I spent three hours last Tuesday staring at a blank screen, convinced that structure would kill whatever I was trying to say. My thesis sat there, perfectly formatted, waiting for me to populate it with evidence and analysis. But I kept thinking about how Malcolm Gladwell writes–how he meanders through stories before landing on something … Read moreHow do I balance creativity and structure in an essay?
I’ve spent the better part of a decade reading abstracts. Thousands of them. Some made me want to keep reading immediately. Others made me close the tab and move on. The difference wasn’t always obvious, and that’s what bothered me most. I’d find myself staring at two abstracts on similar topics, one compelling and one … Read moreWhat Should a Strong Research Abstract Include?
I’ve been teaching narrative essays for about seven years now, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the first question students ask me is never about voice or emotional resonance. It’s always about structure. Specifically, they want to know: how many paragraphs should this thing actually be? There’s something about that question that … Read moreHow Many Paragraphs Should Be in a Narrative Essay Explained
I’ve spent the better part of a decade reading student essays, grading them, and watching people panic about how to organize their thoughts before they even start writing. The outline is where most students stumble, not because they lack intelligence, but because nobody really teaches them how to think about structure in a way that … Read moreWhat is the best way to write an academic essay outline?
