Essay writing is an indispensable part of academic life - something a student cannot overlook. Essay writing demands certain skills on the part of the writer. The term 'essay writing' is now more applied in the academic context, while essays are written by famous and upcoming essayists in the non-academic world as well. A well-written essay is proof of the writer's knowledge of a certain topic. Essay writing is a valuable tool for monitoring the skills of proper organization of ideas, good vocabulary, systematic argument and coherence of ideas.
Essay writing at the academic level requires a thorough knowledge of the primary sources dealt with. It is ideal to develop a system of note taking and carefully sorting the secondary sources referred to. Another significant aspect to note while writing an essay is to pay attention to the keyword, that is, whether one is asked to analyze, discuss, compare and contrast, criticize, define, discuss, evaluate, or illustrate. The style should be clear and should lay out a clear picture of the thesis statement. Lengthy sentences very often hinder smooth reading, as is the case with passive usages.
In essay writing, ideas should be distributed in an orderly fashion using paragraphs, preferably with evidence supporting the argument. Supporting evidence should be well documented in the desired citation style. It is important to avoid plagiarism of any kind while writing an essay and acknowledge the source whenever it is referred to. To get a good end product, the essay should be revised thoroughly. Diction and style are important aspects of an essay and are to be given special care. Wordiness is a defect to be avoided and it is absolutely necessary to proof read the essay upon completion to guarantee that it is error free.