Here are some basic guidelines that you should follow when writing an essay. It may be that not every guideline will suit a writer's individual tastes, but before ignoring one of these steps completely, you should, at least, give each step a try.

Research: When writing an essay, the first thing you must do is some preliminary research. You do not have to go and read every book on the subject you are choosing, but just look and see what sort of materials are accessible on your topic. You should keep in mind the following points:

You know that your topic is too broad if you find an unlimited supply of sources. In order to find a suitable focus, you will have to dig deeply into the subject.

After doing a serious search and not finding any resources, your topic may either be too new or too narrow.

Use the Internet with a grain of salt. It can be a wonderful source of knowledge, but it can also be a source of complete nonsense. Make sure that all of your sources are NOT Internet based. In order to have a valid topic, your sources should come from different people or groups of people.

Now that you have done your preliminary research, you are ready to zero in on your topic and choose a focus for writing your essay.

Compiling your Notes: Now that the bulk of your research has been done, you should have several pages of notes. These can either be on paper, the computer or both. Don't try to sit down and stick random pieces of information into an essay. Have some highlighters or colored pens handy. In this way, you can decide what comes first, second and so on.

Writing your Essay: Once your outline has been solidified, you can begin to knit the pieces of information together into formal prose. As you write your essay, try to do so using an analytical mind so that you can bring your points together to make a coherent statement.

Assume that your reader knows nothing about your topic. This means that you should explain who different people are and what things do so that it will all fit together in the end. Develop clear and uncomplicated prose. Make sure you use words correctly. Do not make your sentences choppy or so long that they go beyond a single idea. You must make a concerted effort to be clear about every point in your essay.

Try not to wait until the last few days to do your research. You may find that all of your resources have already been checked out. Don't wait until the final hour and pull an all nighter to write your essay. You don't want to turn in a second-rate piece of work.

Schedule different parts of your essay so that you do not have to scramble at the last minute to finish all of its parts at once. The final product that you turn in will be much better if you make good use of your time.

If you follow the above pointers, you will be sure to turn out an essay that will be a credit to your hard work!