I have taken several essay courses. I gotchu.
First off, pick a subject. Something you know a lot about is best.
Next, brainstorm a thesis statement. It should be something that makes sense, but can be argued for or against.
Write an outline, (if you don't know how just look up how to write an outline)
Write your intro paragraph. The first sentence or two should be interesting, and are usually called the "hook" because they should hook the reader and make them interested in it. Then, write a few sentences that kind of go over what you are writing it on, then put in your thesis statement.
You should have 2 arguments defending the thesis, and 1 argument against it. My preferred way to do it is by writing an argument for the thesis, then write one against what you said in the previous paragraph, then the next one is dis-proving the last one.
Now, you are ready for the outro. The out is tricky, because a lot of people just basically copy over their intro and maybe change a few words. But that is not how you should do it. The outro should go over what was in the entire essay, and should have the thesis, but should not just be the intro. Also, do not put anything about "I hope you liked my essay" or anything like that, because that is just a filler and will probably knock points off your grade. The outro should be intriguing and make them want more.
Hope this helps,
-cuberdude
