how to write a good drama essay

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How to write a good drama essay?

Essay paper writing

Thinking about the cultural heritage of a country, people usually remember music, paintings, costumes, and even cuisine, but often forget about drama. This art has taken various forms in different countries, and most nations have a great history of its development.

For ages, it has evolved from being merely entertainment for masses to something a lot bigger and more valuable. It started reflecting the real life, presenting both beautiful and ugly sides of it, teaching people important lessons, educating them, delivering certain messages, and raising public awareness.

Therefore, if you were assigned a drama essay, you have a wide variety of topics to choose from and viewpoints to consider. While picking the topic might not be the biggest issue, as you likely know a few plays you might want to review, the writing part might be a little tricky. Let us walk you through it though.

Drama essay outline

There is nothing special about the structure of dramatic essays. Its main elements are:

Introduction. Start with a hook phrase, provide a few sentences with some background information on the topic, and end the introductory paragraph with a thesis statement showing the purpose of your paper.
Body. If you are writing a typical 1-2-page essay, the body will likely consist of about 3-5 paragraphs, each with its own main idea and supporting sentences.
Conclusion. The main task of this section is to restate the thesis statement, briefly overview the discussion you had in the body, and leave your readers some food for thought.

Drama essay format

The question of formatting always concerns students because it constitutes a considerable part of the overall grade. If you are a school student, you will likely be asked to use APA or MLA style. But if you study at a university, then the choice of formatting styles can be wider. Therefore, it is better to clarify which one would be the most suitable with your professor before you start working on your essay.

Drama essay help: best tips

Drama studies, the same as numerous other courses, require their students to work on different kinds of tasks, and many of them involve essay writing. Even though you are familiar with various types of papers and have certainly worked on a wide range of topics, the most frequent task you may be assigned is usually an analysis paper. No matter how many essays you have prepared before, drama writing assignments will be a unique, unusual, and unexpectedly enjoyable experience that will fascinate you each time.

As most professors try to help their students relish each drama essay assignment and approach it creatively, they often leave minimum instructions to follow. While some people see it as an opportunity to learn in comfort and recognize the limits of their own perception, others freeze in confusion, having no idea what to do next. It is completely natural to feel baffled when you are used to staying within limits set by teachers but are suddenly given so much freedom for experiments and action. It is just important to come out of this perplexed state and make a clear plan like this one:

Choose a play

Obviously, a drama analysis essay cannot be done if there is nothing to analyze. Therefore, it is important to pick the play first. Teachers can provide their students with a list of plays to choose from, and as you have no time to watch them all and then pick one, read brief descriptions of them on the Web, and go with the play you liked the most.

If you have no list, the situation gets a bit more complicated, but there is no need to worry, as you can create such a list on your own. Focus on the topic you are currently studying on the course, and search for plays that would have the needed time frame, country, exact theatre, or team of actors. Make your own little research on these plays to figure out what they are about and make the final decision on what you are going to analyze.

Think of the assessment criteria

The type of paper you are working on implies that you need to analyze certain aspects of the play you will watch, and it is crucial to decide what those things will be. If you have to focus on technical attributes of the play, then lights, quality of music, costumes, and decorations are the nice assessment choices. However, writing about drama, you will more often be asked to put the emphasis on something spiritual or emotional. In this case, it is better to examine acting itself, as well as the role of crewmembers, their involvement, language, feelings, and contribution to the play. You can always look up the criteria, but it is better to come up with a few on your own, write them all down, and make sure they all will be suitable for your essay on drama.

Outline, write, and revise

When you feel ready for writing about drama, create proper working conditions for yourself, and prepare an outline first. Find a place where nothing will bother you, turn off your phone, and take everything you need for writing. Look up how to structure the work, check out the outline provided above, or find a suitable sample and check how it is organized.

You can either use a similar structure or outline the drama paper on your own using the data you have. Think about the purpose of the work, the information you want to present, and the way you will shape your discussion. Start writing a drama review only when the outline is ready and make sure to proofread it when you finish.

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Literary Terms

When & How to Write Drama

Definition & Examples
When & How to Write Drama

How to Write Drama

Start with characters . The best dramas are usually character- driven. They have a cast of main characters (usually fewer than 10), plus a handful of supporting characters. These characters should all be very distinct from one another, and the main characters should be authentic and life-like. This way, the audience can relate to them and cares what happens to them.
Introduce conflict. All stories revolve around conflict, and this is especially true in drama. The conflict could be anything – the simplest example is political conflict or war, but you might also have competing love interests, clashes in personality, or simply a struggle against misfortune.
Don’t forget about comic relief. Unless you’re writing a tragedy (see section 6), there should be at least some amount of humor in your drama. Otherwise, the negative emotions will get overwhelming and the experience will be too unpleasant for the reader. Give a few funny lines to your characters, or add an amusing situation somewhere to cut the tension – just make sure that this comic relief arises naturally from the story and it doesn’t feel like you’re cramming it in.

When to Use Drama

Drama is great for a creative writing project. It offers opportunities to work on character development, story structure, and a whole other set of writing skills. Every once in a while, you may also find a place for drama in formal essays , but you have to be careful.

For example, history essays are often more enjoyable to read if you craft them with a “dramatic” eye – focusing on a small set of main characters, contrasting these characters and their various desires, and fully describing the conflict at the center of the story. These techniques, in combination with good research and persuasive logic, can turn a good essay into a great one. However, you do have to be careful – too much drama in a formal essay can start to seem distracting, and you don’t want to give the impression that you’re more committed to the entertainment value than to the research and analysis.

List of Terms

Alliteration
Amplification
Anachronism
Anthropomorphism
Antonomasia
APA Citation
Aposiopesis
Autobiography
Bildungsroman
Characterization
Circumlocution
Cliffhanger
Comic Relief
Connotation
Deus ex machina
Deuteragonist
Doppelganger
Double Entendre
Dramatic irony
Equivocation
Extended Metaphor
Figures of Speech
Flash-forward
Foreshadowing
Intertextuality
Juxtaposition
Literary Device
Malapropism
Onomatopoeia
Parallelism
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Point of View
Polysyndeton
Protagonist
Red Herring
Rhetorical Device
Rhetorical Question
Science Fiction
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Synesthesia
Turning Point
Understatement
Urban Legend
Verisimilitude
Essay Guide
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75 Drama Writing Prompts To Spice Up Your Script

It's time to tap into the human experience..

Little Children

The drama genre captures the essence of life's trials and triumphs, inviting audiences and readers alike into worlds both vastly different and strikingly similar to their own.

The following drama writing prompts are designed to ignite the imagination of writers.

Check them out below.

75 Drama Writing Prompts

Creating drama writing prompts can be an engaging way to inspire stories filled with conflict, emotion, and character growth. Here are 75 prompts designed to spark your creativity, whether you're writing a play, screenplay, novel, or short story:

A character discovers a hidden letter revealing a family secret.
Two strangers are the only survivors of a plane crash in a remote area.
A young lawyer takes on a case that challenges their moral compass.
A forbidden romance between members of rival families.
An ambitious artist struggles to balance their passion with personal responsibilities.
A whistleblower faces the consequences of exposing corruption in a powerful corporation.
A time traveler tries to prevent a historical tragedy, but falls in love with someone from the past.
A group of friends on a remote camping trip uncover something sinister.
A detective becomes too emotionally involved in a case.
An immigrant's journey to build a new life while facing prejudice.
A soldier returning home struggles with PTSD and reintegrating into society.
A family is torn apart by a will that reveals unexpected conditions and secrets.
A couple's marriage is tested when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
A community is shaken by a series of mysterious disappearances.
An athlete faces a career-ending injury and must find a new path in life.
A politician's career is threatened by a scandal from their past.
A scientist makes a breakthrough discovery that challenges ethical boundaries.
An undercover agent gets too close to the criminal organization they're infiltrating.
A child prodigy wrestles with expectations and their own desires.
A person gains the ability to hear others' thoughts, uncovering more than they bargained for.
A parent and child reconcile after years of estrangement.
A heist gone wrong forces criminals to confront their own morality.
A celebrity's fall from grace and their journey to redemption.
A young adult must choose between familial duty and personal dreams.
An ancient curse haunts a family generation after generation.
A character faces a moral dilemma after finding a bag of money.
A betrayal among friends leads to a web of lies and revenge.
A natural disaster traps a group of characters, revealing their true selves.
An aging athlete attempts a comeback against all odds.
A character is accused of a crime they didn't commit.
A couple adopting a child faces unexpected challenges.
A rivalry between two chefs in a high-stakes culinary competition.
A survivor of a cult struggles to adjust to normal life.
A character receives a heart transplant and begins to take on the traits of the donor.
An actor's obsession with a role leads to blurred lines between fiction and reality.
A character embarks on a quest to find a lost parent.
A dystopian society where emotions are forbidden.
A small town's dark secrets are uncovered by a new arrival.
A character must navigate the dangerous world of organized crime to protect their family.
A magical realism story where a character can see the future but cannot change it.
A journalist fights to expose the truth in a corrupt society.
A character struggles with addiction and the journey to recovery.
A forbidden love story set in a futuristic society.
A story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
A family's generational curse comes to a head with the youngest member.
A character's life changes after swapping bodies with a stranger.
A person tries to rebuild their life after losing everything.
A tale of revenge between two powerful families.
A character discovers they are part of a government experiment.
A love triangle with a supernatural twist.
An artist finds a mysterious painting that holds the key to their past.
A character must choose between love and duty.
A story exploring the complexities of identity and gender.
A group of survivors on a deserted island uncover a mystery.
A ghost seeking to resolve unfinished business in the living world.
A political thriller set in a volatile regime.
A character becomes entangled in the world of espionage.
A forbidden relationship challenges societal norms.
A family is haunted by a tragic event from their past.
A story of redemption for a character who has lost their way.
A rivalry between two magicians becomes dangerously intense.
A journey through a fantastical land to break a curse.
A character must save their sibling from a cult.
A prophecy foretells a great calamity, and characters must prevent it.
A story of friendship tested by a moral dilemma.
An exploration of the impact of technology on human relationships.
A character is forced to confront their past when an old friend reappears.
A rivalry turns into an unexpected partnership to overcome a common enemy.
A person must navigate the complexities of a polyamorous relationship.
A character's ability to manipulate dreams becomes a curse.
A small town detective uncovers a national conspiracy.
A character is reincarnated with memories of their past life, affecting their present.
A historical drama about a revolution that changes the fate of a nation.
A character faces discrimination while trying to reveal their true identity.
A tale of sacrifice, where a character must give up something precious for the greater good.

These prompts can serve as a foundation for stories that explore deep emotional truths, challenge societal norms, and capture the complexities of the human condition.

Feel free to adapt and combine prompts to create unique and compelling narratives.

Now, go get writing before your estranged uncle reveals a tragic secret about your family heritage.

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A Week in the Life of Emmy-Nominated 'Frasier' DP Gary Baum

Hear a first-hand breakdown of prepping a live multi-cam network shoot from seasoned vet gary baum..

Written by Gary Baum

Since I Love Lucy debuted on CBS in 1951, the Multi-Camera format has defined the comedy genre on television. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball created the format along with Karl Freund, ASC.

Their original intention was to film the comedy series with 3 cameras shooting simultaneously in front of an audience. The successful format has endured for almost 75 years, with of course updated modern technology .

Now we shoot with digital 4k format in 1:78 to achieve a 16x9 view, which is compatible for network and streaming delivery. With most studio audience shoots, such as Frasier , we use four Sony VENICE cameras with Panavision primo zoom lenses, maintained by my DIT. I shoot in S-log utilizing an on set LUT created by my Video Control operator.

Since the comedy is shot proscenium style to incorporate the full eﬀect of watching the entire scene without breaks, it aﬀords the audience the experience of a theatrical performance and the actors with a live feedback that isn't available on other formats.

Four cameras are blocked to capture all required angles; wide, medium, overs, two shots, singles etc.

The cameras are constantly moving to predetermined queues which require diﬀerent focal lengths and angles. A typical four minute scene can incorporate 40 to 50 shots. It’s a ballet of sorts, and quite the visual experience onto itself.

Lighting for the multi-camera experience is a world onto it’s own. We must light from above without any lights on the stage floor to impede the camera’s movement. Every scene is lighted for four cameras, as we don’t have the luxury of lighting for multiple setups within a scene as with a feature or single camera TV.

For a typical five day work week, the first production day starts with a production meeting followed by a table read, and usually a light rehearsal. Hopefully the sets are up and we can start our lighting. We start the “heavy lifting” of using our larger units placing them for cross back keys and to entrance points. We use fresnel incandescent units for their throw ability as these lights can be 20 plus feet away from the intended target. I carry custom engineered LED “Obie” lights on each camera.

The second day is another rehearsal with a producer run through. At this stage, we can see the actors’ movements which then we can address with our smaller lights and some fill ratios. The third day, is rehearsal again, dealing with some script re-writes and actors movements with a final studio run through. At this point we can hopefully finish our broad lighting palate.

The fourth day is the first of two camera days. All four cameras on dollies and or pedestals arrive for the director’s blocking with line queues facilitated by a camera coordinator.

On this day we try to finish our actors’ lighting and polish our architectural lighting ie; practicals, sconces, etc. Many of these days we'll pre shoot a scene or two because of guest actor availability, to release a set that is not in view of the audience, for single camera style coverage, or for children and animal performances.

All through the process we have to maintain as many as seven sets at once. We have monitors and a quad split with switching availability between each camera to view each shot simultaneously.

On the fifth day our audience day starts with a final rehearsal for actors and cameras dealing with re-writes and maybe some re-blocking before a break for touch ups and a crew meal.

Typically the audience files in to stadium style seating while being entertained by a warmup person with a DJ.

It is a theatrical experience for everyone. Show starts at 6 PM with cast intros.

At this point our lighting is done. Occasionally there are things to attend to, such as a re-block or a lamp burn out, but generally things go smoothly, and we all experience a fun evening. Typically a show will be three to four hours in length.

The next day, the process starts anew on our next episode.

After editing, the episode is cut down to 22 to 35 minutes and then I will go to post color and work with my colorist for final delivery.

Since I like to laugh, this is a fantastic medium to work in!

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How to Write a Band 6 HSC Drama Essay

Want to nail your HSC Drama essay in the HSC exam? Or, maybe only just realised that you have to write a HSC Drama essay in the exam and need some help?

You’ve come to the right place!

We’ve come up with this 5 step guide to writing a Band 6 worthy HSC Drama essay by breaking down the rubric and giving you tips on how to understand your text, analyse it and write about it!

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s jump in!

The HSC Drama Essay Step 1: Understanding the Bands and the Rubric Step 2: Understand your Texts Step 3: Use TETE Tables Step 4: Answer the Question Step 5: Draft, Rewrite, Polish

The HSC Drama Essay

Drama essays are often overlooked because most kids take Drama to do the practical/acting components.

In reality, the theory tasks are the most influential on your final mark. The theory exam is worth 40% of your external mark!

Honing your HSC Drama essay writing skills will take you straight to the top, believe me!

Most Drama students forget to study for the written exam until it’s too late. Getting this skill under your belt early will put you well ahead the rest of the pack.

This article is here to help you with any trouble you’ve had with Drama Essays in the past, in 5 simple steps! Let’s go!

Step 1: Understanding the Bands and the Rubric

What is a band.

Bands are the system NESA uses to grade each of your exams in the HSC.

Your results will be placed in a certain Band based on your percentage results. There are six bands, Band 6 being the highest and most difficult band to achieve.

It is easy to think of the Bands with reference to their percentages:

Band 6 – 90-100%
Band 5 – 80-89%
Band 4 – 70-79%
Band 3 – 60-69%
Band 2 – 50-59%
Band 1 – 0-49%

The only way you can understand a rubric is if you translate into language that you understand.

As an example, I have taken the Australian Drama and Theatre Rubric (the HSC Drama Core Study) and broken it down into simpler terms.

Australian Drama and Theatre (Core Study)

This topic explores, theoretically and experientially , the traditional and contemporary practices of Australian drama and theatre and the various ways in which artistic, cultural, social, political and personal issues and concerns are reflected in different contexts. Students investigate how different Australian practitioners use dramatic forms, performance styles, techniques and conventions to convey ideas and influence the ways in which audiences understand and respond to ideas and images presented in the theatre.

I have bolded the important terms. Every exam question that you will get, or practice, will be derived from this rubric. It is paramount that you understand this.

In essence, NESA is saying that in this unit, you will research and act out your set texts to get a rich and deep understanding of how the playwrights explore contextual Australian issues.

These may surface in the form of a reflection, diatribe, subtle comment, or ramification of the artistic, cultural, personal and social imperatives of Australia in the plays’ contexts.

Your job, as the student, is to analyse how the playwrights wrote their plays , and what techniques they used (appropriate to the styles of Australian Theatre) and what they wanted the audience to feel/think after watching their play!

Step 2: Understand your Texts

Read your texts.

Obviously, the first step to understanding your texts is by reading them! If you were thinking that you could get away without reading your texts, let me tell you now that that is not an option – especially if you want to write a Band 6 worthy HSC Drama essay!

Make sure you understand the text and can recount it off the top of your head if you were asked.

For an example, let’s use The Removalists by David Williamson (1971).

This play is about two police officers, one a senior officer and the other is the new cop on the block, who helps a young woman and her sister, who is being abused by her husband, to move out of the house and return her to safety.

Extrapolate the important themes

Once you’ve read your text, you need to be able to identify the most important themes from the text.

Usually, your themes will be quite apparent as they will be linked to the central idea of the text you’re studying.

For example, in The Removalists an example of a core theme of the play is sexism. This apparent sexism is a reflection of the blatant sexism in Australia in the 1970s.

Step 3: Use TETE Tables

You may know them as TEE Tables from previous English essays you have written, however, HSC Drama essays are slightly different.

You will be using a TETE table instead for Drama to break down your paragraph into a set of columns to build up an in-depth collection of evidence to support your essays!

You will be using a table much like this one. I have filled it out using an example from David Williamson’s The Removalists to show you how it works.

I know this can be tedious, and no one ever said that writing an essay was a hobby, but if you work hard now, you will reap the rewards later!You should have one of these in every paragraph, giving you 4 for a Drama Extended Response.

Step 4: Answer the Question

Like any essay, we need to come up with a strong thesis.

In order to do this, we need to be able to understand what the question is asking. This might involve highlighting the key words of the question and asking ourselves what it is that the question wants us to do.

Let’s try doing this with the following practice question:

Compare how the plays that you have studied use the development of tension to take their audience on a particular journey.

Firstly, let’s break up the question by identifying the key words:

Development of tension
Audience on a particular journey

From here, we can ask ourselves three mini questions, pulled from the essay question, to really understand what NESA wants us to answer:

What tensions are in the two plays I have studied?
How do the playwrights develop these tensions – What dramatic techniques/elements do they use?
How are these two things different in the two plays?

It is important that you answer these questions in the introduction of your essay, as it will show the marker that you have understood and addressed the question.

Be sure to link back to these questions throughout the essay to reinforce your response.

The next step is to write paragraphs which more specifically address the question!

Writing Paragraphs

In each paragraph, you should follow this structure: SCEEL!

Statement – A topic sentence which refers to the question, the set text and a theme in the text.
Context – A sentence about the context of the play, which is relevant to the themes you will be discussing in the paragraph.
Example – Experiential learning. Include an example from the text which supports your argument.
Explain – Explain the elements of drama included in the example and how they highlight the presence of the theme. Then, discuss the effect on the audience.
Link – Make a statement which links to the next paragraph, as it will be a comparison/contrast paragraph.

Let’s look at an example SCEEL Paragraph:

As you can see, it is very different to an English paragraph. You do not need to use fancy or superlative language. Just be sure to write clear sentences that do not cloud your thesis.

Step 5: Draft, Rewrite, Polish

First draft.

The key to a good first draft is by reading over the question, breaking it down, and creating a dot-point plan of what you’d like to say in your response.

You should mention themes, the experiential learning you’re planning on using and so on. The essay doesn’t need to be perfect just yet. Just have a crack at writing!

Second Draft

Turn your first draft into full and proper sentences.

Be sure to pay attention to spelling, grammar, and sentence structure! If you pay attention to these things in practice essays, you will be ready to go for the real thing.

Turn your scaffolded paragraphs into 250-300 word paragraphs, and make sure that the experiential learning reads clearly, as you are often portraying a scene with movement and visuals.

Third Draft

This is the time to pick up on things that you feel need improvement.

You want to aim to increase the flow of the essay.

Put your laptop into ‘review’ mode so that you can track any changes you make.

There you go!

That’s the most boring part of the course covered and done with a Band 6. Now you can get back to the good stuff… acting!

This is a full-on guide to smashing the HSC Drama essays, so thank you for sticking with me – you will be better off for it!

With these techniques and steps, you have the ingredients to make a wonderful HSC Drama essay!

Looking for some extra help with HSC Drama?

We pride ourselves on our inspirational hsc drama coaches and mentors.

We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby!

To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!

Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on Facebook !

Lucinda Smith-Stevens graduated from Pymble Ladies’ College in 2016. She is an intern at Art of Smart. She hopes to study a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney in 2017, focusing on Media and Communications subjects. Lucy loves drama and public speaking, having completed a CVCA diploma in Speech and Drama. Lucy is also passionate about helping other students through the HSC in humanities subjects, General Mathematics 2 and essay writing skills.

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ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

How to write a drama essay

We devise many ways of passing and enjoying our leisure time, visiting movie theatres and watching live plays comes in handy as a substantial way of enjoying our free time.

Plays are one of the most up and coming, influential ways of conveying a message, as well as a good career move, whether you are acting or play writing. Essay writing when taking a major in Drama playwrights is an essential evaluation of your knowledge and understanding of your course, it is always advisable to have that in mind.

The below tips offer some fundamental guidelines on how to write a drama essay .

Before you start essay writing there are several things you have to consider:

Have an undisputable idea of the direction and focus that you want to take when writing your drama essay is very important. It needs to be informative and interesting. Choose a topic to indulge your audience i.e. use of new technology, how it’s improved life, raise points that explains your theme and why they should be more accepting of the change in technology. A persuasive drama essay is where you raise your point of view or ideology that meant to instill the change you advocate i.e. global warming, its effect and why we need to take care of the environment. You should make sure you ease their understanding of the theme and focus at hand; in this case what really is global warming. This needs to be laid out in leman terms because this will set your reader at ease and help them understand where you are going.
After you have chosen the direction of your play or drama essay, choose the subject matter to relate and keep your audience interested. Having prior knowledge of the subject matter is always an added advantage before making the final decision of the topic to focus on.
Understanding how to write a drama essay is not just about how good of a writer you are, or how good an actor you are. It involves a lot of research. Once you have the outline of your theme, embark on the necessary research, making use of all the available resources like online searches, libraries and databases, which will be especially useful if you have taken a persuasive theme, as they will provide you with more detailed information, which you will use to break down into understandable messages for the reader to take onboard. Google searches and online questionnaires will open up more ideas about recent activities, this way keeping your essay up to date and your readers interested. This is useful for informative theme based making sure your topic of focus is essentially to generate more audience/readers’ as you will have to consider their ideas and simultaneously tackle issues they are most likely to relate to.
Use the materials you found from your research as baselines and backups for your main theme rather than fully encompassing your entire essay with references.

Make use of the standard way of writing essays:

Introduction where you introduce your stand and angle you are choosing to direct your drama.
Main body where you expound on your theme supporting it; be sure to use references here when necessary to improve on your credibility.
Conclusion where summarize all your points laid out throughout the essay cementing your stand and ultimately achieving the ultimate goal of informing or persuading.
Be sure to maintain focus on your theme throughout the essay while aligning and explaining your points.
It is advisable, when writing, to make use of the MLA or Harvard way of referencing. You should use the references as a way of backing up your points and views you have previously made. This may however differ according to instructions that may have been handed to you by your tutor.
You should make use of bullets when stating points because you can elaborate on them in the paragraphs. It will allow the reader to indulge and see your flow and explanations.

Revising and re-doing

When you have finished writing, you should go through your work to ensure you have corrected all spelling mistakes that may have occurred when writing. Also check for grammatical eras that you may have over looked and generally evaluate the general flow of your essay piece; does it make sense? Have you achieved your goal of persuading or informing your readers? Are you satisfied? Have you executed and made use of all available resources to you to get the necessary point across that you wanted to?
Be sure to use collective words i.e. ‘strolling’ meaning to walk leisurely, because this will help you achieve the objective of your essay using a minimum of words.

If you take all these points into consideration before starting the essay, you will definitely be able to make an informed decision on your angle of approach and therefore assuring you achieve a well-written Drama essay.

We hope you enjoyed reading our ‘how to write a drama essay’ guide.

Essays About Drama: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

The word drama covers many meanings and subjects; if you are writing essays about drama, discover our guide with interesting essay examples and writing prompts featured here.

What is drama to you? Many know it as a situation or event in which emotions run high. For others, the grand, intricate stage plays of Shakespeare and others of his time come to mind. Regardless, these and all other definitions of drama share one thing in common: emotion.

In all its forms, from theatre to television to cinema to even day-to-day interaction, drama is always centered around emotion, tension, and conflict- things we experience daily. Drama is, quite literally, our life, complete with all its imperfections, troubles, twists, and turns.

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1. The History of Drama by Homer Stewart

2. why the news is not the truth by peter vanderwicken, 3. drama reflection essay (author unknown), 4. kitchen sink dramas by rodolfo chandler, 5. love yourself, not your drama by crystal jackson, 6. shakespeare’s theater: an essay from the folger shakespeare editions by barbara mowat and paul werstine, 1. what is drama, 2. types of drama, 3. the history of drama, 4. is the world over-dramatized today, 5. a dramatic incident of the past.

“Perhaps the most theatrical form of drama was opera which is still popular in today’s society. Broadway is certainly a sight that attracts thousands of people annually. In addition, the playwrights of today are striving to make the theatrical experience meaningful to the lives of viewers so that it is not just simply “pleasant entertainment”. Many themes that drama plays in modern times focus on are social problems, tragedies involving the elements of love and hate and as well as social problems that affect the inhabitants of today.”

Stewart gives readers a brief history of drama and its subjects. In different eras, the plays were based around themes and ideas prevalent in those times; for example, the Romantic Period focused on the “experiences of ordinary people.” He also references several playwrights, including Friedrich von Schiller and Percy Bysshe Shelley. In modern times, drama is centered around critical social issues while still managing to be engaging and entertaining.

“Pulitzer turned them into stories with a sharp dramatic focus that both implied and aroused intense public interest. Most newspapers of the time looked like the front page of the Wall Street Journal still does. Pulitzer made stories dramatic by adding blaring headlines, big pictures, and eye-catching graphics. His journalism took events out of their dry, institutional contexts and made them emotional rather than rational, immediate rather than considered, and sensational rather than informative.”

Vanderwicken criticizes the state of news today, saying that many stories are dramatized and outright fabricated to make them more entertaining. He attributes this to Joseph Pulitzer of Pulitzer Prize fame, who introduced He also gives historical examples of instances where the media has exaggerated – news today is too dramatic, and it must change.

You might also be interested in these essays about Macbeth .

“I felt that this learning experience is a very huge step because it takes us from doing a play which is very immature in to something that is big and has maturity in it. It helps me to practice in fluency, public speaking and mostly self-confidence. In the play I developed my ways of acting and how to put emotions in to the character, in which those emotions were not really me.”

This essay describes lessons one can learn from performing drama, such as confidence and speaking fluently. The author also reflects on an experience performing in drama, where the author learned to be more expressive, speak better, and become more hardworking. There is also a brief discussion on the elements of drama, including plot and setting. Drama is important and can teach you essential skills and lessons.

“In the late 1950s in Britain, the “Kitchen Sink movement”, which is also known as “Kitchen Sink realism” occurred. This cultural movement stemed from ideas about working class activities. A typical writer of kitchen sink dramas is John Osborne, for example his drama “Look back in anger” which aroused many strong opinions when it was first performed as a drama. It is set in a small flat in the west midlands, which is typical of working class people.”

Chandler describes a period in drama where “kitchen sink dramas” depicted working-class stories. He uses John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger” as an example, briefly describing the play. Jimmy, one of the characters, was known as an “angry young man,” This term was later used to describe young people critical of the social and political state of the world.

“We learn to recognize co-dependence, narcissism, and toxicity for what they are rather than making excuses because we liked the look of someone. In other words, we grow up. We stay in love with our own toxic patterns and keep the cycle of damage going, or we recognize the collateral damage of all our drama and start wanting better for ourselves. We make choices. We experience consequences. If we grow up, we’ll even connect the two.”

Jackson’s essay discusses drama from another perspective, the drama that comes with love life. She gives readers tips on how to care for yourself better and look past all the tension, confusion, and drama that comes with dating. If we look at potential partners from a deeper, more constructive point of view, we can avoid toxic relationships and have a healthy love life.

“When performance required that an actor appear “above,” as when Juliet is imagined to stand at the window of her chamber in the famous and misnamed “balcony scene,” then the actor probably climbed the stairs to the gallery over the back of the stage and temporarily shared it with some of the spectators. The stage was also provided with ropes and winches so that actors could descend from, and reascend to, the “heavens.””

In their essay, Mowat and Werstine discuss the conventions of performing Shakespearean drama during his time, including the performance of some scenes in different areas of the theater and men playing women’s roles. They also discuss how the theaters they performed in, such as the Globe Theatre, enhanced the plays’ dramatic effect.

5 Prompts for Essays About Drama

The word drama has many meanings and is used differently, as seen in the essay examples above. In your essay, give the word’s etymology, explain the different sides of drama, from theatre to school life, and give examples of how they exemplify the meaning. Explain how they are all connected as well.

Drama in the context of theatre has four primary forms: comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and melodrama. Discuss each type of drama and elaborate on its characteristics. If you wish, compare and contrast them as well. Be sure to give examples of plays when explaining them.

In your essay, you can also discuss the different periods in the history of drama. Explain what occurred in these periods, how drama changed, and their effects on modern drama. You need not explore too many periods; just make sure you write about key developments and explain them adequately.

In the world today, the resilience of survivors is glorified and dramatized, while we see media outlets making headlines out of mere gossip and celebrity news. From this, it can be argued that society is centered around making a drama out of nothing. Why is this the case? Discuss your opinion on this issue- feel free to research if you need inspiration.

Look back to a past event marked by tension, emotion, and drama. Narrate the events and explain how they made you feel- did you learn anything from them? This can be either your own experience or just an event from history or the news. You can read this essay for further inspiration.

Note: drama can mean different things to different people, so what you consider “dramatic” is up to you.For help picking your next essay topic, check out our top essay topics about love .

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

Returns to your thesis
Ties together your main points
Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

Including new arguments or evidence
Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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Drama Personal Statement Examples

What is a drama personal statement?

Writing a personal statement for drama is a chance to sell yourself to the admissions tutors and show them why you would make a great drama candidate. It’s a place to describe your skills and strengths, as well as your career plans.

You are allowed up to 4,000 characters to explain why you are applying for a drama degree, so you need to make sure your statement is as polished as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How do I write a good drama personal statement?

Good drama personal statements always use evidence to support their claims. You need to convince admissions tutors that you’re a good match for the programme, so if you claim to be committed or inquisitive, then use examples from your life to back it up.

To write a great drama personal statement you need to start early, brainstorm some ideas, and then begin your first draft.

This will then need to be carefully revised and edited before asking family and friends for feedback. Incorporate their comments and suggestions, and see how it is improved before asking them to look at it again.

Read through our drama personal statement examples to give you an idea of what a good drama statement entails.

Make sure you proofread your statement for grammar and spelling before sending it off, and if you feel you need a little extra help, take a look at our personal statement editing services .

What should I include in my drama personal statement?

Many students choose to start their statement by picking a specific aspect of drama and explaining why they enjoy it, e.g. live art, British playwrights, etc.

Admissions tutors want candidates that are as passionate about the subject as they are.

As well as your motivations for studying drama, think about your hobbies and extracurricular activities too. What skills have you learned from these and how will these help you in your drama degree?

Talk about any work experience placements you have completed, e.g. shadowing a theatre worker, actor or actress. What did you take away from this experience? Do you feel you have all the necessary personal traits and qualities that make a good drama student?

Your wider reading is also important, so it's worth mentioning anything you've read recently that you found interesting and why. Generally, admissions tutors like students who express their views and opinions, and can back them up with evidence.

For more help and advice on what to write in your sociology personal statement, please see:

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06 Feb, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

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You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

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Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure.

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

YES (agreement with the question)
AND (another YES point)
BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

YES (descriptions of her appearance)
AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing.

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Structuring the Essay ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the modern text you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on:

Answering the question

Planning your essay, writing your essay.

As Paper 2 requires you to answer three questions in 2hr 15min, you have 45 minutes to plan, write and check your modern text essay. A good rule of thumb is to spend:

3 minutes analysing the question
7-10 minutes planning
26-32 minutes writing

It is always a good idea to use the rest of your time to review what you’ve written and to make any adjustments.

Students usually think that spending more time on the writing will gain more marks, but this isn't true: more essay doesn’t mean more marks! Examiners prefer shorter, well planned responses that have a clear argument throughout. Indeed, long essays that are unstructured and sprawling can in fact lose marks for being unfocused. Therefore, it is vital to always set aside time to write a plan.

Regardless of which modern text you study, the type of question you’ll need to write an essay for will be the same. You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of the text. Your answer will need to address the text as a whole.

Completing the steps below will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for.

6 key steps to answer the modern text exam question effectively:

1. The very first thing you should do once you open your exam paper is to look at the question:

This sounds obvious, but it’s really crucial to read through the question a few times
Why is this important? Regardless of what subject you’re being examined in, the single-biggest mistake most students make in their exams is not reading the question through carefully enough that they answer the question they think they’re being asked, rather than the question they’ve actually been asked
It’s especially important to get this right in your GCSE English Literature exams because you only have five essay questions to answer across two papers, so if you misread a question, you’re potentially costing yourself a large number of marks

2 . Identify the keywords of the question:

The key words are the focus of the question: the specific themes, ideas or characters the examiners want you to focus on
For the above question, the key words of the question are “how Russell presents the importance of friendship”
This is the theme the examiners want you to explore in your essay
Do not be tempted to write a question on a related theme, even if you have revised more for it: this will affect your overall mark badly, as you won’t be directly answering the question!
In the example above, the theme is about friendship, so make sure you plan and write an essay about friendship , rather than, for example, the role of family in the text:
Although this could be viewed as a related theme, your answer won’t be focused on the question and will lose you marks

3. Critically evaluate the idea or theme of the question in terms of the text as a whole

Think: what is this question asking, and what is it not asking?
It is asking you to explore ideas about friendship – a special relationship or bond that exists between people
The question is not asking you to explore any other themes
Again, writing about related ideas will actually lose you marks as you aren’t answering the exact question you have been set. The examiner isn’t going to reward you extra marks for information that is factually correct or demonstrates a great understanding of the text if the information is not relevant to the question being asked

Planning your essay is absolutely vital to achieve the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses are those that have a logical, well-structured argument that comes with spending time planning an answer. This, in turn, will enable you to achieve the highest marks for each assessment objective. The main assessment objectives are:

It is important to remember how marks are distributed for each assessment objective: there are 12 marks for AO1, 12 marks for AO2 and 6 marks for AO3. The mark scheme places assessment objectives AO1 and AO2 as the key skills, therefore while AO3 must be addressed in your response, your essay should focus predominantly on AO1 and AO2.

Your plan should include all aspects of your response, covering all of the assessment objectives, but mainly focusing on AO1 and AO2:
Your overall argument, or thesis (AO1)
Your topic sentences for all your paragraphs (AO1)
The quotations you will be using and analysing from elsewhere in the text (AO1 & AO2)
A sense of why the writer has made the choices they have (AO2)
A sense of what contextual factors give further insight into the ideas and theme presented in the question (AO3)
Therefore, a plan may look like the following:

Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters in Blood Brothers, especially Mickey and Edward whose friendship is central to the play. Russell chooses to contrast the power and beauty of their childhood friendship with its final collapse in adulthood, which results in their tragic ending. Their friendship highlights one of Russell’s key messages concerning social class, inequality and poverty which can have devastating consequences on people’s lives.

Russell initially depicts Mickey and Edward's friendship as strong despite their disparate social backgrounds, which underscores his message that natural human bonds and relationships are more important than societal norms and expectations.	“If you loved me you'd let me go out with Mickey”	Russell illustrates how Edward and Mickey are inextricably linked and their refusal to be separated is evident, for example, through Edward as he disobeys his mother’s instructions about associating with working-class friends like Mickey
Russell uses dramatic irony in his presentation of Mickey and Edward’s friendship as ‘blood brothers’, which enables the audience to be fully aware of their fate, which further adds to the tragic element of the play as the two boys do not fully understand the significance of their new brotherhood.	“Ey, we were born on the same day…that means we can be blood brothers”	Russell uses the omniscient Narrator at the beginning of the play to remind the audience of the impending fate of Mickey and Edward, which enables the audience to feel greater sympathy for them as they watch them spiral toward their tragic end
Russell demonstrates how friendships grow and evolve over time, however, the growing tensions between Mickey and Edward cause them to disastrously part ways, which reveals how external influences, such as class and poverty, can negatively affect the natural bonds of friendship.	“Well, how come you got everything…an’ I got nothin’?”	Russell depicts Mickey’s tragic decline into violence and depression and contrasts this with Edward’s prosperity and success, ending the play with the final collapse of their once close friendship
The play’s structure conveys the change in friendships; the irony of ‘blood brothers’; the contrast between other friendships in the play
influence of social class on friendships; ideas about appropriate behaviour amongst classes and sexes; social background to the characters’ lives; the influence of parents on friendships

Some other tips:

You do not need to include a counter-argument (disagreeing with the question/including paragraphs which begin “On the other hand”)
The questions have been designed to enable as many students as possible to write essays
Examiners say that the inclusion of a counter-argument is often unnecessary and unhelpful
It can affect your AO1 mark negatively

Given the time pressure of the exam, there is always a temptation for students to do without a plan, especially if they feel they understand the focus of the question well. However, this is a mistake.

The exam board states: “Where students have written a plan, there is often a sense of a coherent and organised response, for which references and quotations have been selected to support the student’s argument.”

What this means is that writing a plan not only enables you to achieve the highest AO1 marks (for organisation of argument) but also helps you select the most precise quotations and references, which will lead to more relevant analysis of writer’s methods (AO2).

Once you have read and evaluated the question and created a clear plan, you are ready to begin writing. Below is a guide detailing what to include.

Your essay should include:

An introduction with a thesis statement
A number of paragraphs (three is ideal!), each covering a separate point. It’s a great idea to start each paragraph with a topic sentence
A conclusion

Introduction

Your introduction should aim to clearly, and briefly, answer the question
The best way to do this is to include a thesis statement
A thesis statement is a short statement (one or two sentences) that summarises the main point or claim your argument is making
You should include the exact words from the question in your thesis statement
Examiners want to see your own opinion : your interpretation of what the writer is trying to show
Your thesis statement should also attempt to explain why you think the writer has presented their characters in the way that they have: what are they trying to say overall? What is their message?
A good way to think about this is to ask: what is the writer’s one big idea in terms of the characters or themes addressed in the question?
Include contextual ideas and perspectives to help explain the writer’s intentions
Including the writer’s message or one big idea helps create a “conceptualised response”, which examiners reward with the highest marks
An example of a thesis statement:

Thesis statement:

“Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters in Blood Brothers, especially Mickey and Edward whose friendship is central to the play. Russell chooses to contrast the power and beauty of their childhood friendship with its final collapse in adulthood, which results in their tragic ending. Their friendship highlights one of Russell’s key messages concerning social class, inequality and poverty which can have devastating consequences on people’s lives.”

Introductions should not be too long, or include all the details of what each paragraph will include
You will not be rewarded for including the same information twice, so don’t waste time repeating yourself
Write your thesis in the third person, not the first person (don’t use “I”)
“I believe that Russell presents ideas about the importance of friendship …. ❌
“ Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters … in order to illustrate …” ✅
Try to include three separate paragraphs that cover three separate points
This will ensure your response is to what examiners call the “full task”
Start each paragraph with a topic sentence
A topic sentence is an opening sentence which details the focus of its paragraph
It should include the words of the question
All topic sentences must relate to your thesis
They should be seen as sub-points that provide a more specific and narrower focus than your thesis statement
Everything that follows a topic sentence in a paragraph must support the point it makes

Example of a topic sentence:

“Russell initially depicts Mickey and Edward's friendship as strong despite their disparate social backgrounds, which underscores his message that natural human bonds and relationships are more important than societal norms and expectations.”

Beware of writing an overly structured paragraph which follows a set pattern
You may have learned PEE, PEAL, PEED, or other structures for your paragraphs
However, examiners often say that although these are excellent for learning what to include in essays, they can be limiting in an exam
Instead, be led by the ideas in the text, and prove your own argument (both the overall thesis and your topic sentences)
It is always a good idea to include a conclusion to your essay so that your essay reads as coherent and focused on answering the question throughout
This can result in improved marks for AO1
However, there is no need to spend a long time writing your conclusion
A conclusion for a modern text should only summarise the proof you have provided for your thesis
It only needs to be two or three sentences long
It should include the words of the question and your thesis
Remember, you do not get rewarded for including the same information twice

An example of a conclusion:

“To conclude, Russell presents friendship as a fundamental aspect of people’s lives and he demonstrates how these special relationships can be impacted by social inequality and injustice. Through Mickey and Edward, Russell argues that even the closest friendships - and by extension, all bonds between different groups in society - are tested, and potentially broken, by these inequalities.”

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Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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How to Write the Perfect Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students

June 2, 2022

What is an essay?

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed.

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan

#4 Write your opening sentences

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence .

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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DRAMA ESSAYS! How to write them without dying (theatrically)

Author Topic: DRAMA ESSAYS! How to write them without dying (theatrically) (Read 31117 times) Tweet Share

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HSC Lecturer
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Posts: 1753
"Seize the means of the HSC" ~ Vladimir Lenin
Respect: +931
Forum Regular
Respect: +4

Re: DRAMA ESSAYS! How to write them without dying (theatrically)

SUSIE!!!! This is the best thing EVER!! I literally thought that drama essays would remain a mystery till the end of time but this makes everything so much better!! Now I feel so much more confident in having the balance between the storytelling component and the analytical component. I'll definitely post back when I have questions which will inevitably happen when I start revising!

ATAR Notes Lecturer
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Posts: 8814
"All models are wrong, but some are useful."
Respect: +2575

I got curious the other day and pondered when you first joined AN so I stalked your very first few posts. They were about drama and not history. Welcome back to where you started

Angela Karanikolas

Trailblazer
Respect: +1

[Centre stage spotlight on SUDODDS] Hey hey! With your Trial exams coming up, I've decided to write up a quick little guide on how to approach writing a killer HSC Drama Essay - because guess what, the theory component of drama DOES actually exist! (unfortunately) [Cue applause SFX - lights dim for dramatic affect]

Oh my god!! This is the worlds greatest post to date. I have spent my assessments up to now just trying to formulate the perfect way to write those essays and here it is. I had one of the worst issues with storytelling, analyzing and synthesising. This completely puts everything into perspective in regards to being able to complete it and not completely break down in a fit of tears. Like Maria said, expect me back here. Thank you so much Susie, you have quite literally saved my drama marks!!!

This is so helpful! Thank you so much! my teacher has literally never taught us how to do drama essays despite them being a large part of our grade! THANK YOU

Potatohater

Forum Leader

All the world's a stage & this is my improvisation
Respect: +302

How do you decide what points and examples are most important? I feel like I have so much to talk about for drama, especially for approaches to acting, but there's not enough time!

jamiesanders

Fresh Poster

hey Susie! thanks a lot for that guide it really really helped! My question is how many quotes would you include in the essay per text? Thanks!!

irafriedberg

How To Write A Good Dramatic Essay

Views 15222
Author Sandra W.

How To Write A Good Drama Essay For College

Writing dramatic essay can be exiting since it is based on real life events. Dramatic essay mostly tries to describe an intense moment that has affected you or someone else. Dramatic essay are written like normal essay but they are written in a story mode. Dramatic essays topic can be written in different mode like; personal expression, like child hood memories or even romantic breakups, war or even natural disasters. Dramatic essay may also have comedic elements as well.

Instruction to follow when writing dramatic essay

In your mind have a dramatic event that has ever occurred to you or someone else; if you lack one create a one in your mind that you are able to elaborate more about. Write down your ideas that you will be concentrating on along in your essay. Eliminate factors that you consider unnecessary in your essay and narrow down to the ideas that you consider most important.
Make an outline of your essay following the basic rules of writing an essay which is introduction, the body and the conclusion. Using the points that you noted above determine which one makes up at different paragraph. Have list of major points and sub points that you will consider in writing body of your essay.
In the introduction section of you essay present the dramatic event that you experienced as you state why you consider it important to you. Be as skillful as possible to make your dramatic essay hilarious.
At the body of your essay discuss the impact of that dramatic event and the lesson that it gave you if any. If you reacted differently in relation to a normal state, discuss how the reaction was as seen by you or someone else.
Any change that came forth is discussed in the context of conclusion. Did the event make you better than you were before or bad? Whichever the case illustrate with a point to show change of state.

Essay Papers Writing Online

Mastering the art of essay writing – a comprehensive guide.

Essay writing is a fundamental skill that every student needs to master. Whether you’re in high school, college, or beyond, the ability to write a strong, coherent essay is essential for academic success. However, many students find the process of writing an essay daunting and overwhelming.

This comprehensive guide is here to help you navigate the intricate world of essay writing. From understanding the basics of essay structure to mastering the art of crafting a compelling thesis statement, we’ve got you covered. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the tools and knowledge you need to write an outstanding essay that will impress your teachers and classmates alike.

So, grab your pen and paper (or fire up your laptop) and let’s dive into the ultimate guide to writing an essay. Follow our tips and tricks, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled and confident essay writer!

The Art of Essay Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

Essay writing is a skill that requires practice, patience, and attention to detail. Whether you’re a student working on an assignment or a professional writing for publication, mastering the art of essay writing can help you communicate your ideas effectively and persuasively.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the key elements of a successful essay, including how to choose a topic, structure your essay, and craft a compelling thesis statement. We’ll also discuss the importance of research, editing, and proofreading, and provide tips for improving your writing style and grammar.

By following the advice in this guide, you can become a more confident and skilled essay writer, capable of producing high-quality, engaging essays that will impress your readers and achieve your goals.

Understanding the Essay Structure

When it comes to writing an essay, understanding the structure is key to producing a cohesive and well-organized piece of writing. An essay typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, the body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction: The introduction is where you introduce your topic and provide some background information. It should also include your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument that you will be discussing in the essay.

Body paragraphs: The body of the essay is where you present your supporting evidence and arguments. Each paragraph should focus on a separate point and include evidence to back up your claims. Remember to use transition words to link your ideas together cohesively.

Conclusion: The conclusion is where you wrap up your essay by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. It is also a good place to make any final thoughts or reflections on the topic.

Understanding the structure of an essay will help you write more effectively and communicate your ideas clearly to your readers.

Choosing the Right Topic for Your Essay

One of the most crucial steps in writing a successful essay is selecting the right topic. The topic you choose will determine the direction and focus of your writing, so it’s important to choose wisely. Here are some tips to help you select the perfect topic for your essay:

	Choose a topic that you are passionate about or interested in. Writing about something you enjoy will make the process more enjoyable and your enthusiasm will come through in your writing.
	Do some preliminary research to see what topics are available and what resources are out there. This will help you narrow down your choices and find a topic that is both interesting and manageable.
	Think about who will be reading your essay and choose a topic that will resonate with them. Consider their interests, knowledge level, and any biases they may have when selecting a topic.
	Take some time to brainstorm different topic ideas. Write down all the potential topics that come to mind, and then evaluate each one based on relevance, interest, and feasibility.
	Try to choose a topic that offers a unique perspective or angle. Avoid overly broad topics that have been extensively covered unless you have a fresh take to offer.

By following these tips and considering your interests, audience, and research, you can choose a topic that will inspire you to write an engaging and compelling essay.

Research and Gathering Information

When writing an essay, conducting thorough research and gathering relevant information is crucial. Here are some tips to help you with your research:

	Make sure to use reliable sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites. Avoid using sources that are not credible or biased.
	As you research, take notes on important information that you can use in your essay. Organize your notes so that you can easily reference them later.
	Don’t rely solely on one type of source. Utilize a variety of sources to provide a well-rounded perspective on your topic.
	Before using a source in your essay, make sure to evaluate its credibility and relevance to your topic. Consider the author’s credentials, publication date, and biases.
	Make sure to keep a record of the sources you use in your research. This will help you properly cite them in your essay and avoid plagiarism.

Crafting a Compelling Thesis Statement

When writing an essay, one of the most crucial elements is the thesis statement. This statement serves as the main point of your essay, summarizing the argument or position you will be taking. Crafting a compelling thesis statement is essential for a strong and cohesive essay. Here are some tips to help you create an effective thesis statement:

Be specific: Your thesis statement should clearly state the main idea of your essay. Avoid vague or general statements.
Make it arguable: A strong thesis statement is debatable and presents a clear position that can be supported with evidence.
Avoid clichés: Stay away from overused phrases or clichés in your thesis statement. Instead, strive for originality and clarity.
Keep it concise: Your thesis statement should be concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary words or phrases.
Take a stand: Your thesis statement should express a clear stance on the topic. Don’t be afraid to assert your position.

By following these guidelines, you can craft a compelling thesis statement that sets the tone for your essay and guides your reader through your argument.

Writing the Body of Your Essay

Once you have your introduction in place, it’s time to dive into the body of your essay. The body paragraphs are where you will present your main arguments or points to support your thesis statement.

Here are some tips for writing the body of your essay:

Stick to One Main Idea: Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. This will help keep your essay organized and easy to follow.
Use Topic Sentences: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
Provide Evidence: Support your main points with evidence such as facts, statistics, examples, or quotes from experts.
Explain Your Points: Don’t just state your points; also explain how they support your thesis and why they are important.
Use Transition Words: Use transition words and phrases to connect your ideas and create a smooth flow between paragraphs.

Remember to refer back to your thesis statement and make sure that each paragraph contributes to your overall argument. The body of your essay is where you can really showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills, so take the time to craft well-developed and coherent paragraphs.

Perfecting Your Essay with Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading are essential steps in the essay writing process to ensure your work is polished and error-free. Here are some tips to help you perfect your essay:

Take a Break: After writing your essay, take a break before starting the editing process. This will help you look at your work with fresh eyes.
Focus on Structure: Check the overall structure of your essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Make sure your ideas flow logically and cohesively.
Check for Clarity: Ensure that your arguments are clear and easy to follow. Eliminate any jargon or confusing language that might obscure your message.
Grammar and Punctuation: Review your essay for grammar and punctuation errors. Pay attention to subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and proper punctuation usage.
Use a Spell Checker: Run a spell check on your essay to catch any spelling mistakes. However, don’t rely solely on spell checkers as they may miss certain errors.
Read Aloud: Read your essay aloud to yourself or have someone else read it to you. This can help you identify awkward phrasing or unclear sentences.
Get Feedback: Consider getting feedback from a peer, teacher, or writing tutor. They can offer valuable insights and suggestions for improving your essay.

By following these editing and proofreading tips, you can ensure that your essay is well-crafted, organized, and free of errors, helping you make a strong impression on your readers.

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How to make a video essay: A guide for beginners

What type of content do you primarily create?

Video essays are an incredibly popular genre on YouTube, and many new creators are eager to have their views heard on topics in culture and politics. But making a video essay involves a lot more than just sitting in front of a camera and pressing record. This guide is intended for beginners who don’t quite know where to start.

What is a video essay?

A video essay’s primary defining feature is that it sets out to make an argument. It is, to put it simply, like an essay you wrote in school. Video essays often cover politics, popular media, or science.

But unlike the essays you wrote in school, video essays need extensive visual accompaniment, whether that’s footage (or B-roll ), still images, or animation.

Here’s how you can get started:

Step 1: Craft a thesis

Good video essays will have a central thesis explored throughout the piece. If you can’t summarize your thesis in a sentence (sometimes two), you’ve still got work to do. The best theses immediately leave the viewer wanting to know more. Test it on friends: If you state your thesis to friends and get reactions of curiosity or excitement you’re on to something.

Consider one of my favorite video essays, whose thesis is right in the title: "Why Snowpiercer is a sequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

‎ Sometimes, a thesis is a little more subtle, but nonetheless important. In Yhara Zayd’s video on horror movies, she argues that horror has always been a genre for social criticism.

‎ The rest of your video isn’t just proving that thesis, though that’s important. You'll want to explore the twists and turns of the idea. What questions does your thesis raise? What are the big doubts about your thesis, and how do you address them? How can we zoom out from your thesis and ask even bigger questions?

Step 2: Determine your audience

Your audience will dictate what level of complexity and detail you should cover in your video. If you’re an engineering channel, maybe you want to appeal to working engineers who understand the jargon of the profession. But if you’d like a broader audience, you’ll need to take the time to define terms and give background information. The best video essays usually appeal to both—their topics are unique enough to be interesting to people with prior knowledge of the topic, while accessible enough to be understood to a casual viewer.

Step 3: Organize your research early

Your video essay should have lots of supporting evidence. Aside from the usual list of articles and books, video essays can also use visual evidence.

If you’re commenting on media, that means hyper-specific shots and lines of dialogue. If you’re commenting on history, that means old news clips. Filmed interviews are a great resource regardless of the topic.

Whenever I'm trying to cover a show, I’ll watch the show (sometimes twice), take extensive notes, pause to write out lines of dialogue, and mark where specific moments supported various themes, motifs, or ideas.

I've always regretted telling myself I’d remember a specific line or shot because I'd find myself spending an hour to hunt it down later in the process.

Whether you’re commenting on news footage, video games, or film and TV, I cannot stress enough how much extensive notetaking will improve your video essay later in the process.

The same advice goes for any books or news articles you might cite: annotate extensively and cite them in your piece.

Step 4: Familiarize yourself with "fair use"

Many video essays source footage from the news, TV, and film without licensing them. I'm not here to give advice on the legality of that, but I do think any video essayist should familiarize themselves with fair use .

Fair use is a set of criteria that a creator can use to defend their use of copyrighted work. It's not a license to freely use copyrighted work if you think you fit those standards; it’s a series of tests a judge should weigh in court.

Usually, it doesn’t come to that. Most copyright issues go through YouTube’s copyright claim system , which you should also read up on. A film studio may claim your content, or block it altogether, for using their copyrighted material. YouTube allows you to appeal these claims , but if both parties won’t give up, the question can only be settled by a judge (in the US, at least).

Step 5: Start your script

Be sure to use a two-column script, rather than just writing out everything as if it were a traditional essay.

In one column, you’re writing what you’re saying, or what the footage is saying. In the other, write what you plan to show. Your notes here should be specific enough to help you later in the editing process. You may want to add a third column for notes, or sources to cite later.

Writing a video essay follows some different rules than what your English teacher might have expected. Most video essays use a conversational style, and include words, phrases, and grammar that would never fly with the written word. Sometimes that includes filler words, like starting a sentence with “so” or putting an “um” for effect. Just don’t overdo it.

Other writing rules still apply. Be concise, use active verbs, and otherwise just make sure you sound like a human.

Step 6: Film (or record)

You don’t need a $10,000 filming setup to make good video essays. Plenty of people start with just a microphone, completely avoiding the camera altogether in what's known as a faceless YouTube video .

The two most important things to recommend: get good sound, and be natural. People can tolerate a lot of visual sins, but usually won’t put up with bad audio quality. Similarly, you don’t need to have the charisma of a talk show host, but people have no tolerance for on-screen performances that seem forced or fake.

That is all to say, get a decent microphone and be yourself. If you’re on-screen, buy a cheap teleprompter setup for your phone or camera.

Step 7: Start editing

There are many options for video editing software out there (and Descript is a great one), even for people with limited video editing experience. This article isn’t long enough to be an editing guide , but a few quick tips for a true novice:

Don’t linger on any one visual for too long. Instead, mix up the visual interest of your video.
Emphasize important concepts with text on screen.
Take the time to learn a little about color grading .
Clean up any noticeable background noise .

Step 8: Figure out your title and thumbnail

This may be the last step of this article, but it should often begin while you’re brainstorming. Your title and thumbnail should generate intrigue without giving it all away. Video essays often lean on titles with “How” and “Why.” Lessons from the Screenplay is a good example:

But video essays can also make provocative statements that make the viewer curious about how you’ll back it up. Consider Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell’s “ Smoking is Awesome ,” which I promise is not pro-tobacco.

Step 9: Publish

Finally, it's time to put your video out into the world and see how it fares. Your first video essay won't be perfect. It's important to put your work in public, take in feedback, and move on to your next project. Like all things, skill comes with time.

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