Writing engaging and memorable essays is a skill that can help you succeed in college and beyond. Whether you are writing for academic, personal, or professional purposes, you want your essays to capture the attention of your readers and convey your ideas clearly and effectively. In this article, I will share some tips and techniques that can help you improve your writing skills and make your essays more interesting and persuasive.
If you have the option to choose your own topic, pick one that touches on current matters, relates to your personal interests, or sparks your curiosity. A topic that is relevant, meaningful, or intriguing to you will make it easier for you to write with passion, enthusiasm, and originality. It will also make it more likely that your readers will share your interest and want to learn more about your perspective.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your history class, you might choose a topic that relates to a current event, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global politics, or a topic that interests you personally, such as the role of women in the American Revolution.
A hook is a sentence or phrase that captures the reader's attention and makes them want to read on. A hook can be an anecdote, a quote, a statistic, a question, or anything else that relates to your topic and showcases your voice. A hook should be placed at the beginning of your essay, preferably in the introduction, to draw the reader in and set the tone for the rest of your essay.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your English class about the theme of revenge in Hamlet, you might start with a hook like this: "Revenge is a dish best served cold, or so the saying goes. But what happens when revenge consumes you and leads you to madness and tragedy? This is the question that Shakespeare explores in his masterpiece, Hamlet."
Readers will get bored if you are writing on a dry subject matter or making vague or general claims. To make your essay more engaging and persuasive, you should use examples or statistics to support your points and illustrate your ideas. Examples or statistics can be drawn from your own experience, research, observation, or other sources. They can help you provide evidence, explain concepts, create images, or appeal to emotions.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your math class about the applications of calculus in real life, you might use examples or statistics like this: "Calculus is not just a theoretical subject that has no use outside of the classroom. In fact, calculus is used in many fields and professions, such as engineering, physics, biology, economics, and medicine. For instance, calculus can help engineers design bridges and buildings that can withstand natural forces, such as wind and earthquakes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, civil engineers earned a median annual wage of $88,570 in 2020."
Rhetorical questions are questions that you ask without expecting an answer from the reader. They are used to make a point, provoke thought, or create suspense. Rhetorical questions can make your essay more engaging by involving the reader in your argument or narrative, challenging their assumptions, or stimulating their curiosity.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your social studies class about the causes and effects of climate change, you might use rhetorical questions like this: "Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. It affects every aspect of our lives, from our health and safety to our economy and environment. But what are the main causes of climate change? And what can we do to prevent or mitigate its consequences? These are the questions that we will explore in this essay."
Writing with the same sentence structure over and over can make your essay monotonous and boring. To make your essay more interesting and dynamic, you should vary your sentence structure by using different lengths, types, and patterns of sentences. For example, you can use short sentences for emphasis or contrast, complex sentences for explanation or qualification, parallel sentences for balance or rhythm, or inverted sentences for surprise or emphasis.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your science class about the benefits and risks of genetic engineering, you might vary your sentence structure like this: "Genetic engineering is the process of altering the DNA of living organisms to create new traits or characteristics. It has many potential benefits for humans and animals, such as curing diseases, improving crops, and creating new medicines. However, it also poses many ethical and environmental risks, such as creating unforeseen side effects, disrupting natural balance, and violating moral principles."
Rhetorical devices are techniques that writers use to enhance their arguments or narratives by creating effects such as comparison, contrast, repetition, exaggeration, irony, humor, or emotion. Some common rhetorical devices are metaphors, similes, analogies, contrasts, alliterations, hyperboles, understatements, sarcasms, or jokes. Rhetorical devices can make your essay more interesting and persuasive by adding variety, creativity, and flair to your writing.
For example, if you are writing an essay for your art class about the influence of pop art on modern culture, you might use rhetorical devices like this: "Pop art is more than just bright colors and comic book images. It is a cultural phenomenon that reflects and critiques the mass media and consumer society of the 20th century. Pop art artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Keith Haring used irony, humor, and exaggeration to challenge the conventions and values of traditional art and culture."
These are some of the tips that can help you make your essays more engaging and memorable. However, there are many more aspects of writing that you can improve and practice, such as using proper vocabulary, analyzing evidence, writing effective introductions and conclusions, using proper grammar and punctuation, planning and outlining, getting feedback, and proofreading and editing. You can find more information and advice on these topics and more by visiting the websites listed below. I hope this helps you enhance your writing skills and craft impressive and memorable essays for any purpose. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for choosing me as your college admissions consultant.