When working on an essay you have to know what the teacher is looking for. Is it content? Then have convincing arguments. Is it organization? Make sure you outline your paper first. Whatever they're looking for-- have it.
You can start by understanding the assignment-- read it carefully and know what's being asked. Many papers are shot down early because people just didn't understand the topic or assignment. Ask questions, and ask again if you still don't understand.
After that, think, Think hard, and write. You don't have to write it all at once, but you have to scribble something, and this is how the structure of the paper grows. All those scratchings lead to your paper.
Make sure, if it's research, you have your material. Set everything you need next to your computer, take a deep breath, and begin to draft your outline and then, when you're happy with that, your essay.
Vary your sentences-- too long and too short all the time gets distracting. VAry your vocabulary, and stay off the thesaurus key. YOu should know your audience well enough to determine what language and tone is appropriate. YOur'e not writing a quick email, after all.
Then, EDIT. And edit again. Then edit one more time. Spell-check, proofread, and read aloud. MIstakes will sound clearly like mistakes. Print your final draft, staple it, and make sure you've completed all requirements. And don't turn it in late!.
While good writing is difficult to identify sometimes, bad writing is easy. It's clunky, jumbled, unclear, and vague, and you could care less about it. A well-written essay for class needs to be well-considereed, careful, and intelligent. After all, if you sound stupid-- you might look stupid to people, too.
