Essay writing is a task that few students look forward to. It can involve painstaking research, days poring over drafts, and often spending time writing that you would rather spend pursuing more fun activities.
Of course, let’s not the work of developing a thesis, which can often feel like the most time consuming part of essay writing!
At the centre of every strong essay is a clear and well-articulated thesis, or the main point of an essay. While usually just a sentence or two long, a significant amount of time can go into writing a thesis because the entire essay will be built upon its premise.
If you are on the verge of developing a thesis for an essay, you have arrived at the right article. We will give you our top tips for writing a thesis - practical strategies that will make thesis writing as efficient as possible.
Let’s dive in!
Are you faced with the task of writing an essay? Find out what a thesis is and why it matters to your assignment.
What are some Tips for Writing a Thesis Statement?
Invest Time in Research
While diving right into the writing and cranking out a thesis may seem like an aggressive approach, good thesis writing actually starts with reading and research.
Invest as much time as you can into reading about the topic you are writing about, so you can understand your topic thoroughly and find out what the main arguments and discourses are. When you have a firm understanding of your topic, you will find that it is much easier to state your point or position.
Doing lots of research beforehand will also make the essay writing much easier, as you will know which texts and articles you can cite supporting evidence from. Be sure to take notes and document what you have read for your “works cited” page later!
Be sure to honour the time it takes to read: start researching as early as possible so you can process and think clearly about all of your reading. When you have had a chance to consolidate all of your learning, you will feel more confident when generating your thesis.
Stuck on getting your thesis written so you can finish your long essay assignment? Find examples of a thesis so you can see if you are headed in the right direction.
Make Time to Brainstorm or Freewrite
Brainstorming or freewriting before writing a thesis is an essential step. You might spend this time simply writing words and phrases that come to your mind on a page, and making connections when you see everything on the paper.
You may even want to try just writing a thesis without worrying about punctuation or if your sentence even makes sense - the goal is to get your ideas on the page.
Many writers find it easier to revise and work with existing writing rather than generating new content. This is why simply taking the time to write freely can yield so many interesting results.
If you don’t feel productive during this initial phase of writing, you may need to go back to reading, take a break, or check in with yourself to see if there are other things that could be causing a mental block.
Try a Graphic Organizer
Sometimes it can be hard to see the big picture of your essay by simply attempting to write out a thesis. A graphic organizer or chart can help you to roughly sketch out a broader vision of your paper so you can formulate your thesis with a sense of the scope it needs to cover.
What might such a graphic organizer look like?
You might have space to write your thesis at the top of the page, with three separate areas where you can write the different areas you want to explore. To be efficient, focus on writing jot notes rather than full sentences.
A big advantage of using a graphic organizer is that it will give you a road map to follow for your entire essay: as you write your first draft, restructure and add detail to the jot notes you have written for each section.
Be Flexible with your Thesis
It is really difficult, if not impossible, to write a thesis that you do not change or adapt as you write the rest of your paper.
For this reason, flexibility is key.
You may find that you change your thesis multiple times as your essay evolves. Be open to making changes, and do not feel as though you need to commit to the first iteration of your thesis.
In fact, it would be rather rare to get a thesis exactly how you want it prior to writing out the rest of your paper, which is even more reason to move forward even if you aren’t fully satisfied with your first try!
Writing a thesis statement can seem like an impossible task, especially for those of us who dread essay writing. Learn more about the steps to crafting a perfect thesis statement.
Get Feedback from a Classmate or Teacher
Feedback is critical to improving your writing craft, and can unlock your creativity in ways you had not thought of.
When you have some thesis ideas, or a thesis formulated, do not hesitate to share it with your classmates, teacher, or a trusted family member. They may have questions or constructive criticism that will help you to get your thesis statement to the next level.
You may find that you revise and improve your thesis, or take a new direction in your thinking that helps the writing to flow better.
When getting thesis help from a classmate, be sure to return the favour and share your own feedback on their work. Sometimes, seeing how someone else has responded to the same assignment can be eye-opening and even inspiring.
Do Frequent Mental Health Checks if you Feel Stuck
Writing a thesis can feel like an uphill battle, especially if you’ve been trying to come up with one for hours. It is always good to check in with yourself to see if other things outside of writing need to be acknowledged and addressed.
While you might not be able to solve all of your problems before your assignment is due, sometimes giving yourself the time to think through personal issues or other stressors can remove mental obstacles that prevent you from getting your work done.
Hire a Writing Tutor for Thesis and Essay Writing
You may have heard about getting writing or essay help from a tutor or a professional writer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting support from an educator or senior level student.
A tutor can help you in a variety of ways. They can talk you through different ideas, guide you to resources that will help your research, or offer you strategies to parse out your ideas more efficiently.
Writing tutors are typically experienced students or professional writers, and they bring a lot of knowledge and experience that you may not get from classmates or family members. Unlike friends and family, they will be much more committed to helping you get the thesis and essay done.
A tutor can help you well beyond the thesis writing process, and coach you through writing the rest of your essay. You can request that they hold you accountable for following a schedule of writing, which is great if you have an upcoming deadline.
Once you have a draft written, a tutor can support you with editing and revision, which is often when some of your best writing will happen!
It is near impossible to do so without the investing significant time in prewriting and planning. Find out how to write a winning thesis statement.
Where Can I Find a Writing Tutor?
Finding a writing tutor is easy with Superprof Canada. Superprof is a site with listings of dozens of writing tutors, many of who may be a great fit for your needs.
To find the right tutor for you, use the search tool on the site to see options available in your area. You might even want to narrow the search to tutors that have experience in the topic you are writing about, whether it is about literature, history or science.
You can find tutors who will work with you in person, or virtually if that is your preference. Each tutor will have a photo and a brief bio that shares their level of education, rates, and availability.
Why delay on your writing progress? Find a tutor on Superprof today!
How do you write a thesis statement? Learn all the steps to generate a strong thesis for your essay.
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
