiljaST

Mind-mapping is an amazing strategy to get all your scrambled ideas out on one piece of paper. Instead of putting them into a linear list, you organize them into circles that are all tied to the central theme.

For example, you could be writing an essay on how school uniforms constrict self-expression in students. School uniforms would be a phrase to put in the center of the paper, and you would go from there. You could draw a line and write the same on top of it, and then you would circle that phrase. Another three lines could include boring , autocratic , lack of uniqueness . You would circle each word or phrase in turn. If an idea on something else related to the topic comes to mind that you want to include in your essay, you would go back to the original phrase and jot down the new idea next to it. 

Mind-mapping is an excellent method to use to get all your ideas out onto a clear layout. You don’t have to list them one next to the other because that’s not how your mind works. You only need to be careful not to wander too far from the central topic.  

Every writer who knows half their worth is aware of how important outlining is. In college, you can even be graded based on your ability to create an effective outline. But, what is an effective outline , you might be asking. Well, that is a great question!

If you use an essay as an example, a decent outline would have to include: 

You should also include all the supporting information you plan to use in your essay, such as:

• Quotes and sources

In nine out of ten cases, you’ll need to do a little digging on your topic before you decide what your conclusions are. Depending on the type and the scope of your writing, your research can range from looking up word meanings to studying relevant sources that can back up your claims.

If the latter is the case, merely skimming your sources won’t cut it. You have to be able to check their:

• Credibility
• Objectivity

To make sure your source satisfies all of the listed criteria, you need to fact-check it, look up the authors and see if they’re valid, and make sure the paper isn’t outdated. It’s all part of your skill to employ critical reading while deciding which sources are relevant for your assignment.

Targeting Readers

An important aspect of preparing yourself to write is making sure you know who your audience is.

For example, if you’re practicing writing a business proposal, you wouldn’t want to use plenty of colloquial terms and phrases. Instead, you would make sure your sentences are clear, respectful, and written in formal language.

You could also be learning how to sell a product or a service through your writing. If what you’re trying to sell are school materials, you would want your text to appeal to students or their parents. How you go about it is a strategy you employ in your writing. 

Getting Feedback on Your Outline

You probably already know how much it means when you show your text to someone and get constructive criticism. A fresh outside insight helps you improve on your second or third draft. Getting feedback on your outline is as important, especially if you’re writing a school or college paper.

A teacher or a professor can help you determine whether you’re going in the right direction or give you bonus ideas to get to the result you’re aiming for.

Strategies for Your Initial Drafts—Find What Works Best for You

Credit: Laura Chouette

When all the prewriting is done, you will want to get down to work and put your words on paper—or screen. There are many different strategies skilled writers employ to get the outcome they desire. You can try any of them out and find the ones that match your needs or preferences.

The best piece of advice is always to practice, and practicing various methods for writing contributes to finding out your own style as well as nailing the genre you might not yet be a pro at. Here are some strategies you can use while working on the first draft of any piece of writing:

Freewriting

• Starting from body paragraphs
• Finding an effective hook
• Using the knitter’s method
• Employing the carpenter’s method
• Choosing strong words

Freewriting is the absolute best medicine to cure a writer’s block. Do you know when a writer’s block is most likely to occur? Right when you sit down with the mind to begin. Nothing hurts more than gazing blankly at the blinking cursor on your screen or an empty piece of paper before you. And in the words of Picasso himself, “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

Freewriting is what you want to take up when that happens. It’s called that because you are absolutely free to write any words that pop into your mind. The only rule is to keep writing. Eventually, you will get to the point of your text, and the inspiration will kick in. You can use freewriting for any piece of content you need to create. Here’s an example:

“Hi there. My name is Damien well not actually. I like Damien in that book. Anyway I need to write a papr on positive and negative effects of technologiccal advances and I have no idea what to write. Nada. I mean, I do use technology. I have a smartphone, a laptop. I alos have a Nikon camera. I guess my Nikon camera is most positive for me. I enjoy taking pics editing them, I could maybe make money out of it one day. My smartphone on the other hand. It did have negative influence on me but I try not be as addicted to it.”

As you can see, it doesn’t matter whether you follow the rules of spelling, grammar, or punctuation when you’re using freewriting. It is a method to help you get to the actual work, and anything that needs fixing can be saved for later. In the words of Jodi Picoult , “ You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page. ”

Body Paragraphs Come First

Similarly to the freewriting method, writing body paragraphs of your essay first is a strategy that helps you avoid the challenge of starting your work.

Instead of scratching your head for hours on end, wondering how you should begin your essay, start with the arguments you thought of in your body paragraphs. The introduction and conclusion will come easily once you have the main part.

Hook Your Readers

Even if your teachers are the only ones who will read the piece you created, you will want to grab their attention from the get-go. Whatever you’re writing, you should spend some time thinking of novel or intriguing ways you can start your first sentence. If nothing comes to mind, you can always go with a fun fact or a thought-provoking quote.

Here are several examples of effective hooks in fiction and classic literature you can check out:

Are You a Knitter?

The knitter method refers to a unique strategy you can employ in writing. It’s called like that because it implies you like to manipulate the text as you’re creating it. It’s unique because a rare number of people are able to form what they think are perfectly ordered sentences right off the bat. In the best case, you can learn to be a knitter with lots of experience in actual writing.

Maybe the fact is you are already someone to whom an outcome comes naturally during the first draft. If so, acknowledge it and use it to your advantage. Also, congratulations! You have a talent, and you can be called a knitter.

Are You a Carpenter?

A carpenter method means you like to start from irregular non-linear points in your text. This way, you work on any part of the text you most feel like working on at any given moment. It is also more common than a knitter method.

The process of writing, especially when a longer piece is in question, is messy and often chaotic. Employing the carpenter method can help you build on your text when you can’t seem to be able to write it in the order in which the outcome is supposed to be presented.

Is Your Word Choice Fitting?

Using the proper word choice in your texts is a strategy that can be developed into a skill. You should hone that skill constantly because everything you write is affected by your choice of words—from your school essays to emails or cover letters.

In creative writing, for example, authors manipulate how their readers receive the text with the words they use to describe places, actions, or characters. For example, instead of writing, “he walked into a room,” an author may write, “he sauntered into the room.” The careful word choice here undoubtedly affects how the reader sees the character, reads the text out loud, and feels the action.

Strategies To Use While Revising

Even when you write something as simple as an email, you will probably reread it before sending it. The majority of written pieces requires a thorough revision. Here are the strategies you could use to improve your first draft during this process:

• Take a break and read your text at a later time
• Proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors
• Edit to make your sentences more concise and effective
• Have someone else go over your text

These are all straightforward methods you can use to make your second or third draft better than the previous version. The best piece of advice to take at this stage of work is to let go of the tropes, phrases, sentences, or anything else you might be attached to that is neither relevant nor serves your text any purpose. It is not an easy task at all. You’ll have to heed Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and learn to “murder your darlings.”

General Strategies Used in Writing

By now, you have gathered that a lot of work goes into writing. There are yet more strategies you can implement in your everyday life to improve your writing skills, like:

• Reading and learning
• Organizing your time
• Creating a space for writing
• Saving ideas that come unexpectedly
• Writing even when there’s nothing to write

Reading often is not the only key to improving your reading skills , but it does wonders when it comes to developing your writing abilities too. You can learn something from any text in front of you and employ the strategies you picked up from others in your own practice.

Writing almost inevitably comes with deadlines. It’s why time management is a soft skill that you need to possess to use as a writing strategy. Besides, having a set time during which you write will help you be more focused and motivated when you get down to it.

Related to keeping your focus sharp is setting up a physical space for writing. Make it comfortable and arrange it according to your tastes. The only rules are to allow no distractions and bring everything you need so as not to have to get up while working.

Though you can set the time and space for writing, you cannot determine when or where an amazing idea can come to you. Noting down thoughts and concepts you will use in your writing later is a strategy you need to employ—especially if you’re writing often or working on a longer project. Luckily, you rarely go anywhere without your smartphone today, so you have the perfect tool for this scenario.

Last but not least, write even when there isn’t an assignment or a deadline to be met. Only with practice can you learn which strategies fit your writing style best, how to form sentences that are eloquent and effective, or how to get comfortable with having your work reviewed.  

Are You Learning Writing Strategies in the Classroom?

Do you think the strategies for writing are taught properly in mainstream education, or do you believe it is high time we brought some innovations in schools ?

High schoolers have to develop effective writing skills to transition into college smoothly or gain valuable work experience. You cannot rely on homework essay assignments alone to get to that point.

As a student, you need to be equipped with proper tools so that you can translate the skills you learn inside the classroom into the real world . 

If you have any ideas on how we can work towards that goal and incorporate the teaching of writing strategies into the school curriculum, share them with us! We’ll be happy to post your opinions on our blog.

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How To Improve Your Writing Skills

Written by Des Sinkevich on Wednesday, 17 November 2021. Posted in Helpful Tips

Being able to write effectively isn’t just a skill you need for school, it’s one that you’ll use in your everyday life and work. From writing effective cover letters when you’re applying for a job to crafting a clear email to a coworker, good writing can help you stand out and get your message across. But if you’re not a confident writer naturally, that’s okay! Writing well is a skill that you can learn over time and your high school classes can help. Here’s how to improve your writing while you’re in high school.

5 tips for writing better

Becoming a better writer doesn’t happen overnight, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’re not learning fast enough. It takes work to improve but, in the end, it can be worth it! Whether you’re already working on your writing skills in your English class, or you want to learn how to become a better writer before you ever come face to face with an essay, try these five tips to improve.

• Practice. Like any skill, practice makes perfect. In order to improve your writing skills, it helps to get a little bit of practice every day. This doesn’t mean that you have to sit down to write an essay every morning! You can practice your writing by journaling, blogging, or even writing emails to friends and family.
• Read. Reading a little bit daily can help improve your writing because you’re seeing how other people form sentences, use grammar, and tell stories. It can also help inspire you in your own writing! You can read whatever you like – just make sure you’re paying special attention to what the writer is saying and doing.
• Outline. Before writing something, start getting into the habit of outlining. Outlining helps you gather your thoughts and have a clear idea of what you’re hoping to say. It can also make the writing process a lot quicker.
• Proofread. Writing well isn’t just about putting words on paper, it’s also about building proofreading habits and editing skills. When you’ve completed a first draft, go back and review what you wrote for typos, structure, and grammar. Sometimes, it can be hard to edit yourself, though, so a good way to get used to it is to set it aside for a while. After writing, set aside your work for a few hours, or, if possible, a day or so. Then, when you’re ready, go back to it and read it through once or twice. You’ll have some distance from what you wrote and will be able to better edit your work.
• Edit. Don’t be afraid to make changes. Editing is an important part of becoming a better writer and making changes can help you improve your work before you submit it for grading or review.

How English classes help you become a better writer

High school English classes aren’t just about reading literature. You’ll also learn how to write letters, essays, and reports. In your James Madison online classes, you’ll cover the basic steps of writing a good paper, including pre-writing, creating an outline, writing your first draft, and more so you’re prepared when it comes time to write and submit your first paper.

Learning doesn’t stop there! Once you’ve submitted a paper and it’s been graded, you’ll receive feedback from your instructors. It’s important to review the feedback you’ve received even if you got an A, because your teachers will give you helpful tips on how to improve your writing for the future.

Become a better writer on your schedule

Motivation is a key element to accomplishing tasks. We’ve all had our moments of just not feeling the inspiration to do much or tackle that specific thing on our to-do lists. That’s ok, but we need to remember why motivation is important if we expect ourselves or others to regain it. Motivation is an important part of forming good habits. It makes the process of whatever you have to do more fun, helping you reach your goals. This is particularly important for children. As they take on more tasks and responsibilities, finding and maintaining motivation will be fundamental to their success.

Start your child on the path to earn their diploma with JMHS

Whether you love English classes or they’re your least favorite, they can help you to become a better writer, which can be important for school and jobs. With James Madison High School , you can learn at the pace that works best for you, helping you take the next steps toward writing well – all from home! To learn more about enrolling with JMHS or find out more about our online English classes , reach out to an Admissions Specialist today at .

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About the Author

Des sinkevich.

Des Sinkevich earned a Bachelor's of Arts in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and loves applying what she learned there to her writing. Through her work as a senior markeing communications specialist, she is able to share information, advice, and more with students and alumni.

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41 Resources, Tools, And Apps To Improve Writing Skills

The shift to digital instruction, preparations for state online assessment, and a new crop of writing apps is adding energy to ELA.

41 Resources, Tools, And Apps To Improve Writing Skills by Tom Vander Ark first appeared on gettingsmart.com 

Math gets all the love–at least that appears to be the case in the edtech world. But applications of automated essay scoring have been growing steadily for 15 years. The shift to digital instructional materials, preparations for state online assessment, and a new crop of writing apps is adding new energy to digital ELA.

We’ve collected more than 30 scoring engines and other literacy apps below.

Writing Platforms With Scoring Engine

Most of the following 10 web applications score essays and provide trait feedback and targeted instruction for students grade four and up. They typically include hundreds of scored prompts (narrative, expository, descriptive, and persuasive), some with reading passages. Most vendors are improving Common Core alignment and adding more complex text and improved instructional feedback.

• Criterion Online Writing Evaluation  service from ETS is a web-based instructional tool that teachers use with students to help them plan, write and revise essays guided by instant annotated diagnostic feedback and a holistic score. Riverside Publishing, a division of HMH, distributes Criterion.
• Essay Punch  from Merit Software contains nine writing topics and 1,080 help prompts to guide students through each step in the writing process with contextual help and feedback. Designed for students in grades seven to adult.
• GradeMark  from iParadigms (turnitin.com) provides rich feedback to students by enabling editorial highlights, custom comments, and QuickMark® editing marks directly on student papers. Turnitin runs the ETS e-rater grammar analysis tool within an updated user experience.
• Learning Oasis  from Metametric provides differentiated reading, writing, and vocabulary activities. Learning Oasis leverages the power of the Lexile Frameworks for reading and writing to provide each individual student with appropriately challenging activities. The product is beta and not widely available.
• Project Essay Grade  (PEG) from Measurement Incorporated has provided over two million scores to students over the past five years. PEG powers  NC Write , an online practice tool for North Carolina schools. More than 1,000 schools are using it as a formative writing assessment.
• SAGrader  improves student learning by providing immediate feedback on their content area writing. Perfect for knowledge-based writing in high school and college courses like biology, psychology, and history.
• Writing Roadmap  from CTB is an online writing tool that provides an effective way for students to practice and improve their writing and for teachers to measure and track writing proficiency for students in Grades 3-12.
• WriteToLearn  from Pearson provides flexible, easy-to-use, effective writing assessment and instruction with added content and tools for English Language Learners. WriteToLearn is used statewide in South Dakota.  MyWritingLab  is a post-secondary platform powered by the same scoring engine.
• WriteBrain  from Sunburst Digital   is a web- based program is built on the six-trait writing model applied to eleven different genres. The structure of the program provides support for internalizing writing best practices by utilizing assessments built into the program for self, peer, and teacher evaluation.
• MyAccess!  from Vantage Learning has 1,300 writing topics in math, science, language arts, and social studies with a fun, interactive (middle school targeted) interface that transforms writing instruction and assessment by providing immediate feedback. Vantage powers the spell and grammar check in Microsoft Word.

Scoring Engines

• CRASE  from Pacific Metrics, provides immediate, accurate, and low-cost scoring of short-answer and essay items with six trait feedback.
• LightSIDE  from CMU is a free and open-source software package developed at Carnegie Mellon University. This program is designed as a tool for non-experts to quickly utilize text- mining technology for a variety of purposes, including essay assessment.
• The five winning teams in the second phase of the  Hewlett Foundation funded Automated Student Assessment Prize  made their scoring engines available as open resources (send me a note if you want to learn more, [email protected] ).

Writing Aids

• Writing Reviser  from SAS helps students ask questions experienced writers ask automatically – from big picture issues to smaller details to enhance writing skills.
• OdysseyWriter  by CompassLearning is a customizable writing program for elementary and middle school students is called Odyssey Writer. Odyssey Writer can guide students through the entire writing process and make writing more focused, more effective, and even more enjoyable. While some users think of Odyssey Writer as a word processor, this is only a portion of its use.
• noredink  a fun way to practice and master grammar on content of interest. An adaptive engine shows tutorials that help students correct mistakes.
• Studysync  uses video of student discourse to model careful reading, critical thinking, use of evidence–great examples of Common Core literacy.
• Whipsmart Learning , a developer of online literacy tools, is worth watching.
• StoryBird , a collaborative illustrated storytelling app for families

iPad Writing Apps

With thanks to by  Lore Sjöberg  on  Wired , here are three iPad apps:

• WriteRoom  is a full screen alternative to Word; its great for getting words on the page, but don’t try to add charts and graphs.
• Draftpad  does away with documents and files; everything is saved until you erase it.
• ensō Writer  is a minimalist writing app with a simple sketch feature.
• Evernote  makes it easy for students to take note on any device – laptops, tablets, smartphones. What’s more, students can capture audio and photos. Photos of notes or written text can even be searchable within Evernote.
• Dragon Dictation  records any dictated thoughts or information. It’s a great way to take notes on the go,  said blogger John Hardison .

Christine Chan   likes minimalist writing apps and reviews:

• Byword ($2.99) has lots of features but no full screen mode.
• iA Writer ($0.99) is a bare-bones writing app.
• Elements ($4.99) is one of the most feature-packed apps available, but no iCloud synch.
• Writing Kit ($4.99) one of the most robust writing apps available, especially for those that do a lot of research-based writing, but no iCloud synch.
• Simplenote (free with ads) is simplest of the all but doesn’t use Dropbox or iCloud.
•   Day!–The Best Story of Mine  is a diary app.
• Writers App  ($0.99) helps students organize a story.
• Write  and  Write2  ($2.99) claims to be the best note-taking app.

Nine reviewed apps from  Reading Rockets   include:

• ABC Cursive  for grades 3-5 helps students learn cursive.
• iCanWrite  ($0.99) teaches letters for grade K-1.
• iWriteWords  ($2.99) teaches handwriting for grades K-1.
• Kids Writing Pad  ($2.99) is a lined pad for handwriting for grades K-3.
• Popplet  ($4.99) is a story planning and mind-mapping app for grades 3-12.
• Sentence Builder  ($5.99) helps students grade K-5 build grammatically correct sentences.
• Story Builder  ($7.99) teaches students grade 1-5 to build stories by answering questions.
• TeachMe: 1st Grade  ($0.99) teaches writing by asking questions; a writing recognition engine checks answers.
• Toontastic  helps students grades K-5 animate their own stories.

Image attribution flickr user woodleywonderworks.com

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College Application Booster​®: High School Seniors, Get ahead on your college application!

Command Education Guide

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• Command EducationGuide

The High School Student’s Guide to Becoming A Better Writer

1. read challenging and diverse material., 2. research unfamiliar words and concepts., 3. incorporate new vocabulary—but be sure to use it correctly., 4. use spell check—and understand its limitations., 5. utilize free tools., 6. use online tools to identify reliable sources., 7. don’t use chatgpt (or other ai tools) to write a full essay., 8. practice your writing., 9. ask for feedback., 10. receive feedback, but be confident in your own work..

Writing is a lifelong skill that is critical for success in both high school and the college admissions process. However, many students struggle with communicating effectively in their writing and feel they lack the resources needed to improve their skills.

With the right habits and tools, students can sharpen their vocabulary and command of language. First and foremost, students who wish to communicate more effectively through their writing must begin with patience—becoming a better writer takes time and practice, and it is important to approach the writing process as one of trial and error. Mistakes you make along the way are learning opportunities that will ultimately help you to grow and become more comfortable with your own voice. At the same time, keep in mind that there are plenty of tools and resources that can help you in the process.

If you want to level up your writing, here are 10 steps you can take:

The foundation of good writing is reading. As such, this is likely the most important habit to form early on. As Mary Tedrow writes for Education Week, “Writing and reading are intricately intertwined. One is the inverse of the other: Reading is the inhale; writing is the exhale.” When students read actively and analytically, they will begin to see stylistic choices, commonalities in the writing that they find most compelling, and the inspiration to emulate what they have read.

In order for students to expand their vocabulary and gain exposure to artful writing, they should not only read complex, well-written material, but they should also read in a variety of styles. For example, they can challenge themselves to read research papers on topics that interest them—not just fiction or required class readings. They can also read novels, persuasive essays, personal essays, biographies, and news articles. Becoming a strong reader who can understand different topics and styles is critical to becoming an adept and well-rounded writer.

Being an active reader requires students to take the time to look up words that they don’t know or concepts that they don’t understand. Students should read with a pen in hand and a dictionary (hard copy or online version) nearby. Don’t hesitate to look up new words or ideas that you don’t understand. Once you have searched and gained a better comprehension of the topic, go back and re-read the passage to make sure that you understand the idea in its context.

Choosing the right words and using them properly in a sentence can elevate a solid “B” paper into an “A” worthy piece. For example, if you find yourself using a lot of repetitive word choices, use a thesaurus to find a new word that might better fit the context. That being said, make sure you fully understand the word and its proper context—just because a word is longer doesn’t mean it’s more eloquent or that it elevates your writing. In fact, just swapping out a more common word for a “fancy” word you see in the thesaurus can make your writing much worse if you don’t fully understand the new word you choose to use. This is where using a dictionary or seeing the new word in the context of a sentence can help ensure that you are using a word in a way that is correct and true to your own voice.

If you’re writing using a common online software such as Word or Google Docs, you’ll have access to free spell check to catch typos. The software will also often suggest alternate options for word choice or even sentence structure. This is very helpful, and students should definitely take its suggestions into consideration! At the same time, the software won’t catch a lot of common mistakes—for instance, if you type “dessert” instead of “desert,” the programs may not flag the word as a typo, even if the word is incorrect in the context of the sentence. Another common mistake that spell check will not catch is missing a word in a sentence—for example, it may not suggest that you add “the” to “the cat caught mouse” even if you meant to write a “the” in between “cat” and mouse.” Ultimately, it is important to be aware of the program’s limitations and be meticulous in your own edits rather than trusting the program to edit everything for you.

Google Docs and Word have a lot of other useful (and often underutilized) tools. For example, you can use the comment feature to mark passages you might want to revise later or add notes for yourself. You can search the web or your own documents using the “Explore” feature. The programs can also auto-formulate footnotes, and offer pre-made pages with academic formats like MLA, all available for free, so that you can quickly add full citations directly in Google Docs without other services like Easybib. If you’re looking for more thorough writing software, Grammarly and ProWritingAid are popular choices that help with grammar, word choice, and writing style. While these often offer more thorough suggestions, they should still be used carefully, as they do not always offer accurate or grammatically correct suggestions and corrections.

A key part of academic and persuasive writing is finding reliable data and sources. One of our mentors’ favorite online resources for published research is Google Scholar . It’s entirely free to use, and helps you search for papers on a topic by date, shows how well-cited each paper is, and provides other useful tools. It functions very similarly to a normal Google search, making it much more intuitive for many students compared to most scholarly databases or journals. You can even save articles as you do research to read later on. However, even with published research, it’s important to make sure your sources are reliable and that you’re using them properly. One common mistake students make is citing a paper as part of an argument, but in reality (often by mistake) the evidence in the paper does not support the argument the student is making! This usually happens when students don’t read or fully understand a paper’s conclusions. In addition, remember that bold, provocative claims require very strong evidence. Resting your entire thesis on just one or two research papers likely will not satisfy skeptics of your argument, especially if the papers you use are less well-known or less often cited. Beyond published research, to avoid issues with the credibility of your argument, rely on reliable news sites, .gov domains, and learn to tell when sources may have biases.

When using any digital tool for your writing, it is important to understand how it can help you, where its limitations lie, and how you can avoid common mistakes while using it. This will hone your writing skills all through high school, help you to write successful admissions essays, and better prepare you to write at a college level. While ChatGPT can be helpful in the research process if you are meticulous about verifying the information and sources it provides, it should not be used to write a paper on your behalf. In addition to not actually teaching you how to write properly, it’s very easy to catch, and if caught, you’re likely to fail the assignment. In fact, the creators of ChatGPT already released a tool educators can use to flag texts written with AI. Ultimately, the slight time you save is not worth risking your grade in a class.

After exposing yourself to a variety of reading material and familiarizing yourself with helpful writing tools, it’s time to experiment with your own writing! Students can improve their writing by simply writing more. Take the concepts and styles you have noted in your reading and try them out for yourself. Whether writing poetry, keeping a diary, experimenting with creative writing, or penning letters to friends, practicing your writing will increase your comfort and help you find your style.

Depending on the type of writing you are producing, you can also actively seek feedback on your writing and incorporate it. Feedback and drafting are key steps in the writing process, and learning how other people understand your writing can help you identify weaker areas in your work and catch any recurring errors.

If you’re working on a writing assignment, write a quick first draft and seek out the help of a teacher, mentor, or family member to provide edits and offer feedback on how to elevate your piece. After receiving comments, take the time to understand why the comments or edits are being suggested. This is key to actually learning how to be a good writer—you won’t learn where the weaknesses in your writing are coming from unless you understand your editor’s feedback! The more you go through this process and make it a habit for most of your writing, especially longer pieces, the stronger your writing will become over time.

While it’s important to seek out feedback, it’s also important to balance your own thoughts with the thoughts of people editing your work. First, don’t get too defensive and reject all their comments and insights—often, we need a fresh set of eyes on a paper to see where we can improve! At the same time, when starting to ask for more feedback, be careful not to overdo it. For example, don’t ask for too many reviewers: having too many individuals all providing their own feedback and perspective may muddle the point of your paper, or could provide you with contradictory feedback.

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How to Write Any High School Essay

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 564,487 times.

Writing an essay is an important basic skill that you will need to succeed in high school and college. While essays will vary depending on your teacher and the assignment, most essays will follow the same basic structure. By supporting your thesis with information in your body paragraphs, you can successfully write an essay for any course!

Writing Help

Planning Your Essay

• Expository essays uses arguments to investigate and explain a topic.
• Persuasive essays try to convince the readers to believe or accept your specific point of view
• Narrative essays tell about a real-life personal experience.
• Descriptive essays are used to communicate deeper meaning through the use of descriptive words and sensory details.

• Look through books or use search engines online to look at the broad topic before narrowing your ideas down into something more concise.

• For example, the statement “Elephants are used to perform in circuses” does not offer an arguable point. Instead, you may try something like “Elephants should not be kept in the circus since they are mistreated.” This allows you to find supporting arguments or for others to argue against it.
• Keep in mind that some essay writing will not require an argument, such as a narrative essay. Instead, you might focus on a pivotal point in the story as your main claim.

• Talk to your school’s librarian for direction on specific books or databases you could use to find your information.
• Many schools offer access to online databases like EBSCO or JSTOR where you can find reliable information.
• Wikipedia is a great starting place for your research, but it can be edited by anyone in the world. Instead, look at the article’s references to find the sites where the information really came from.
• Use Google Scholar if you want to find peer-reviewed scholarly articles for your sources.
• Make sure to consider the author’s credibility when reviewing sources. If a source does not include the author’s name, then it might not be a good option.

• Outlines will vary in size or length depending on how long your essay needs to be. Longer essays will have more body paragraphs to support your arguments.

Starting an Essay

• Make sure your quotes or information are accurate and not an exaggeration of the truth, or else readers will question your validity throughout the rest of your essay.

• For example, “Because global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt, we need to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels within the next 5 years.” Or, “Since flavored tobacco appeals mainly to children and teens, it should be illegal for tobacco manufacturers to sell these products.”
• The thesis is usually the last or second to last sentence in your introduction.

• Use the main topics of your body paragraphs as an idea of what to include in your mini-outline.

Writing the Body Paragraphs

• Think of your topic sentences as mini-theses so your paragraphs only argue a specific point.

• Many high school essays are written in MLA or APA style. Ask your teacher what format they want you to follow if it’s not specified.

• Unless you’re writing a personal essay, avoid the use of “I” statements since this could make your essay look less professional.

• For example, if your body paragraphs discuss similar points in a different way, you can use phrases like “in the same way,” “similarly,” and “just as” to start other body paragraphs.
• If you are posing different points, try phrases like “in spite of,” “in contrast,” or “however” to transition.

Concluding Your Essay

• For example, if your thesis was, “The cell phone is the most important invention in the past 30 years,” then you may restate the thesis in your conclusion like, “Due to the ability to communicate anywhere in the world and access information easily, the cell phone is a pivotal invention in human history.”
• If you’re only writing a 1-page paper, restating your main ideas isn’t necessary.

• For example, if you write an essay discussing the themes of a book, think about how the themes are affecting people’s lives today.

• Try to pick the same type of closing sentence as you used as your attention getter.

• Including a Works Cited page shows that the information you provided isn’t all your own and allows the reader to visit the sources to see the raw information for themselves.
• Avoid using online citation machines since they may be outdated.

Revising the Paper

• Have a peer or parent read through your essay to see if they understand what point you’re trying to make.

• For example, if your essay discusses the history of an event, make sure your sentences flow in a chronological way in the order the events happened.

• If you cut parts out of your essay, make sure to reread it to see if it affects the flow of how it reads.

Community Q&A

• Allow ample time to layout your essay before you get started writing. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• If you have writer's block , take a break for a few minutes. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
• Check the rubric provided by your teacher and compare your essay to it. This helps you gauge what you need to include or change. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

• Avoid using plagiarism since this could result in academic consequences. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/types-of-essays/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://guides.libs.uga.edu/reliability
• ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/rrambo/eng1001/outline.htm
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/20-compelling-hook-examples-for-essays.html
• ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement.html
• ↑ https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/five_par.htm
• ↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/jason.laviolette/persuasive-essay-outline
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/paragraphs/topicsentences
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
• ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/conclusion
• ↑ https://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/

About This Article

Writing good essays is an important skill to have in high school, and you can write a good one by planning it out and organizing it well. Before you start, do some research on your topic so you can come up with a strong, specific thesis statement, which is essentially the main argument of your essay. For instance, your thesis might be something like, “Elephants should not be kept in the circus because they are mistreated.” Once you have your thesis, outline the paragraphs for your essay. You should have an introduction that includes your thesis, at least 3 body paragraphs that explain your main points, and a conclusion paragraph. Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph. As you write your main points, make sure to include evidence and quotes from your research to back it up. To learn how to revise your paper, read more from our Writing co-author! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how can i improve my essay writing in high school.

Hey guys, I want to make my essays stand out and look better while writing them for my high school assignments or college applications. Are there any words, phrases, or techniques I should be incorporating to improve my essay writing? Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi there! Improving your essay writing takes practice and effort, but there are certainly strategies you can use to make your essays stand out. Here are a few tips and techniques to help you improve your writing:

1. Show, don't tell: Instead of just telling the reader about your experiences, use descriptive language that allows them to see, hear, and feel the situation. For example, instead of simply saying you were nervous during a public speaking event, describe the sweaty palms, the shaking hands, and the butterflies in your stomach.

2. Vary sentence structure: Use different types of sentences to keep your reader engaged. You can use simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. This will make your essay more interesting to read and help you avoid monotonous writing.

3. Avoid clichés and overused phrases: When writing, try to avoid using clichés or overused phrases to make your essay more unique. Think about your personal experiences and how they have shaped you, and express those thoughts in your own words.

4. Use strong, specific verbs: Use verbs that convey specific actions or emotions to give your writing more impact. For example, instead of using the word "said," choose a more specific verb like "whispered," "yelled," or "sighed." This adds depth and helps the reader create a mental image of the scene.

5. Remove unnecessary words: Eliminate any words or phrases that don't add value or meaning to your essay. This will make your writing more concise and clear.

6. Proofread and revise: Always proofread your essays multiple times to catch any grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, or awkward phrasing. It's helpful to take a break between writing and proofreading so you can return with fresh eyes.

7. Ask for feedback: Share your essays with teachers, friends, or family members to get feedback on your writing. They may notice improvements that you didn't catch or offer suggestions to help you make your essay stronger.

8. Read widely: The more you read, the more you'll be exposed to different writing styles, perspectives, and vocabulary. This exposure will help you develop a stronger, more unique voice in your own writing.

Remember to practice regularly and stay open to feedback. It's a process, and you'll continue to improve as a writer throughout your high school career and beyond. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

13 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Academic Essay Writing Skills

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

Anyone can learn to produce an academic essay if they begin with a few basic essay-writing rules. 

An academic essay must be based upon a solid but debatable thesis, supported by relevant and credible evidence, and closed with a succinct and thorough conclusion.

By adhering to the best way to write an essay, you can create valuable, persuasive papers even when you're under a time crunch!

What Makes a Good Essay?

As previously noted, the foundation of any good academic essay is its thesis statement. 

Do not confuse your thesis with your opening sentence. There are many good ways to start an essay , but few essays immediately present their main ideas.

After you draft your thesis, you can begin to develop your essay around it. This development will include the main supporting points of your essay, which will scaffold its main body. 

Essays also typically include a relevant and compelling introduction and conclusion.

Learn How to Write a Great Thesis Statement .

Understanding How to Write a Good Essay

When writing an academic essay, you must take a number of qualities and characteristics into careful consideration. Focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness all play critical roles when it comes to distinguishing an exceptional essay from one that is less than perfect.

The following essay-writing tips can help writers organize, format, and support their essays in ways that fit their intended purpose and optimize their overall persuasiveness. Here are 13 essay tips for developing and writing your next academic paper.

1. Know What You Are Going to Write About Before You Start Writing

While untrained writers might just sit down and start typing, educated and experienced writers know that there are many steps to writing an essay.

In short, you should know what you want to say before you type a single word. The easiest way to narrow down a thesis and create a proper argument is to make a basic outline before you begin composing your essay.

Your outline should consist of rough notes that sketch out your introduction (including your thesis), the body of your essay (which should include separate paragraphs that present your main supporting points with plenty of evidence and examples), and your conclusion (which ties everything together and connects the argument back to your thesis).

2. Acquire a Solid Understanding of Basic Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

Before getting into more refined essay-writing techniques, you must have a solid grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style. Without these writing fundamentals, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas effectively and ensure that they are taken seriously.

Grammar basics include subject and verb agreement, correct article and pronoun use, and well-formed sentence structures. Make sure you know the proper uses for the most common forms of punctuation. Be mindful of your comma usage and know when a period is needed.

Finally, voice is tremendously important in academic essay writing. Employ language that is as concise as possible. Avoid transition words that don't add anything to the sentence and unnecessary wordiness that detracts from your argument.

Furthermore, use the active voice instead of the passive whenever possible (e.g., "this study found" instead of "it was found by this study"). This will make your essay's tone clear and direct.

3. Use the Right Vocabulary and Know What the Words You Are Using Actually Mean

How you use language is important, especially in academic essay writing. When writing an academic essay, remember that you are persuading others that you are an expert who argues intelligently about your topic.

Using big words just to sound smart often results in the opposite effect—it is easy to detect when someone is overcompensating in their writing.

If you aren't sure of the exact meaning of a word, you risk using it incorrectly. There's no shame in checking, and it might save you from an embarrassing word misuse later!

Using obscure language can also detract from the clarity of your argument—you should consider this before pulling out a thesaurus to change a perfectly appropriate word to something completely different.

4. Understand the Argument and Critically Analyze the Evidence

While writing a good essay, your main argument should always be at the front of your mind. While it's tempting to go off on a tangent about an interesting side note, doing so makes your writing less concise.

Always question the evidence you include in your essay; ask yourself, "Does this directly support my thesis?" If the answer is "no," then that evidence should probably be excluded. 

When you are evaluating evidence, be critical and thorough. You want to use the strongest research to back up your thesis. It is not enough to simply present evidence in support of an argument. A good writer must also explain why the evidence is relevant and supportive.

Everything you include should clearly connect to your topic and argument.   

5. Know How to Write a Conclusion That Supports Your Research

One of the most overlooked steps to writing an essay is the conclusion. Your conclusion ties all your research together and proves your thesis. It should not be a restatement of your introduction or a copy-and-paste of your thesis.

A strong conclusion briefly outlines the key evidence discussed in the body of an essay and directly ties it to the thesis to show how the evidence proves or disproves the main argument of your research.

Countless great essays have been written only to be derailed by vague, weakly worded conclusions. Don't let your next essay become one of those.     

6. Build a Solid Thesis to Support Your Arguments

A thesis is the main pillar of an essay. By selecting a specific thesis, you'll be able to develop arguments to support your central opinion. Consider writing about a unique experience or your own particular view of a topic .

Your thesis should be clear and logical, but it should also be debatable. Otherwise, it might be difficult to support it with compelling arguments.

7. Develop an Interesting Opening Paragraph to Hook In Readers from the Get-Go

No matter how you begin your essay, you must strive to capture the reader's interest immediately. If your opening paragraph doesn't catch the eye and engage the brain, any attempt at persuasion may end before the essay even starts. 

The beginning of your essay is crucial for setting the stage for your thesis.

8. Always Remember to Edit and Proofread Your Essay

Any decent writer will tell you that writing is really rewriting. A good academic essay will inevitably go through multiple drafts as it slowly takes shape. When you arrive at a final draft, you must make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.

This means subjecting your essay to close and comprehensive editing and proofreading processes. In other words, you must read your paper as many times as necessary to eliminate all grammar/punctuation mistakes and typos.

It is helpful to have a third party review your work. Consider consulting a peer or professional editing service. Keep in mind that professional editors are able to help you identify underdeveloped arguments and unnecessarily wordy language, and provide other feedback.

Get Critical Feedback on Your Writing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, 9. when developing your essay's main body, build strong and relevant arguments.

Every sentence in the main body of your paper should explain and support your thesis. When deciding how much evidence to include in an academic essay, a good guideline is to include at least three main supporting arguments.

Those main supporting arguments, in turn, require support in the form of relevant facts, figures, examples, analogies, and observations. 

You will need to engage in appropriate research to accomplish this. To organize your research efforts, you may want to develop a list of good research questions . 

10. Choose the Format of Your Essay before Writing It

The final shape that your essay takes depends a great deal on what kind of format you use. Popular college essay format types include the Modern Language Association of America ( MLA ), American Psychological Association ( APA ), and Chicago Manual of Style ( Chicago style).

These formats govern everything from capitalization rules to source citation. Often, professors dictate a specific format for your essay. If they do not, you should choose the format that best suits your field.

11. Create Clear Transitions between Your Ideas

Although unnecessary transition words are the enemy of clarity and concision, they can be invaluable tools when it comes to separating and connecting the different sections of your essay. 

Not only do they help you express your ideas but they also bring a cohesive structure to your sentences and a pleasant flow to your writing. Just be sure that you are using the right transition words for the right purpose and to the proper effect.

12. Always Include an Organized Reference Page at the End of Your Essay

As a key component of MLA, APA, and Chicago Style formatting, the reference or Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic essay.

Regardless of the format used, the reference page must be well organized and easy to read so that your audience can see exactly where your outside information came from. 

To produce a properly formatted reference page, you may have to familiarize yourself with specialized phrases and abbreviations, such as " et al ." 

13. Use Inclusive Language

Incorporating inclusive language in your academic writing ensures that your work is respectful and accessible to all readers. Use gender-neutral pronouns like "they/them" and replace gender-specific terms with inclusive alternatives, such as "firefighter" instead of "fireman." 

You can also respect cultural diversity by avoiding stereotypes and generalizations, specifying details like "Japanese, Thai, and Indian cuisine" rather than "Asian cuisine." Engaging with diverse audiences for feedback and staying updated on inclusive language practices will help you continuously improve your writing.

How to Write a Good Hook for an Essay

The key to a good hook is to introduce an unexplored or absorbing line of inquiry in your introduction that addresses the main point of your thesis. 

By carefully choosing your language and slowly revealing details, you can build reader anticipation for what follows. 

Much like an actual worm-baited fishing hook, a successful hook will lure and capture readers, allowing the writer to "reel them in."

How to Get Better at Writing Essays

You can get better at writing essays the same way that you improve at anything else: practice, practice, practice! However, there are a few ways that you can improve your writing quickly so you can turn in a quality academic essay on time.

In addition to following the 13 essay tips and guidelines above, you can familiarize yourself with a few common practices and structures for essay development. 

Great writing techniques for essays include brainstorming and tree diagrams, especially when coming up with a topic for your thesis statement. Becoming familiar with different structures for organizing your essay (order of importance, chronological, etc.) is also extremely helpful.

How to Write a Good Introduction for an Essay

To learn how to write a good essay, you must also learn how to write a good introduction. 

Most effective essay introductions begin with relatively broad and general subject matter and then gradually narrow in focus and scope until they arrive at something extremely specific: the thesis. This is why writers tend to place their thesis statements at the very end of their introductory paragraph(s).

Because they are generally broad and often relate only tangentially to an essay's main point, there is virtually no limit on what the beginning of a good introduction can look like. However, writers still tend to rely on somewhat cliché opening sentences, such as quotations and rhetorical questions.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Briefly put, a good conclusion does two things. It wraps up any loose ends and drives home the main point of your essay. 

To learn how to write a good conclusion, you will want to ensure that no unanswered questions remain in the reader's mind. A good conclusion will restate the thesis and reinforce the essay's main supporting points.

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

About the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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How To Write Better Essays: 5 Outside-the-Box Techniques + Writing Tips

Table of contents

Brinda Gulati

Stuck on a B, chasing that A+? We've all been there. 

I have two degrees in Creative Writing from the University of Warwick with First Class Honors. From 2013 to 2014, I also studied English Literature at the National University of Singapore. 

Translation: I’ve written a lot of academic essays.

Some good. Some inspired. And others, plain lousy.

After a few Bs and the occasional C, I cracked the code on writing good essays. An average academic essay answers a question; but an essay that gets an A+ solves a problem — whether through discussion, analysis, definition, comparison, or evaluation. 

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to write better essays. You’ll learn how to construct bullet-proof arguments with five unique thinking techniques, cut the fluff, and discover F.O.C.U.S. to improve your essay writing skills. 

Because essays don’t have to be boring. And writing them doesn’t have to either. 

What Makes A Good Essay?

What is “good” writing? The answer is subjective. For example, I loved reading My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, but to some, it might be drivel. 

Nonetheless, many examples of good writing share some core qualities. 

There are five overarching qualities of good essay writing : flow, organization, clarity, unity, and specificity. 

I’ve made a fun little acronym to help you remember them better: F.O.C.U.S.™️

F low: Does the writing flow smoothly from one point to the next? 

O rganization: Have you structured your essay with a clear beginning, middle, and end?  

C larity: Is the writing clear, error-free, and unambiguous? 

U nity: Are all the elements of your writing supporting the central thesis?

S pecificity: Have you provided specific details, examples, and evidence to justify your main points? 

A Fellow at The European Graduate School, and my most cherished mentor, Dr. Jeremy Fernando , has perhaps read, written, and graded thousands of academic essays over the years. 

His advice?  

“You’re asking the reader to go on an explorative journey with you; the least you should do is ensure the trip you’re taking them on is the same as the advertised one.”

5 Creative Thinking Techniques For Writing Better Essays

The thing is, good essay writing doesn’t start at — or even as — writing . 

There’s reading, re-reading, pre-writing, revising, then actually writing, editing, and then writing some more.

As with most persuasive arguments , you need frameworks: points of reference, mental models, and structured approaches to guide your decision making.  

That's exactly what we have here. 

1. Try Reverse Outlining

A reverse outline is just what it sounds like: a process that distills a paper down to its bare essentials, leaving only the key points and topic sentences. The result? A clear, bullet-point blueprint of the paper's structure, whether it's your own work or someone else's.

Key Benefits: 

✅Creates an X-ray of a paper's structure to identify its central arguments and assess its logical flow.

✅Helps you actively engage with someone else’s work to deepen your understanding of the material.

✅Reveals structural issues in your own essay, such as missing or misplaced points, redundancies, or weak arguments.

How To Create A Reverse Outline:

This is a two-step, and perhaps infinitely repeatable process.

Take a blank page and draw a line straight down the middle.

• In the left-hand margin, write down the keywords for each paragraph in your essay. Stick to the main points. Be brief. 
• In the right-hand margin, write down how the keyword or topic supports the main argument. Again, don't sit down to write Bonfire of the Vanities . Make it concise . The goal is to persuasively explain your arguments in a few words.

2. Practice The Lotus Blossom Technique

In this structured brainstorming exercise, you plant your main problem in the center box of a 3x3 grid. Then, you’ll fill the surrounding boxes with related themes to expand your thinking. The method was developed by Yasuo Matsumura at Clover Management Research in Japan.

Key Benefits:

✅ A fun, novel alternative to traditional mind-mapping and spider-diagramming.  

✅Helps you visualize your essay slowly unfolding from its core. (Like a lotus, basically.)

✅I like how it's creative and thorough at the same time. An equal combination of freedom and structure.

How To Practice The Lotus Blossom Technique:

• Put your problem/essay question in the center square.
• Fill in the surrounding eight boxes with ideas related to the problem. At this point, you don’t need to elaborate. 
• Now, flesh out each of your eight ideas. Or, as with the lotus flower image — add another row of petals. 

When all your boxes are filled in, you'll have 64 ideas for one essay argument. As far as starting-off points go, this one’s hard to beat. 

Pro Tip : Did you know that dim light is a creative stimulant? Go dark. Light some candles.

3. Build A Toulmin Argument Model

According to philosopher Stephen E. Toulmin, arguments are broken down into six key components: claim, grounds, warrant, qualifier, rebuttal, and backing. 

There are three essential parts to every argument: the claim, the grounds, and the warrant.

• The claim is the main argument you want to prove to your audience. 
• The grounds of an argument are the evidence and facts that support it.
• The warrant is the assumption which links a claim to its grounds, whether implied or explicitly stated.

✅Craft persuasive arguments through an in-depth analysis that closely examines each part of your essay.

✅Analyzing an argument from its components can help clarify its logic.

✅The rebuttal component encourages you to anticipate and address counterarguments. The more perspectives you consider, the more well-rounded your argument will be.

How To Build A Toulmin Argument Model:

Let’s take a published paper — “ Coffee and Health: A Review of Recent Human Research ” by Jane V. Higdon and Balz Frei — and break it down using the Toulmin model. 

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

• Claim: Consuming moderate amounts of coffee (3-4 cups a day with 300-400 mg of caffeine) has few health risks and some health benefits. Nevertheless, caffeine may be more harmful to pregnant women, children, adolescents, and the elderly.
• Grounds: According to epidemiological studies, coffee may prevent diabetes type 2, Parkinson's disease, and liver disease. 
• Warrant: Studies suggest that coffee consumption in moderation may have some health benefits and poses minimal health risks.
• Backing : A number of well-designed prospective cohort studies with large sample sizes are cited as supporting evidence. 
• Qualifier: This study applies specifically to healthy adults who consume moderate amounts of filtered coffee. Optimal intake hasn’t been defined. 
• Rebuttal: Some may be more sensitive to negative effects. Further research is needed.

I don’t know about you, but I often get convinced of my own arguments when writing essays, and then it’s hard for me to consider other perspectives.

So, if you want a sparring buddy, here’s how Wordtune can help you with counterarguments:

First, I’ve copy-pasted our claim from above 👇🏼

Next, click on the little purple sparkle icon and choose “Counterargument” from the drop-down menu. 

Lo and behold! Not only does Wordtune provide accurate contextual suggestions for a convincing opposing opinion, it goes one step further and cites a clickable source for the research .

Nothing short of time-saving magic , if you ask me.

4. Ask The Five Whys

You need to ask “why” five times to get to the root of any problem. That’s what the inventor of the method, and founder of Toyota Industries, Sakichi Toyoda, believed. 

✅The approach identifies the real problem, not just its surface symptoms. 

✅It’s an easy-to-do and straightforward process that gets to the heart of your essay question.

✅Use this approach in combination with the Toulmin Model to build a killer essay argument.

Asking The Five Whys:

Let’s look at a sample essay question and drill down to its core.

When you have the core of the problem in your palm, you can then start thinking of solutions. Perhaps finding more cost-effective ways to train and support teachers. Or exploring alternative funding options, such as grants and partnerships with local businesses.

5. Experiment With The Ben Franklin Exercise

Franklin wasn’t always a prodigious scholar. While working at a print shop, he reverse engineered the prose from the British magazine, The Spectator , to learn how to write better without a tutor. 

He took detailed notes at a sentence level, contemplated them for some time, and then re-created the sentences without looking at the originals.

In fact, research from MIT shows that it's “not just the study of tiny details that accelerates learning; the act of assembling those details yourself is what makes the difference.” This is called constructionist learning. 

✅Improve your essay writing by studying works of skilled authors through practiced imitation.

✅Organizing your notes from memory will help you construct a solid structure for your essay, and evaluate any gaps in logic and flow.

✅Actively deconstructing and constructing the material allows you to engage deeply with it, and therefore, write better essays.

How I Use The Ben Franklin Exercise:

One of my favorite passages in Literature — as clichéd as may it be — is from Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club . 

• Note how “strongest” and “smartest” are alliterative words, creating a sense of rhythm right in the first sentence.
• The imagery of banality — pumping gas, waiting tables, etc. is at once, vivid and relatable, moving and unmoving.
• The phrase “midddle children of the history man” places the narrative in a broader, more relevant context.
• Notice how the “g” is capitalized for the first mention of war and depression, but then it switches to a small “g” for the same words in the next sentence.
• The repetition of “very very pissed off” is much more effective than simply saving “livid.”

Similarly, start by taking a paragraph from an essay you like. Make sentence-level notes and rewrite its essence without looking at it. 

My Top Tips To Write A Good Essay

1. write lousy first drafts.

You heard me. Write as if your keyboard doesn’t have keys for punctuation. Write as if no one is ever going to read your essay. The goal is to eliminate self-censorship . When you first start writing down your main points, don’t assume the role of a self-editor. 

TRY THIS : Open a blank page, set a timer for two and a half minutes, and type until the bell goes off. Take a break. Repeat. Don’t re-read what you’ve typed. 

Forget proper spelling. Forget good grammar. Those polishes are all for later, when you have something to polish. 

This is freewriting. 

And it’s wildly effective in getting you to stop thinking about deadlines, blinking cursors, and that A+. My highest-scoring essays have all begun with messy, unstructured, poorly-worded first drafts. 

2. Read Other Essays Like A Writer

Think of your favorite book. What makes you call it your favorite? Or a series you’ve watched recently. ( Behind Her Eyes is especially good.) What compels you to see it all the way through? The same principle applies to good essay writing. Have you read an essay in your research that hooked you? Or a friend’s work you wish you could put your name to? 

Read like a writer — become a proactive participant in examining why the writing works. Instead of passively drawing stars next to important observations, ask yourself, “ Why do I like these passages? What are they doing? And how are they doing it?” (Use the Ben Franklin Exercise here.)

Take apart the essay you’re reading like a forensic pathologist doing an autopsy. 

3. Start With An Outline

Speaking of autopsies, a good essay has good bones. Once you’ve disgorged your ideas on the page, start arranging them under headers. 

This blog too, was born in the Notes app on my phone. But if you’re taking the reader with you somewhere, you should know where you’re headed too. 

Pro Tip : Keep two working documents for your essay. One where you dump all the links, sources, and keywords. The other is where you work on your final draft for submission.

4. Cut The Fluff

The deadline’s in a few hours and you’re scrambling to hit minimum word count . Long, winding sentences with gratuitous adjectives you’ve just looked up in the thesaurus to sound more cerebral, erudite, scholarly.

I get it. I’ve done it. And those essays have bellyflopped. Professors know when you’re trying to game them.

Here’s an actual sentence from one of my essays I wrote in 2017:

“Ibsen’s realist drama, and in particular, A Doll’s House , is replete with the problems that chapter and verse modern life – the patriarchal model of the family, money and debt, and the performance of gender.”

And much to my embarrassment, this is the scathing comment from my then-professor: 

“This makes no sense.”

Let’s rework this sentence to make sense using Wordtune (a clever AI helper I wish I had during my university days):

“The patriarchal family model, money and debt, and gendered performance are all apparent in Ibsen's realist drama, especially A Doll's House .”

Much more sensible. 

5. Get Feedback, Edit, And Revise

I can’t emphasize this enough — don’t submit your first draft! Have someone else read it, perhaps a friend in the same class or even from a different major. Look at their eyebrows to see which sections make them frown in confusion. 

Ask them to red-pen sentences and logical gaps. And then —- edit, edit edit! 

Sleep on it. Let the essay stew in the back of your mind for a full night, and come back to it with fresh eyes.

Start (Pre-)Writing Better Essays

The ability to write persuasively will serve you well no matter what stage of your life you are in: high school, university scholar, or a professional trying to get ahead. After all, the human mind is hardwired for storytelling.

Remember, the key is to F.O.C.U.S.

Whether you’re crawling or speeding towards a deadline, bag that A+ with a smart AI assistant like Wordtune !

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

17 Approaches for Encouraging Students to Revise Their Writing

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(This is the final post in a five-part series. You can see Part One here ; Part Two here ; Part Three here , and Part Four here .)

The new question-of-the-week is:

How do you get students to want to revise their writing?

In Part One , Melissa Butler, Jeremy Hyler, Jenny D. Vo, and Mary Beth Nicklaus shared their recommendations. All four were guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

In Part Two , Matthew Johnson, Emily Phillips Galloway, Robert Jiménez, Holland White, Joy Hamm, and Alexandra Frelinghuysen offered their commentaries.

In Part Three , Alexis Wiggins, Keisha Rembert, Alicia Kempin, Sara Holbrook, and Michael Salinger contributed their ideas.

In Part Four , Tara Bogozan, Michelle Shory, Irina McGrath, Mary K. Tedrow, and Donna L. Shrum provided their suggestions.

Today, Sarah Falbo, Jonathan Eckert, Dr. Tracy Edwards, Dr. Rebecca Alber, and Tamera Musiowsky-Borneman “wrap up” this series.

“Authentic audience”

Sarah Falbo began her career with Teach For America in Compton, Calif., and has since taught writing in public, charter, and private elementary and middle schools in the Pittsburgh area. She has also taught at WPWP-sponsored Young Writers Institutes for many summers and coaches students through the college-application essay-writing process:

Six ways to answer the magic question: How do we get students to want to revise their writing?

• Offer them authentic assignments, not arbitrary prompts. I find that when my students are invested in the assignment, they are much more likely to care about their writing and want to make it better. Let them take a stance on a controversial issue that matters to them for a debate, propose a solution to a real-world problem as a TED-talk script, or have them choose two high-interest topics to compare/contrast.
• Have them appeal to an authentic audience. Find opportunities to have someone other than you their teacher read and respond to your students’ writing. Some options for an additional audience include blogs, writing contests, letters to the editor/principal/CEO, or even the class down the hall.
• Show them the underlying structure to their piece to help them see what they can add or don’t need. This can be a revelation—especially to our students to whom the writing process can seem mysterious or too touchy feely. One good way to do this is to add color, literally. Have students color-code reasons, elaboration, and examples in a persuasive essay or details in a memoir. Is there a balance?
• As motivation, help them see that their favorite authors often spend more time planning and revising than drafting. The following blog has lots of practical advice from famous authors and even a handwritten plot chart that J.K. Rowling used while planning out The Order of the Phoenix (See 12 Contemporary Writers on How They Revise .)
• Explicitly teach students how to use the tools already at their fingertips. Students having trouble typing the words? Use the voice-activated microphone. Finding or spelling the perfect word? Check out the online thesaurus or dictionary. Detecting grammatical errors? Try the grammar checker. I know that this can be controversial, but since these tools are here to stay, why not teach our students how to use them responsibly to improve their writing.
• Pick out positive student examples to share with the class during the revision stage. Too often, students equate revision with correction; instead, share an excellent transition, a terrific metaphor, an original thought, or a perfectly chosen word to motivate students at the start of a revision lesson.

I hope that you and your students find these six tips useful as you embrace the messiness of revision—this essential, yet often dreaded step to improved writing.

“Three principles”

Jonathan Eckert is a professor and the Copple Endowed Chair at Baylor University. He has taught elementary, middle, undergraduate, and graduate students outside of Chicago; Nashville, Tenn.; and now, Waco, Texas. He is the author of The Novice Advantage and Leading Together :

I am convinced that I cannot intrinsically motivate any student to want to do anything …. But don’t stop reading.

I have taught 4th graders through graduate students over the past 25 years and have come to realize that by definition, intrinsic motivation comes from within. That is not something that an external person can force.

This does not mean I have given up on getting students to revise their writing well. I am just starting with a different premise—this one: As teachers, we can create conditions where students are more likely to be intrinsically motivated. We do this by providing honest feedback and helping students realize improvement is possible and observable. Here are three principles that have helped me:

Principle #1: Make improvement valuable to students

As a college professor, it makes me sad to see other professors write numerous comments on an assignment that has been graded. What do college students do with these papers once they see the grade? Most recycle the paper or click to the next screen without internalizing the comments.

College students are almost exactly like the middle school students I taught in this regard. In fact, this is true of almost all human beings. Whether we do well or not, the comments do not mean a great deal if there is nothing we can do to improve upon our performance and the subsequent evaluation because the final judgment has already been rendered. At a minimum, students should have an opportunity to improve their grades, but more importantly, they should be able to identify ways in which their work improves over time. This is not about grade inflation. This is about giving students the feedback they need to demonstrate deep, meaningful learning through their writing.

Principle #2: Give concrete feedback on students’ best efforts

As teachers, we need to create opportunities for students to get feedback from peers and from us when they can still improve their final product. That means two things: 1) We have to train peers to give clear, specific feedback for improvement; and 2) as teachers, we need to be sure that we give feedback on “first final drafts.”

Students need specific things to look for in their peers’ writing with training on what good writing would look like; otherwise, peer feedback becomes pooled ignorance. I got the phrase, “first final draft,” from another professor. What it means is that we need students’ best efforts so we can give them meaningful feedback. For many students, a “rough draft” is whatever they can get together the night before, on the bus, or right before class. As I tell my students, the quality of my feedback is dependent on the quality of the work upon which it is based.

Principle #3: Remember that students are just like us

We all want to get better. We want feedback to improve, not evaluation that feels like judgment. Teachers are far more receptive to an evaluation process that focuses on improvement than one that feels like judgment. Our students’ writing should not be any different. Our feedback should point them toward good examples, provide direction for improvement, and facilitate their ability to grow as writers.

While we cannot intrinsically motivate other human beings, we can create conditions where they are more likely to want to improve as writers. As Dan Willingham, a cognitive scientist at the University of Virginia, writes, “People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking.” This is especially true for writing, so the key is to tap into curiosity and improvement as we engage in the writing and feedback process with our students.

“Nobody reads this stuff but you anyway!”

With nearly 20 years of educational experience, Dr. Tracy Edwards has an extensive background in teaching, literacy, and curriculum development. Tracy currently works as a 5th grade teacher and curriculum developer at Odyssey Charter Schools:

“A significant part of the writer’s practice—maybe the only part that matters when it comes to attitudes—is recognizing that writing is difficult, that it takes many drafts to realize a finished product, and that you’re never going to be as good as you wish.”

- John Warner, Why They Can’t Write

Writing can be tough. It’s particularly challenging because it never really seems finished. For students, the sense of dread often comes when they realize revision is a natural part of the writing process—one that requires them to make some sophisticated decisions around when a piece is done.

The Power of Authentic Audience

Many teachers make the mistake of ignoring the importance of audience in conversations around student writing. However, the reality is, students, do not want to write for US. They simply don’t.

Writing is a valid, authentic expression of the millions of ideas and questions students have swirling around in their heads. When writing, students want to give their opinions, debate, or simply express things they’ve been deeply contemplating. However, having them write simply for us is not enough for them to want to revise. I discovered this while doing my unit on persuasive writing years ago. Students initially let out the usual large groans when they found out that they’d have to revise their drafts, perhaps several times. “Why? Nobody reads this stuff but you anyway!”

At the time, I had given them the writing prompt, “Should students have to wear uniforms?” Yes, students had plenty of valid opinions about this idea. Yes, they had researched and even cited sources and written the first draft. Yet, they couldn’t fathom why they needed to further clarify ideas and content if it was just for me. “Well, who do you think should be reading these?” I asked. “The principal, assistant principal, and anyone else who can actually do something about it” was the consensus.

So I made them a deal. When they completed the assignment, I would give every single letter to our administration. I even asked the principal to come in and reassure them that he would read them. The resistance to revision began melting away almost immediately. They were suddenly extremely invested in revising their work. Their ideas and voices mattered, and they wanted to make sure that these ideas came across clearly, even if this meant replacing large chunks of their original texts.

They ended up creating their own peer-editing circles, requesting appointments with me when they wanted my feedback, and holding discussions on our social network where they gave each other tips on how to make sure their messages were clear. It was truly glorious and it forever changed my views on what revision can look like for developing writers, especially when they’re intrinsically motivated to do so.

Dr. Rebecca Alber is an instructor at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education. A teacher educator and literacy specialist, she advocates liberatory education and literacy in all K-12 classrooms. She is an ardent follower of the Abolitionist Teaching Network @ATN_1863 and Rethinking Schools @Rethink Schools:

First, share with them that revision is about reseeing a draft, not correcting or editing it but making the writing stronger and tighter. (Correcting comes during the editing process.)

Next, share the reason and rationale for revision. For example, I would show my high school students Tupac Shakur’s The Rose That Grew from Concrete poetry collection. I’d take the book, open-faced, and on the left-side page is a scribbled poem from his journal with cross-outs, words replaced, and arrows rearranging phrases and words, and on the right-side page is the published poem in its new form. We then look closely at Shakur’s handwritten draft on the left and compare it with the more polished typed version. Students quickly see how tinkering with the words and the arrangement can make one’s writing have way more of a punch.

Next, I teach students explicitly a revision strategy. This means I take them step by step through a revision activity using a draft of their writing so they can see how a simple activity, such as one called “looping,” can improve their draft.

Here’s how looping works: Ask students to find a golden line from their draft and then write it at the top of a clean page of paper. Then, give them five or six minutes to firewrite (write without stopping) below that golden line. I then ask them to read over this new writing piece and I then ask, Do you like it better than your original draft? More than half the class would say yes. Even those who decide to stick with their original draft tend to see the value in the exercise and usually transfer some of the new writing to their original draft.

Another explicit revision strategy: Color-coding helps students identify exactly what they can replace, rearrange, omit in their drafts. For example, give your students colored pencils and have them go through their draft. First, with a green pencil, for example, they underline lines where they tell (“she was so tired”) and then they can rewrite it to show (“with eyelids drooping, she shuffled across the room”). Have them take an orange pencil, for example, and underline all the “dead” words—those words overused and common ( good, bad, nice ). They can then replace those words with less common words ( worthy, wicked, pleasant).

What I found is that if I provide space and time in writers’ workshop for these explicit revision activities, and time for them to share, they actually enjoy revising their drafts.

“Be the model”

Tamera Musiowsky-Borneman is an international educator, adviser, and coach who has taught in Singapore, New York City, and Edmonton, Canada. Follow her on Twitter: @TMus_Ed:

Student writers will write just to get it done! To get their teacher off their back! And honestly, there is triumph in completing a rough draft! Writing is a challenging process for even the most gifted writers, and revising can present additional stress, impeding the flow of completing written work. Revising a draft is a commitment requiring stamina and another set of skills.

Because revising writing can have the appearance of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as a teacher, you will want to alter the appearance so what students’ experience in the revising process is actually a sheep in sheep’s clothing.

Four ideas to get students to want to revise their work:

• Be the model for how revision looks and sounds. Take your students through your own process of revising your own writing. Always have some writing pieces in a notebook or in your Google Drive that you can revise in front of your students. I show students all the drafts I have started, open one, and go through my process. I do a natural flow of thinking out loud and make revisions, connecting that to the process taught in class.
• Partner up. Kids love to talk and share. So let them! When I asked students what motivates them to revise their writing, responses were overwhelmingly the same: a partner and colored pens. Give students checklists and some nice pens, and set timers for focused partner revision sessions.
• Use social media. Reach out to students’ favorite authors! You can tweet, direct message, send a snap, or create an Instagram story. With the accessibility teachers have to social media for school use as well as published-author public accounts, it is entirely possible that you and your students can send a tweet to a favorite author asking about how they revise their books!
• Schedule a Skype call. Again, given accessibility to writers in the digital world, you can potentially set up a Skype call with an author to discuss the revision process with students. If you are unable to set up a call with an author, check their websites for videos or tips about the writing process. YouTube can be your next choice for finding authors working through the revision process.

I find joy in teaching writing. It does not need to become a chore or stressful. If you enjoy writing, likely your students will, too.

Thanks to Sarah, Jonathan, Tracy, Rebecca, and Tamera for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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4 Engaging Writing Tasks for High School Students

Short, authentic writing tasks can encourage high school students to compose richer long pieces.

It’s quite likely that many of your students dislike writing. After all, they’re often expected to compose lengthy pieces that typically require lots of brainstorming, researching, planning, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing—and that can be exhausting. My class of high school boys had the same attitude, and their short, underdeveloped, and passionless pieces were most telling. I had to overhaul my approach.

During my quest for an alternative practice, I quickly learned that by building students’ knowledge about the topic on which they are expected to compose, and by initially assigning them shorter and more authentic writing tasks, we can successfully motivate them to write longer, richer, and more compelling multiparagraph pieces. Yes, baby steps—from a creep to a stable walk—can work wonders.

Incorporate Knowledge-Building Activities

Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler said it best in  The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades : “Writing and content knowledge are intimately related. You can’t write well about something you don’t know well. The more students know about a topic before they begin to write, the better they will be able to write about it.”

Documentaries, podcasts, TED Talks, and other authentic and engaging audiovisuals can facilitate this knowledge building. Field trips, as well as interviews with relevant community-based experts, can also offer students significant fodder for their writing.

Moreover, when students have interesting discoveries to share, they’ll be excited about the writing tasks, and their compositions are likely to be longer, more detailed, more affecting, and more compelling. Because they have a rich knowledge bank, they’re less likely to get stuck and frustrated as they write. Knowledge stimulates ideas.

But information gathering is not all. It’s also important to show students how to use the newly learned content. We don’t want them to plagiarize information or inadvertently silence their own voices by over-quoting others. Their research should enhance what they write, not substitute for their initial thoughts or suppress their creativity.

What can you do then?

Go beyond lessons in citation format. Model, through write-aloud, how to make decisions about the content included in written work, how to paraphrase and summarize from the original source, and how to ensure that the added content actually strengthens what you already have.

Offer Authentically Rooted Writing Assignments

Finally, make sure that the writing assignments are authentic—with realistic, real-world communicative goals and true-to-life audiences (not just the classroom teacher). Here are some suggestions that you can implement in your teaching practice:

Travel blogs:  Take students on virtual field trips. Nearpod , Google Earth, and YouTube are excellent for this. Following this activity, have students write a blog post to describe the place they visited. If your students have visited resorts or attraction sites locally, they could write about that experience, recommend activities for prospective visitors, and simultaneously persuade them to visit when it is safe to do so.

Their insights might even persuade others to travel to this site. Students could use pictures to supplement their writing. They could also convert their written piece into a mini-video production for a real or imagined YouTube channel that promotes exotic getaways. Their composition would become the audio narration, and, with some background reggae, R & B, or any other culturally popular music, their piece would be beautifully transformed into a riveting marketing pitch.

Movie reviews:  Due to the pandemic, we know that many of our students may be watching far more movies than ever before. Therefore, let’s repurpose this social activity and use what they love or do for pleasure to help them refine a key academic skill. Have students write a review of their most recently watched or favorite film.

Prompt them to provide a summary of the movie, share their impressions of major characters and the plot’s unfolding, and examine the techniques used to create suspense and mounting tension. Later, when they’re writing their own narratives or putting on drama productions, they can adopt and adapt some of these techniques.

Song or music video reviews: Some students enjoy listening to music, so a song or music video review could also motivate them and facilitate interest-based differentiation. State where the review may be published—a local tabloid, a social media page, etc. Have students keep that in mind as they write so that their finished pieces are authentic and fitting for the context and audience intended.

Social media:  Based on your content area, you could have students make discipline-specific posts and write related captions. For instance, if you are looking at rocks in geography or soil types in science, have students photograph different types and post related descriptive or explanatory captions. They’ll be learning and teaching concurrently.

Provide Mentor Texts

These activities are exciting, but before you scuttle off to assign them, find or create models of the kinds of writing that you want your students to produce. Discuss the sample by prompting students to keenly attend to the content and the writer’s craft (style and techniques) throughout the piece.

Finally, make arrangements to have your students publish their pieces—through a safe online space or through an in-school magazine or newsletter—for authenticity at its finest.

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14 Best Writing Books for Middle and High School Students

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Published: March 23, 2023 | Updated: March 21, 2024

Writing can be a daunting task for middle and high school students. I taught them for many years and I know exactly how they feel about it. I used to tell my students that to be a good writer you need to be a good reader. Unlike other literacy skills, writing is strictly related to reading, the more you read the better writer you become.

[ Related: Best Essay Writing Books for High School Students ]

With this in mind, I went ahead and curated this list of some very good writing books for middle and high school students. From the basics of essay-writing to finding one’s creative voice, these books offer valuable advice and guidance to improve students writing skills. Whether you’re a student yourself or a teacher of middle or high school students, these writing books will provide you with the resources and tools necessary for success.

Writing Books for Middle and High School Students

Here is our collection of writing books for middle and high school students:

1. Be a Better Writer: For School, For Fun, For Anyone Ages 10-15, by Steve Peha, Margot Carmichael Lester 

Be a Better Writer: For School, For Fun, For Anyone Ages 10-15 is a book written by Steve Peha and Margot Carmichael Lester to help you become a better writer. This book walks through each of the three sections by providing tips and strategies that will improve your writing.

For school, it includes techniques like What-Why-How and Content-Purpose-Audience to analyze arguments more effectively. For fun, it includes The Five Facts of Fiction to strategize better story lines and description. Finally, the book encourages readers to find their voice, share their stories, and become a better writer now.

2. How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay Step-by-Step: Step-by-Step Study Skills , by J Matthews

How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay Step-by-Step: Step-by-Step Study Skills, by J Matthews is the perfect companion for any learner looking to improve their writing skills. Not only does this workbook provide a clear, step-by-step approach to essay writing, but it also gives students the confidence that they can master any essay assignment. This workbook covers all the essential aspects of an essay, from pre-writing to editing.

3. Student Voice: 100 Argument Essays by Teens on Issues That Matter to Them , by Katherine Schulten

Student Voice: 100 Argument Essays by Teens on Issues That Matter to Them, by Katherine Schulten is an anthology of essays written by young people on a variety of topics. This book not only provides an opportunity to learn from the perspectives of someone similar in age, but it is also a great way to understand the issues that are important to today’s teens.

The essays in this book cover topics such as technology, gender roles, gun control, and race. Each of the essays has been carefully selected to showcase both the student’s writing style and their ability to persuasively argue their point of view.

4. How To Write Any High School Essay: The Essential Guide , by Jesse Liebman 

How To Write Any High School Essay: The Essential Guide, by Jesse Liebman, is a comprehensive guide to writing any high school essay, no matter the teacher or subject. It is grounded in the real-world experience of tutoring in New York City’s top schools and provides clear and creative guidance for high school writers at all levels, as well as middle schoolers looking to get ahead.

Liebman’s guide outlines the steps for writing an essay and provides sample essays to help writers develop their ideas, express them convincingly, and use their time effectively. Additionally, quick tips are provided throughout the guide to help writers stay focused and organized. How To Write Any High School Essay is essential for any student looking to excel in their English or History classes.

5. Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students , by Mignon Fogarty

Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students, written by Mignon Fogarty, is a comprehensive guide for all levels of students. With the help of this guide, readers will learn how to write proper sentences and punctuation, as well as how to use their own style of writing.

In the book, Fogarty provides grammar rules in a humorous and engaging style, as well as pop quizzes to help readers understand each lesson. The book will also cover grammar and punctuation in different contexts, such as the parts of speech and how to use them properly. Finally, the book contains a writing style guide chapter, so readers can learn how to write in their own style.

6. Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing , by Penny Kittle 

Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing, by Penny Kittle is a comprehensive guide for English/language arts teachers on how to teach writing. It explains best practices, instructional frameworks, genre work, skills work, assessment techniques, and Penny’s own strategies.

She provides detailed teaching information, minilessons for students’ immediate needs, profiles of individual writers, study guide, reproducibles, writing samples from writers and students, suggestions on nurturing your own writing life, and a helpful FAQ.

7. Unjournaling: Daily Writing Exercises That Are Not Personal, Not Introspective, Not Boring !, by Dawn DiPrince, Cheryl Miller Thurston

Unjournaling: Daily Writing Exercises That Are Not Personal, Not Introspective, Not Boring! is an innovative book written by Dawn DiPrince and Cheryl Miller Thurston. In it, the authors provide 200 unique writing prompts that are entirely impersonal but still engaging for students of all ages.

For example, one prompt is “Explain a new invention that would make life easier for everyone” and another is “Write a bedtime story that all the world’s cultures could agree with.” Along with these questions, the authors provide sample responses to help readers visualize how to answer these questions.

8. Burn After Writing Teen. New Edition , by Rhiannon Shove

Burn After Writing Teen, by Rhiannon Shove is an interactive book designed to help young people explore who they are and who they want to be. It includes questions such as “What are your hopes and dreams for the future”, “What do you wish you had more time to do” and “What makes you unique?”

The book provides thought-provoking and inspiring activities, and encourages young people to be brave and open-minded in their responses. The book also offers an opportunity for teens to express themselves honestly, without having to worry about judgement from their peers. And at the end of it all, they can burn the book and start fresh. Burn After Writing Teen is a great tool to help teens explore their identity and learn more about themselves.

9. Rip the Page!: Adventures in Creative Writing , by Karen Benke

Rip the Page!: Adventures in Creative Writing, by Karen Benke is an instructional guide for unlocking creative writing potential. It includes exercises, prompts, and words to spark creativity and help writers break through writer’s block.

Readers are provided with lists of “big”, “small”, “gross-out”, and “favorite” words to help them come up with possibilities for their writing. In addition, Benke encourages readers to take dares and double-dares, which can be used to create outrageous paragraphs combining truth and lies. Finally, the book includes letters of encouragement from famous authors such as Annie Barrows, Naomi Shihab Nye, Lemony Snicket, and more.

10. Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly , by Gail Carson Levine

In Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly, Gail Carson Levine, a Newberry Honor author, provides aspiring authors with the tools they need to create captivating stories. She offers advice on generating ideas and developing characters, as well as how to craft compelling dialogue and beginnings and endings. Writing Magic also offers exercises to spark creativity and get over writer’s block.

Levine shares her wisdom with a unique, humorous voice that encourages aspiring authors to unlock their creative potential and use it to write stories that will stay in the hearts of readers. With Writing Magic, Levine promises readers they can bring their own special magic to the page and create unforgettable stories.

11. Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook , by Ellen Potter, Anne Mazer 

Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook, by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer, is an invaluable guidebook for aspiring young writers. It provides practical advice on how to find one’s voice, develop characters and plots, make revisions, and overcome writer’s block.

The authors include anecdotes from their own experiences as well as fun writing prompts to help jump-start projects. This book is filled with encouragement and guidance through every step of the writing process, making it an essential tool for young writers who are looking for their place in the literary world.

12. Writers INC: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning , by Patrick Sebranek, Dave Kemper, Verne Meyer

Writers INC: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning, by Patrick Sebranek, Dave Kemper, Verne Meyer is an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike. It covers everything related to writing, from the writing process to writing essays and research papers. It provides readers with guidelines, models, rules, and friendly advice to help them with their writing. T

he book also includes sections on reading, learning, speaking, and thinking to make it a comprehensive reference book. In addition to all the information provided, Writers Inc also contains full-color maps, useful tables and charts, and historical documents.

14. Essay Writing for High School Students , by Alexander L. Terego 

Essay Writing for High School Students, by Alexander L. Terego is a comprehensive guide to help students write better essays. It encourages creativity and critical thinking by introducing a “thinking outside the box” approach.

The book provides tips on how to develop a point of view and includes step-by-step instructions, along with exercises and sample essays, to illustrate the techniques. It also includes strategies for developing an effective thesis statement and constructing a strong argument.

Final thoughts

In wrapping up this exploration of invaluable writing resources for middle and high school students, I hope you’ve discovered some gems to inspire and guide young writers on their journey. The books listed offer a treasure trove of advice, strategies, and exercises tailored to developing writers, each designed to illuminate the path from initial concept to polished piece. I highly recommend exploring these titles, whether you’re a student seeking to refine your craft or an educator aiming to inspire your charges.

Related Posts

Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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5 Effective Tips for Teaching High School Writing

Writing is an acquired skill that takes many years of practice and feedback to master. High school writing instruction poses a unique challenge for teachers who must ensure their soon-to-be graduated students, whether they opt for college or career, can communicate their ideas in writing. Here, I share five tips for teachers to use in the high school classroom as their students continue to master the writing process.

How to Teach Writing to High School Students

At the end of students' high school careers, they should have mastered the art of writing in various formats, including persuasive , narrative , informative , research, short constructed responses, and analysis of literature and nonfiction. The array of formats may make teaching writing to high school students seem overwhelming. Luckily, research has given us a clear approach to accelerating writing gains—practice, feedback, and revision—principles that are integrated into the design of HMH's program Writable for Grades 3–12.

At the high school level, this trifecta may take place independently, with peers, in groups, or with the guidance of a teacher. Researchers suggest that carefully planned instruction include opportunities for writing practice, peer review, and revision based on feedback. Additionally, feedback from the teacher is paramount throughout the entire writing process. Support in the form of writing examples, models, and specific, measurable feedback is needed to improve student writing.

Writing Strategies for High School Students

Boost writing skills for high school students with these tried-and-true strategies that ensure students get the practice, feedback, and revision experience they need for success. Teaching multilingual students? Use these strategies to support them in the writing process.

Strategy 1: The Tour Guide

This strategy, aptly called The Tour Guide , is a tour of an exemplary essay. If students are expected to write a proficient essay, they must be guided through the components of one.

How is the essay structured? Are there multiple paragraphs? Are there citations woven throughout? What does it look like? How does the content reflect the prompt? How does the grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure contribute to the overall read of the essay? These are all questions that are asked, and subsequently answered, as the teacher takes the class on a guided tour of an essay.

Take this strategy up a notch by allowing students to annotate an essay on their own computer using extensions like Kami or apps like Google Docs. As the teacher reviews each component on the tour, students can annotate the essay using the tools for highlighting or commenting. HMH's program Writable has built-in annotation tools, plus teachers can save time using the program's AI-generated editable feedback in English or Spanish (see example below), draft scoring, and originality check.

Strategy 2: Read Like a Writer

When students are tasked with writing essays such as a literary analysis or argument, a key indicator of success is seamlessly incorporating cited text from multiple sources. This synthesis of research, culminated in a student essay, is critical for high school writing and beyond. Oftentimes, the first part of this process is overlooked: gathering the text evidence that will be utilized in the essay. So let's not skip this important step. Students should read multiple sources in preparation. Read like a writer , a common phrase amongst teachers, is a strategy that will set students up for success when it comes time to write the essay.

Give each student a graphic organizer along with a writing prompt. Next, leave space for the student to fill in the title of the text they are reading, the author, and the cited evidence as it pertains to the prompt. As students read multiple texts, they will have an organized outline of the information they are to include in the essay. Doing this proactive step benefits students when it comes time to synthesize across multiple texts and produce an essay. Instead of having to retrace their steps, students can refer to their graphic organizer and begin to write. This has been one of the most successful strategies in my experience to get students on task and engaged because they have a starting point.  

Strategy 3: Puzzle Pieces

How many times have you heard a student say, "I don’t know how to start?" I’ve heard it countless times and my response is always, " Do you know how to finish?" Students can feel overwhelmed when starting an essay and, in my experience, starting has always been the hardest part for them. But I've also found that students often have some parts of their essay pieced together in their head.

The Puzzle Pieces strategy encourages students to begin writing at any part of the essay. For example, maybe a student can perfectly describe a character they’ve envisioned and are ready to get that character down on paper! Why should the student wait for the character to be introduced in the story they’re writing? The same applies to a literary analysis essay. If students have a firm grasp on certain parts of the text they are analyzing, they should begin to write their ideas down.

Letting students write their essay in pieces, and then put it together like a puzzle, is beneficial for students who need the task broken down in smaller chunks. As students start to build momentum with their essay, their confidence and motivation also increases. After they have pieced their essay puzzle together, they will need to revise and add transitions to make the essay flow from one paragraph to the next. This is a great time to provide some feedback using student review or teacher review .

Strategy 4: Revise Out Loud

Once students are in the revision stage of the writing process, a great strategy is to have students record themselves reading their essays aloud using their phone or laptop. When students record themselves, they are not only practicing their fluency, but getting a good first read of what their essay would sound like to an audience. Oftentimes, this is a skipped step in the revision process, but an important one for students to do.

When students are done recording themselves, they can play it back and listen for grammatical errors, sentences that may need more description for clarity, or editing of punctuation. Students really love this new twist on revising. Give this strategy a try in your classroom and see students embrace the power of revision!  

Strategy 5: Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light

It is no secret that writing conferences with a teacher are beneficial to a successful writing piece. Students need plenty of practice and specific feedback to write an exemplary essay. While it is always a goal to conference with all students multiple times throughout the writing process, it may be difficult to do so in a formal conference. Therefore, this strategy is differentiated for students at their various writing levels.

Using an interactive whiteboard like Google Jamboard, or sticky notes on an anchor chart, create three headings—“Red, Yellow, Green.” Each student should write their name or student ID number (if you use a number system in your classroom) and move their sticky note under the heading that they feel best represents the conference they need for that class period. If students place their sticky note under the red heading, this indicates they would like a writing conference with their teacher. If a student places their sticky note under the yellow heading, this means they are proceeding with caution, but would like to conference with either a teacher or peer. And you guessed it—if students place their sticky note under the green heading, they are ready to work independently for the class period.

This strategy allows teachers to be mindful of what students need as they write. And it allows students to self-assess their needs, direct their learning, and voice what works best for them—whether it be a conference with a teacher or peer, or to work by themselves. Give this strategy a try and watch students become self-directed writers!

Share Your Best Writing Strategies

What are your go-to writing strategies for high school students? We'd love to hear how you help them master the writing process. Share ideas with us on Facebook , Instagram , or via email at [email protected] .

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How to Write an Expository Essay: Lesson & Guide for High School ELA and AP Lit

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Need a detailed guide to teach students how to write an expository essay ? This three-page ( editable ) Word document provides step-by-step instructions from tackling the prompt to revising and editing the final draft.

Use this handout as an outline for your lesson planning or give it to students as a "how to" guide or as lecture notes to follow as you explain each concept!

• Emphasize the importance of carefully reading and understanding the prompt, crafting a clear and concise thesis, organizing the paper effectively, finding evidence to support claims, and developing body paragraphs with strong commentary to accompany evidence.
• Outline the process of writing an engaging introduction and a compelling conclusion.
• Stress the significance of revision and editing to ensure clarity and coherence.
• Teach the fundamental principles of writing a well-structured and persuasive expository essay.
• Cover transitions, flow, clarity, specificity, and evidence-based arguments with ease!

Provide your students with comprehensive guidance for writing an effective expository essay! In a world inundated with information, the ability to present well-structured and evidence-based arguments is crucial for engaging and informing readers . Equip your students with these vital 21st-century skills!

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