Stand out in your literature class when you write. Ten simple steps to improve writing, and structure. If you dread writing literature papers, you’re not alone. Most non-English majors think writing papers about literature is a major hassle, in part because they aren’t sure what to speak about, how to put the essay together, and what the professor is looking for. By following these to steps not only will your papers be easier to complete, but you’ll also potentially earn higher grades.
1. Select a topic and read the text closely.
Start thinking about what you’re going to put into words while you’re still reading the text. Take notes and mark significant passages.
2. Form an argument and turn it into your thesis.
This is the hardest part of writing a literature paper, but once your thesis is written, the rest will be (relatively) easy. A thesis statement will most likely make an argument and not just summarize the text. For example, “In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Captain Ahab appears to have suffered from bipolar disorder” would make a good thesis, because it could be argued that he did not. “Moby Dick is a novel about killing whales” would not make a good thesis statement because it is just a summary. If you’re stuck on the thesis, try analyzing the behavior of the main character why did he or she do what they did? For example, “In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne doesn’t reveal the identity of her child’s father because she still loves Reverend Dimmesdale.” If your paper can be about more than one text, finding similarities between titles is a good way to come up with a thesis
3. Conduct some research.
Use the Internet and library to back up your thesis statement with others’ analyses. Most of your paper should be from your own analysis of the text, but it doesn’t hurt to cite a few sources. Use MLA format for citations. Also, remember that most citations should come from the text.
4. Outline your essay.
Now that you have a thesis, come up with reasons you believe your thesis is true. Each of these reasons will be one paragraph. Consider the page length for your paper and make an outline.
5. Write your introduction first.
Start with a catchy lead—this can be a startling fad, a quotation, a question, or anything that catches the reader’s attention. The name of the text and the author should be mentioned somewhere in the introduction. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.
6. Fill in the paragraphs Remember that each paragraph needs to be at least three sentences long.
Cite the text or other works from your research as needed. Make your arguments like a lawyer, point by point.
7. Write a conclusion to your paper.
The main point of a conclusion is, to sum up, your thesis statement and re-state your arguments for taking that position. The conclusion should not include any new information.
8. Work on your transitions.
Transitions are what makes your arguments blend together as one paper rather than independent paragraphs. The paper should flow naturally from one idea to the next. One way to do this is to add transition words or phrases such as “another example is,”
9. Write a memorable title.
Try titles that start with a gerund (a word ending in “ing”), such as “Finding a Sense of Self in The Sun Also Rises” You can also use a colon to give a title dramatic pause. For example, “Racism: A Passage to India’s Not-So-Subtle Theme” Questions work too: “What is Society’s Role in Catcher in the Rye?” Begin with a title that will capture your professor’s attention.
10. Edit your work.
One of the best ways to edit is to read your paper out loud and see how it sounds. If you have time, set it aside overnight and look at it with fresh eyes the next day. Be sure to run spell- and grammar-check too. If you’re feeling brave, ask someone else to read your paper and give you feedback. Writing a literature paper isn’t easy, but if you stick to these guidelines, the process can become less confusing. It takes practice to become a good writer, and the more you write, the better you will become. By the end of the semester, you might even enjoy writing papers for your literature class.