Writing can be a daunting task. We've all experienced the weight of uncertainty as we stare at a blank page or screen, unsure of where to start. There are many reasons why people struggle with writing an essay. Perhaps you've experienced some of the following:

• Procrastination. We've all done it. Why write in advance when you can write in panic? (Pro tip: We respond to consequences. Break up a task and give yourself a consequence for completing—or not completing—each part.)

• Lack of confidence. Maybe you've had negative experiences with writing in the past. If you're afraid your writing won't be good enough, you're less likely to start. (Pro tip: Read more. Study the craft of authors you admire. 

• Perfectionism. You are so focused on making your first draft look like a polished final draft that you don't give yourself the gift of experimentation and revising. (Pro tip: Recognize that writing is an iterative process. Embrace the opportunity to revise and improve your work, but also be willing to let it go.) 

• Lack of motivation. Don't feel inspired? Investigate why. Lack of a clear goal or purpose? Lack of interest in the topic? Too easy or too hard? (Pro tip: You probably won't feel motivated until you've actually made some progress. Find a way to get to a small win.)

What if I told you that you can replace self-doubt with confidence, ambiguity with clarity, and stagnation with inspiration? With the right approach, writing can be a fun and rewarding experience. My approach to helping students write is made up of three stages: Define, Design, and Refine.

Define

All writing has a purpose. The purpose of your college application essay is to jolt your exhausted admissions officer out of their reading coma because you have the refreshing qualities, experience, and insights that they can't wait to bring to campus. 

The Define stage is all about getting to know the student and their goals on a deep level. We work to define who they are as an individual and a writer, what they hope to accomplish, and who their audience is. We'll also uncover how they feel about themself as a writer, what their current strengths are, and areas for improvement. I provide self-reflection exercises designed to illuminate unexplored realms of their core values, personality quirks, past experiences, and future goals.

We also want to develop empathy for the audience during the Define stage. By understanding who will be reading the final product, we can identify the type of information the audience is looking for and tailor our language and tone to the reader.

Design

The self-discovery process of the Define stage sets the writer up for rich brainstorming in the Design stage. At this point, we consider how we want to approach the writing task. We start off with divergent thinking, a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. We ask ourselves: What is possible to write about? How will we write about it? Are we writing a narrative essay with a protagonist who is facing a formidable challenge or choice? Are we writing a thematic essay that weaves together multiple examples related to a common theme?

Once we have several ideas, we switch to convergent thinking and start to narrow them down. We consider the student's strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and we choose an approach that will be both achievable and rewarding. Ultimately, we identify the key message we want the reader to take away.

Refine

In the Refine stage, we focus on the craft of writing and ensure that their writing is clear, concise, and error-free. In this stage, we focus on three key areas:

• Structure: While we begin considering the essay's structure in the Design stage, during the Refine stage we focus on organizing ideas in a logical way. We also work on clear transitions between paragraphs and create an interesting and effective introduction and conclusion.

• Style: We discuss how elements such as word choice, sentence structure, and tone can create different effects. We can experiment with different tones and voices until we find the style that most accurately represents the student's personality and voice.

• Grammar and mechanics: We identify and correct grammar and spelling mistakes. I aim to help them understand the rules of grammar and mechanics so that they can avoid these errors in the future.

By the end of this process, the student will feel confident in their choices and writing ability. They will have a well-written essay that they can be proud of.