By using the stages and guidelines for the writing process, writers will be able to start putting ideas to paper in the form of an essay. In most writing, the essay follows a particular structure that makes for strong organization and development of ideas. The typical essay structure includes a beginning, middle, and end, respectively, an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Beginning, the Introduction: The purposes of an introduction in writing are the same as they are when one person introduces another person. Within a well-written introduction, the hook stirs interest; the orientation presents general information that will be useful in further communication; and the thesis conveys a clear message about the subject. It is important to remember, though, that the thesis is not simply an announcement. It is a clear statement of purpose that focuses the essay. It gives the essay direction and should be stated in a way that provides the writer with places to go. In other words, it is neither too close-ended nor too open-ended. It is a clear, guiding statement of intent or definite stance promising evidence from the writer.

Middle, the Body: The body of an essay is its heart. While the introduction and conclusion to essays, particularly college assignments, are brief, generally one paragraph, the body of the essay is substantial, composed of several paragraphs that develop the thesis in focused detail.

• Topic/Sub-topic Sentences: Each paragraph needs to have a topic sentence that states its main idea. A long paragraph needs sub-topic sentences.
• Development: Each topic and sub-topic needs supporting details.
• Focus: Each paragraph should also be clearly connected to the thesis
• Resolution/Transition: Finally, each paragraph needs a definite concluding sentence or transition sentence that also connects it to the next paragraph.

The body of the essay is where the work of the essay occurs. Sometimes students will write essays with long beginnings and endings and only short middles. That is like making a fancy sandwich out of thick slices of bread surrounding a thin layer of mustard. The bread in a sandwich is there to hold in place the meat, fixings, and condiments that are the real meal. Essays, too, need a satisfying body of material for the reader to read, weigh, and consider, guided by a competent writer who has provided the reader both substance and direction to facilitate understanding the ideas contained in the essay.

Ending, the Conclusion: A conclusion is the finishing flourish that tidily wraps up the essay. It can be a logical solution to a problem, for example, a recommendation that the federal government cut spending to balance its budget. It can be the end of a story about a man who was fired from IBM but eventually went on to found his own successful dot-com company. It could be a judgement on an issue, such as Intelligent Design versus evolution. Or it could be a prediction of the consequences of adopting a particular policy, for example, a recommendation to close America’s borders because, along with illegal immigrants, terrorists, and drug dealers are stealing across the Rio Grande. Whatever the conclusion, it will only be satisfying if the writer has provided adequate and substantial support for the conclusion in the body of the essay. Without that support, the conclusion is as valuable as an opinion about favorite flavors of ice cream, meaningful to the writer, perhaps, but insignificant, unimportant, irrelevant, or valueless to the reader.

To sum up, if one of the parts of the essay is missing, the essay may fall flat. As different ingredients work together to form a cake, so do the different parts of the essay—the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

Getting Started

A simple strategy for shaping an essay is to answer the following questions:

1. What point do you want to make? [Any point you make should be significant, important, relevant, or valuable in some way to the reader] (thesis)
2. What does the reader need to know to understand why you need to make that point? (introduction)
3. What ideas do you need to explain to make that point so that the reader "gets it"? (topic sentences)
4. What details do you need to include to explain your ideas? (supporting details)
5. And, what do you want the reader to remember about what you have said? [What significant, important, relevant, or valuable things] (conclusion)

Use the answers to create a rough draft where

• the answers to questions 1 and 2 are used to write the first paragraph: Introduction ending in thesis;
• the answers to questions 3 and 4 are used to write the middle paragraphs: body paragraphs, each beginning with a topic sentence followed by supporting details; and
• the answers to question 5 are used to write the final paragraph: Conclusion.