How to write
How to Become a Better Essay Writer: 8 Essential Tips
Author:
Michael Perkins
Apr 4, 2025
13 min
Table of contents
If you want to become a better essay writer, you can’t ignore how much strong writing impacts your academic success. Whether you're tackling a critical essay or exploring different topics, your ability to explain ideas effectively sets you apart. Excellent writing skills don’t just help with grades - they shape the way readers understand your point.
Here is a short list for writing exceptional essays:
- Practice writing regularly
- Create an outline before you start writing
- Focus on your thesis and support it with evidence
- Structure body paragraphs around main points
Essay writing builds confidence and clarity. It also trains your brain to present arguments logically.
In this article, we'll share eight essential tips for becoming a better writer and explain the importance of each step.
At EssayWriters.com, you can access expert help, sharpen your essay-writing skills, and get support at every stage.
How to Get Better at Writing Essays
Ready to get better at essay writing? Good, because this next section is all about that! Here’s a little spoiler for the tips we’ll talk more about later:
- Write a lot - it’s the only way to get better
- Create a quick outline before you start
- Focus on your thesis - it’s the heart of your essay
- Keep each paragraph focused on one big idea
- Use smooth transitions so everything flows
- Clean up your draft until it makes real sense
- Ask for feedback and actually use it
1. Write a Lot - It’s The Only Way to Get Better
There’s no shortcut to good writing skills. It takes practice. So, write a lot if you want to get better. Write anything - an analytical essay, a rhetorical analysis, or simply express your opinion about something. It's that simple - the more you write, the better you’ll get. And most importantly, you will find your true voice.
- Good writing takes time, effort, and patience.
- Every essay helps you form better sentences and fix grammar and punctuation errors.
Over time, your writing style will feel more natural, and presenting ideas will come easier. Think of each paper as a step toward becoming the kind of student who can ace any subject, form strong points, and write essays with real clarity.
2. Create a Quick Outline Before You Start
Before you start writing, take five to ten minutes and sketch out an outline. Don't try to make it perfect - it just has to be enough for you to keep you on track. When your main points are already mapped out, the rest of the essay becomes a whole lot easier to write.
- An outline keeps your thoughts in order.
- It helps you build strong body paragraphs and stay focused on your thesis.
Plus, it saves time. You won’t get stuck wondering what to write next. With a clear plan, you can explain your ideas effectively, support your arguments with evidence, and keep your paper flowing from the intro to the conclusion.
3. Read a Lot and Pay Attention to Writing Styles
If you want to get better at writing essays, you’ve got to read more. Not just textbooks - read articles, blogs, essays, anything. Look at how writers structure their points, how they introduce a topic, and how they wrap it up. Observe different writing styles and think about why they work or don't work. Reading helps expand your vocabulary, sharpen your language, and gives you real examples of how good writing actually looks on the page.
4. Learn How to Do Research That Actually Helps
Good essay writing starts with solid research. Before you write a single word, dig into your subject and collect facts, examples, and evidence you can actually use. Research helps you develop your thesis statement, back up your arguments, and explain your ideas clearly. It also gives your paper structure and makes your points stronger.
When you understand your topic, you can focus better, relate ideas effectively, and write an essay that feels complete and clear from start to finish.
5. Keep It Clear
Focus on clarity if you want to become a better essay writer. Using simple words and short sentences and getting straight to the point is all you need to write an excellent paper. Avoid fancy language at all costs - what a good essay needs is strong writing skills, a clear thesis, and ideas that flow like a river.
Stick to an active voice, avoid filler words, and explain your arguments without rambling. The goal is to help your readers follow your thoughts, understand your main ideas, and see the overall structure of your paper without getting lost.
6. Don’t Skip the Editing
Writing the last sentence doesn’t mean you’re done. A strong final draft takes real editing. You want to avoid grammar and spelling errors to get better at writing essays, right? Then, go back and read your essay out loud; chances are you'll spot at least one mistake. Look for punctuation errors, awkward sentences, and parts that don’t fully explain your point.
Check your thesis development, make sure your body paragraphs support your main ideas, and see if your arguments flow in a logical order. Good writing takes shape when you revise, not when you hit ‘submit.’
7. Ask for Feedback
One of the fastest ways to improve your essay writing skills is by getting honest feedback. Ask a friend, tutor, or teacher to read your paper. A fresh pair of eyes can spot unclear sentences, weak arguments, or parts where your ideas don’t fully connect.
Feedback helps you evaluate your writing, fix issues with structure or grammar, and develop your writing skills over time. Every bit of criticism is a chance to write a better essay next time.
8. Write About Different Topics
Practicing doesn't mean you should stick to one topic and write about it over and over again. It won't help you at all. If you really want to be better at writing essays, you should come out of your comfort zone. Write about different topics, the ones you are interested in and, more importantly, the ones you don't really know much about. As a result, you'll explore new ideas and broaden your thinking patterns, which directly translates to more diverse and complex writing.
With writing consistently, you'll find it easier to create a unique, original structure; forming arguments will also come easier.
How to Write Better Essays: How Teachers Score Them
If you want to improve your essay, you need to understand how teachers score them. Let’s see what the main criteria are.
Thesis
The thesis statement is the heart of your essay. It’s a clear sentence or two in your introduction that shares your main point. Every paragraph should connect back to it. If you want to write better essays, focus on a strong thesis. Teachers look at how well your arguments, evidence, and structure support it from start to finish.
Strong Form
A well-organized essay follows a clear structure from the introduction to the conclusion. Smooth transitions between body paragraphs keep ideas flowing in logical order. Remember what we said about an outline? This is where it comes in handy - to avoid getting lost mid-draft, you should always start with an outline. It’ll help you organize your thoughts and focus on what matters. If you want to practice essay writing that actually works, structure is everything.
Style
Your writing style is your voice on the page. Varying sentence lengths and word choices show fluency and confidence. Compare this: “School is hard. I don’t like it.” vs. “School presents challenges, but it pushes me to grow.” Big difference, right? To write better essays, let your style show through while still staying clear and focused.
Conventions
Conventions are the basics - spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They seem small, but too many errors make your writing hard to read and even harder to trust. If you’re looking to practice essay writing, make editing part of the process. Clean writing helps readers focus on your ideas, not your mistakes. Good conventions show you care about clarity.
Supporting Documents and References
Using solid sources makes your essay stronger. Quotes, paraphrases, and research should support your main points - not just fill space. Always cite properly so teachers know where your evidence came from. When you practice essay writing, treat sources with care. Good references show that your arguments are informed, credible, and rooted in accurate information.
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To improve essay writing, you need to write often, read with purpose, build strong arguments, and polish every final draft. Focus on structure, support your thesis, and learn from feedback. Good writing comes with practice, patience, and clarity.
Need a hand? EssayWriters is a reliable place where our essay writers can help you with writing any academic assignment when you need it most.
FAQs
How to Become Better at Writing Essays?
Practice writing regularly, read different writing styles, and study how strong essays are built. Focus on your thesis, structure your arguments clearly, and revise often. Feedback helps, too - the more you write and learn, the better your essays will be.
How to Improve an Essay?
Start by reviewing your thesis, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Check for clarity, grammar, and logical order. Add evidence where needed, fix weak arguments, and clean up spelling or punctuation errors.
How can I Become a Faster Essay Writer?
Create a quick outline before you start writing. Know your main points, keep your thesis focused, and avoid overthinking every sentence. With more practice writing and better planning, your speed and confidence will improve naturally over time.
Sources
University of Melbourne. Writing a Great Essay. 2024. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/reading,-writing-and-referencing/essays/writing-a-great-essay.
