how to get a essay done fast

How to Write an Essay Quickly: 7 Speedy Steps to Success

Do you think you could write a 2000 word essay in 2 hours? How about a 20 page paper overnight? What if it’s getting into the small hours of the last night before due date and you’re starting with … 3 hastily written paragraphs? A title? A blank page? There’s hope. Let’s take a close look at how to write an essay quickly with 7 easy steps.

I’m going to save the lecture about how you should not have gotten yourself into this situation for another day. Right now, there’s more pressing matters. The essay itself.

It’s time to get started. There’s no time to waste.

Below, I have outlined 7 straightforward steps on how to write an essay quickly. Be warned: this list is full of shortcuts and emergency measures. It’s not the best way to do things, but it’s the best way to do it in your situation.

So here goes. Buckle in and get going on these 7 speedy steps to getting that paper written. I hope you’ve poured yourself a coffee:

1. Hack your teacher’s lecture slides

If I had 2 hours to write a 2000-word essay, this is exactly where I’d start – every time.

The lecture slides are your cheat sheet. They’re a summary of your teacher’s (yes – the one who will be marking your piece) thoughts on the issues. It’s literally a teacher’s translation of the content. They’ve read it, taught it to themselves, then put together slides translating the content into a way that they – your marker – thinks is relevant .

That’s the closest to a cheat sheet you’ll ever get off these people. So use it to write your essay quickly.

Go onto your course’s webpage (Canvas? Blackboard? Moodle?) and download the lecture slides for every week that seems slightly relevant. You know? The weeks where:

• Your teacher introduced the key theorist, scientist or scholar behind an idea;
• Your teacher explained the ideas you need to write about;
• Your teacher analysed different perspectives on that ideas.

It might be one week’s slides, it might be ten week’s slides. But you need to download them and start reviewing them.

Each time you find a point that you think is relevant to your assessment outline or question, quickly make a note of what key point is being made.

Also write down any ideas that come to mind that might fit into the essay. I find when I review lecture slides more ideas come to mind to add in.

If your lecture hasn’t provided lecture slides, some other places to look for ideas on what to write in your paper include:

• Your own lecture notes ;
• Readings your teacher set for you;
• Any online videos, websites or other content your teacher provided.

2. Write down ten to fifteen key points to discuss

Hopefully your research in step 1 got you a lot of key points written down so you’re off to a hasty start to writing your essay quickly.

Now’s your time to brainstorm – are there any other interesting points you can make about the topic that come to mind after reviewing the course materials?

Aim to gather between ten and fifteen key points. Anywhere less than 10, you’re not likely to have enough to say unless you’ve got a paper that’s less than 2000 words. Anywhere over 15, your teacher’s mind is going to wander while they go through all your ideas!

These points can be scrawled all over a piece of paper or listed on a word document, but make sure they’re written down!

Once you’ve got 10 to 15 key points, it’s time to list them in order of relevance. What’s the most relevant or useful or informative thing you want to say? Put that first. Then go down the list, so your best ideas are at the top.

3. Turn each point into a 4 to 6 sentence paragraph

Starting from the top of your list of 10 to 15 points to discuss, start turning each point into a 4 to 6 sentence paragraph. This is the ideal paragraph length to obtain depth without losing your reader’s attention.

In each paragraph make sure you mention:

• A topic sentence that explains exactly what your key point is.
• An explanation sentence (or two) that adds detail to your first point.
• An example sentence showing how the idea or point would link to the real-life.

You can keep expanding on that key idea if you want – but limit it to about 6 sentences max. Otherwise you’ll put your marker to sleep – who ever wants to read a super long paragraph!?

Make sure each key point is given one 4 – 6 sentence paragraph at least. You might find each key point needs two or three paragraphs to explain everything in enough detail.

4. Use readings while writing your paragraphs.

When providing explanations of your key points, go back to where you found these key points. What is the source? Did your teacher note on the lecture slides where this information comes from? If so, you’ll need to reference those sources in your paragraphs.

Then, add in more references from:

• The Assigned Readings. Start referencing the set readings that your teacher provided. Go to the course’s webpage and download all the set readings for weeks relevant to your assessment topic. If you download your assigned readings and open them with Adobe Acrobat, you’ll be able to use the search function to find the exact key ideas you’re looking for. For example, if your topic is on “Issues of doctor-patient confidentiality in modern medicine”, you might search through your set readings for “confidentiality” in order to find the right sections of your readings where you could find explanations that you can use and reference in the piece. Aim to cite each relevant reading that was provided by your teacher at least once in the piece.
• Google Scholar. You’ll also need to cite some other scholarly readings . I recommend going to google scholar and type in the keywords from your key idea. For example, if your key idea is “Climate change causes sea temperatures to rise”, you would want to type into the google scholar search bar: “Climate change” and “sea temperatures”. Find sources that have direct links to the pdf or html document of the text – these are sources that aren’t hidden behind paywalls. Make sure you get a good number of additional readings from google scholar (I usually aim for 50% assigned readings, 50% additional readings).

You might also want to make sure you have least one – preferably two –references per paragraph. If you have included two references, aim to reference two different sources rather than the one source twice.

5. Write a compelling Introduction and Conclusion

Keep an eye on that word count.

Hopefully for each paragraph you write you see that wordcount jumping by about 150 to 200 words. Before long you’ll be at 500, 800, 1400 words!

Make sure you stop writing when you get within 300 words of the word limit (about one page if you’ve been given a page limit). You’re going to want to use the last 300 words or so for creating an amazing introduction and conclusion.

If you hit the desired word count but don’t get around to some key points, that’s okay. We sorted the points from most to least relevant in Step 2 for just this reason: the ones you miss will be the least relevant, anyway.

Now, write your introduction.

A compelling introduction should:

• Identify the key focus or argument of the essay in the first sentence
• Explain the topic’s relevance. Why is it worth discussing at this particular time? What value does it have for your future profession?
• Let your reader know what you plan on saying in the piece.

Then write your conclusion .

A compelling conclusion should:

• Summarize your key points
• Explain how your key points support your argument and/or address the essay question
• Identify any contradictions , limitations or questions that remain unanswered within the topic area. What is the future direction of research into this topic in the next 5, 10 or 20 years?

Use the above bullet points to formulate your introduction and conclusion . Again, aim for 4 to 6 sentences (150 words or so) for the introduction and about 4 to 6 sentences for the conclusion. Make sure in the introduction and conclusion that you show your reader you have a good bird’s eye understanding of the topic you are covering and its relevance to real life.

6. Fix up that Reference List

Your reference list is probably a mess. It’s not likely to be in the correct referencing format that you need it to be in.

Thanks to Google Scholar, this part is a heck of a lot easier than it was ten years ago.

Here’s what you do:

• Type the name of each source that you reference into the Google Scholar search bar
• Find the source in the list that Google Scholar generates (it should be in the first few spots on the list.
• Press the cite button underneath the source. A pop-up should appear showing how to cite the source in each referencing style.
• Copy the citation and paste it into your paper’s reference list
• Check to see if the citation is correct: are there any missing details?

Once you’ve listed all the sources you used in your reference list, you’ll need to sort them alphabetically. Highlight the whole reference list then sort it using:

• Microsoft Word: The A>Z button under the ‘home’ menu

7. Edit it in the Morning

Once you’ve written a full draft, you’ve got a decision to make:

• If the piece is due in the next few hours, you’ve got to crack on and start editing immediately;
• If the piece is due tomorrow morning, give yourself permission to go to sleep. Having a break between writing and editing lets you look at your work with fresh eyes tomorrow. But, be prepared. In the morning you’ve still got some work to do.

Editing your work – even just once the morning before you submit – will earn you a big bump in your marks.

You probably will only have time to edit the work once, so I recommend this:

• Print the work. Editing work on paper is far more effective than editing it on the screen. Errors jump out at you more if you’re reading it on paper.
• Read through the work and cross out sentences that don’t make sense. Underline sentences that need rewording for clarity. Circle words that need to be changed or spell-checked.
• The name of the game while editing is increasing clarity. If a sentence is too long, complicated or confusing when you’re editing it, you need to find a way to say it more clearly. Sometimes that means turning one sentence into two shorter sentences. That’s okay. A good way to find sentences that need shortening is to use the ProWritingAid app which produces a special report identifying sentences that are too long.
• Once you’ve done scrawling your edits on the paper copy, jump onto the computer and go from the start: insert all the edits you wrote down on the paper copy into the computer copy.

This print-and-edit strategy is by far the most effective editing strategy. It dramatically increases the quality of any student’s work and bumps up their grades.

Editing your work is worthwhile, no matter how tight the deadline. It could be the difference between a C and a B or – even more importantly – a fail and a pass.

Read Also: 39 Better Ways to Write ‘In Conclusion’ in an Essay

Look, let’s face it. You should have written it earlier.

But, there’s always still hope. Now’s the time for action – get those top ten points you want to say on the issue done, then keep following the steps to the end. You can do it!

Let’s sum up those seven key steps one more time:

• Hack your teacher’s lecture slides
• Write down ten to fifteen key points to discuss
• Turn each point into a 4 to 6 sentence paragraph
• Use readings while writing your paragraphs.
• Write a compelling Introduction and Conclusion
• Fix up that Reference List
• Edit it in the Morning

If you’ve finished all the steps – Congratulations. You got through! Now make sure you don’t do it again with these strategies that can help you get started early on even the toughest paper. You might recognise some of them?

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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4 Ways to Write Essays Faster

Life happens, and sometimes you forget to plan for an essay. All of a sudden it’s a couple of days before the deadline and you’re trying to figure out a way to get this essay done. If you’re in this situation, here are a few ways you can write that essay by the due date.

1. Write What You Know

If you’re stuck staring at a blank page with the time ticking down, the easiest way to put something to the page is to write what you already know about. Not only will it be the ideas and concepts you’re most familiar with so the essay will be accurate, but you’ll likely have a lot to say without having to do a lot of research versus something you’re not as knowledgeable about. And you’ll end up writing a lot of content quickly as well, so the more you know off the top of your head about the topic, the easier it’ll be.

But even if you don’t know about the topic or not enough to write most of an essay, some quick research can set you on the right track. If you’re writing on something that’s been well-researched or written about beforehand, a short 15 or 30-minute research session can give you a great resource for any topics you might want to go into and help you write down a few notes to include in your paper. Another way you can get an essay written by knowledgeable people is to work with an essay writing service Reddit users recommend, as they’ve likely been in your shoes and can help you decide the best service to write your paper.

2. Don’t Start From the Intro

Many students and even professional writers struggle with figuring out where and how to start their essays, no matter how long they’ve been writing. But if you’ve been assigned a certain topic or know you have a specific point or idea that you want to prove or get across, a great way to get started is to start not from the beginning, but at the end. It might seem counterproductive, but you’ll have a much better time working backward and putting all your focus on proving your point or explaining your perspective.

Or if you’re not sure what the ending of your essay or paper should be, writing the first sentences of the ideas you’re going over may give you the inspiration to get started and work from there. That way you’ll have covered what you want and can properly introduce or conclude the paper.

3. Make an Outline

If you’ve got a lot to cover or there are a lot of specifics you need to get into, writing an outline will be a big help. Not only will you have a better idea of where you’ll need to spend your time if you know the essay will cover a lot of ground and you have to insert information from your notes or research, but you can go ahead and knock out the paragraphs that’ll be easier to write.

An outline can also help you start each paragraph off on the right foot. When you’re outlining you shouldn’t just think about the basic idea, but plan out what the rest of the paragraph will cover. Drum up a couple of sentences to go along with it that summarizes the main point, how it connects to the rest of the essay, and any evidence that you’ll need to have.

4. Lose the Distractions

One of the easiest ways to lose time when you’re writing is to get distracted. You’ll end up spending more time looking at your phone or listening to music than actually writing the essay. But if you’re a big fan of technology, you can use a distraction blocker that locks you out of other websites and apps like social media and video players that aren’t relevant to your paper.

These can take a lot of forms but they’re all designed around the concept of either completely blocking or making it obvious if you do visit one of these sites or apps that you should be working instead.

The second is to do it the old-fashioned way and put your other electronics or potential time-wasters far away enough that you won’t be tempted to reach for them. While this requires a bit more willpower on your part, it can be a useful method if you need to go to a variety of websites for your research.

Get That Essay Done

Writing an essay is a large undertaking on its own, and adding a close deadline can make it extra difficult. But if you follow these tips, you’ll have a better time sitting down and getting to work on your paper without dreading that close due date. And even if you’re not writing close to the deadline you’ll be able to write your essays faster and get back to the other things in your life.

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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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Table of contents

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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See an example

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.

Write your essay introduction

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.

Write your essay conclusion

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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How to Write an Essay Fast: Tips and Examples

Almost every student has experienced a circumstance where they had just a few hours before the essay deadline. So, what is the best course of action in this case? We suggest that you should either begin writing right away or seek professional assistance. Hiring a pro to write your essay is an easy way out. You can just order essay from our research paper writing services , and in a blink of an eye, your piece is ready to be sent out on time. But, if you want to write it yourself, then you need to know how to write an essay quickly.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Write an Essay Fast

The essay writing process isn't simple. Especially when you want to do it quickly under the pressure of upcoming deadlines, but don't panic! Whether you’re wondering how to write an essay in a day or just an hour, you can still write an engaging and good essay fast. Here are some tips to help you write a paper faster:

• Make a plan for your writing process - The first and most important thing to do is to understand a thesis statement, spend 10-15 minutes planning your essay, and brainstorm some ideas about your main point.
• Start essay writing - Start with a hook in the introduction; add three body paragraphs and explain your major point. Make a clear image of your ideas in the conclusion.
• Edit your paper - Always keep the last 5 minutes for proofreading your essay; slowly read complex sentences to avoid any grammar mistakes; after editing, give the appropriate title to your work.

These are some useful short tips to do a paper fast. But if you don’t feel like doing any writing, you can use the help of qualified writing service to get yourself a solid essay.

How Can You Write an Essay as Fast as Possible

We discussed a few tips to write an essay fast, but they may still not be enough for everyone to do their essay quickly. There are many reasons why it can get difficult: you struggle to understand the essay topic and the main idea of it, you lack motivation, you overthink an essay prompt, you get constantly distracted, etc. Sometimes we all feel that way, and it's normal, but to make writing your last-minute essay easier, we should overcome those feelings.

So, let's dive deeper into how to write an essay fast to help you with the paper you completely overlooked.

Step 1. Get Rid of Distractions and Plan Your Time

One of the reasons why you can't focus on writing is a constant distraction. Our digital gadgets distract us not only from the essay writing process but from many important things in life. So when you need to focus, set your mind on it and keep the electronic devices away from the working space.

The next step is to manage time. If you want to learn how to write essays quickly, you need to know how to divide the time left correctly. If you have only 2 hours before your deadline, it's crucial to distribute it accordingly. You have to do it in three main parts: outline, body paragraphs, and conclusion paragraphs. Besides that, keep extra 10 minutes for proofreading and revising your essay. Spend 25 minutes on essay structure and half of your 2 hours on shaping the paper's body. Usually, body paragraphs are needed most of the time, but distribution is on you. Spend more of it on the part you struggle to write.

Step 2. Write First Ideas Which Spring up in Your Mind

While reading an essay question carefully, start making a note of the very first ideas that pop up in your mind. This way, you'll have a view of what to write about. Then start analyzing the thesis statement, highlight the major points of the key sentences you want to discuss and then choose which ideas fit best to them.

Don't overthink the statement. To write essays faster, you need to have a concise view of what you are writing about from the very beginning. You don't have much time, so do not spend any of it on overthinking.

Step 3. Elaborate a Plan to Write an Essay Fast

If you have ever had only an hour left to write your essay or are now in that situation, you're lucky to be here reading this. It's entirely possible to do your paper in an hour, and we'll show you an essential step-by-step plan on how to write an essay fast.

But before planning the whole essay, you have to choose your topic. This is a no-brainer, but people are often stuck at this point. If you have the freedom to choose your own topic, determine the kind of theme you are familiar with and can discuss without having to spend much time on research. But if you have several topics, choose the one on which you can deliver a more in-depth analysis.

Now let's move to the next steps on how to plan the process to write an essay fast.

Step 4. Conduct a Research

Conducting research may seem difficult when you have an hour for the whole essay, but don't worry. You can manage that too! You already have the topic and the thoughts around it, and now you need a little research. So be brief and concise, look for the specific information that you're definitely using in your paper, and don't waste time on general concepts. To write an essay fast, you have to conduct research faster.

While searching on the internet, save bookmarks of your needed pages. This will serve not to start looking for the information all over.

Do these tips to write an essay fast make enough sense for you yet?! Anyways, don't pressure yourself! If it's manageable for others to write essay fast, then it is for you too. So read through carefully, act according to this plan, and you'll make it.

Step 5. Make an Outline

Before you start writing:

• Create an outline of your ideas, and organize your thoughts around the theme.
• Write down your words on paper and determine how they are logically connected.
• List your ideas and relate them to the larger concepts.

This way, you can have a general structure for your paper and step forward to write an essay fast. Regardless of how much effort and time you put into the work, it's useless if you can't organize your thoughts.

Now that you have an essay topic and the main idea around it, you can think of creating the thesis statement. Refer to the outlines you noted and try to express the major points of your essay with them. The statement will have two parts - outlining the topic and outlining the objective of your essay.

Now you are one step closer to mastering how to write essays quickly. Several steps to go, and you're all done!

Step 6. Write a Draft with Key Sentences for Each Paragraph

You should develop your arguments in the body and turn every idea you outlined before into separate paragraphs. Remember that each of the sections should have the same format. Start to incorporate your primary ideas into the opening sentence. After that, add your secondary supporting ideas to it. Also, do not forget to use proper sentence format.

You should clearly explain your topic in key sentences to strengthen the arguments. Every paragraph should contain supporting evidence, main points, and summarizing sentences.

Does it seem easier now to write an essay fast? Then, let us make it completely manageable for you with further steps.

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Step 7. Intro: Start with a Hook

After finishing the previous steps, then it is time to write an introduction. But how will you introduce something that hasn't been created yet? It may be unusual to write the beginning after you've already got the middle part, but it makes sense. Now that you have your thesis and arguments on paper, you can take the interesting elements and turn them into an attention-grabbing intro. Write a hook preceding it - it can be statistical information, a dialogue, a relevant anecdote, a quote, or just some fact, but it has to tie in with your thesis.

Also, if it's more comfortable to think of the hook first and then about the other parts, you're free to do so. Starting with the hook can help your creative process, but don't think too much about it. This way is more adjustable when you don't need to search for ‘how to write an essay quickly’ and have enough time to spend on it.

Step 8. Make a Strong Conclusion

Writing the conclusion paragraph is an important part of making a clear expression of everything you wrote above that. It is your opportunity to reinforce the thesis. Restate the arguments to leave the reader with something interesting to think about. It should be 3-5 strong conclusive sentences that place the whole information into a broader context. Don't forget to avoid introducing new points or ideas in your conclusion,

The introduction and conclusion is often the hardest part to write. So, you should save both for last, especially when you want to write an essay fast. It will take all of your time if you start thinking about them in the beginning when you haven't discussed any arguments yet. When you have the body paragraphs of your essay, it should be much easier to write a summarized conclusion and introduction.

Step 9. Check Everything

If you just typed ‘how to write an essay quickly’ and now reading this, then you already know you have to review your paper besides how much time you have before the deadline. So you always have to keep extra minutes to revise your work.

Check if there are any grammatical errors, if the paragraphs are in order - the main argument should be the first and last paragraph in your body, or if your work makes sense at all. These little elements affect the quality of your essay, especially the one you're writing in an hour.

This is the ultimate guide and your last step in learning to write an essay fast. Just don't panic and set your mind on doing it properly.

How to Write 500 Word Essay Fast

The essay writing process isn't so easy, especially when you want it done quickly. But it doesn't mean it's impossible. For example, have you ever wondered how to write a 500 word essay fast? If you are reading this article, you already have the answer. The previous examples we examined about writing papers faster are also adjustable to 500-word essays.

Let's do a small recap! First, decide on an interesting topic you want to write about, but don't overthink it. Instead, choose the one you know more about. Secondly, make a quick, basic outline of your thoughts and thesis statements. Then start working on your body paragraph, and lastly, do your introduction and conclusion. You can read above how to do each of these steps very easily.

In addition, you might be writing an SAT paper. In this case, you can apply these tips to the writing process with specific needs.

How to Write a Research Essay Fast

If you ever looked up 'how to write a research essay fast' and couldn't manage to find the solution through research, then we're here to help you out.

While writing a research paper requires a lot of effort—from developing a compelling thesis to locating relevant literature—doing so may be more fun if you select a topic you are passionate about. In addition, you have an opportunity to consider other people's discoveries and draw your own conclusions about what they signify.

Most essays have specifics that should be considered to be worth a good grade. If you don't know these needs, it can be difficult for you to complete the task properly. So then, what's your answer to it? Are you just sitting there wondering, 'how can I get research paper writing help ?' If you still haven't found the way, click on it, and there is your solution.

Pros and Cons of Writing an Essay Fast

As with everything else, writing your paper fast has its positive and negative sides too.

Let's start with the cons:

• When writing fast, you may not leave yourself the time for proofreading and editing the work, which will lead to not a very good essay and a satisfactory grade.
• Knowing that the deadline is coming closer can pressure you while preventing the creative process which can be destructive for your essay.
• Time spent on each part of the paper may not be enough or correctly distributed, which can mess with essay structure.

Pros of writing essay fast:

• The positive side of writing an argumentative essay fast is that now you know how to do it and don't need much time to waste.
• You are always on time for deadlines when you know how to write a good essay fast.
• Improves your time management skills.

So, It's entirely possible to write a good essay fast. For example, if you need to know how to write a process analysis essay, consider what we have already discussed above, and just like that, you are left with a great piece in a very short period!

There are many reasons why you can't finish your paper before the deadline. But it's not the end of the world, right? That's why essay writing services provide support for students. When you are in a position where you need to get your paper done fast by a professional, you can turn to EssayPro's cheap essay writing service. It's not a problem you have to worry about.

It doesn't matter if you need, for example, descriptive or expository essays, EssayPro's experts can provide both for you. You're just one click away from your perfect paper!

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How to Write an Essay Fast: 12 Tips to Speed Up the Writing Process

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Do you need to write an essay fast and get an excellent score? Are you in a rush and need to complete the writing task in a day or just 1 hour? Or maybe you have an upcoming test with strict time constraints for the writing section, such as a 30-minute limit for the SAT essay or 45 minutes given for an ACT writing prompt? Whatever your case is, it's important to stay focused, organized, and efficient. And you are in the right place to master speedy writing. 

In this guide, we have compiled 12 valuable tips to help you create top-notch papers and write faster within tough time constraints. Whether you are faced with a challenging topic that requires in-depth analysis, or need to produce a high-quality essay quickly for a test or assignment, these suggestions will come in handy. 

Let’s jump into the topic and find out how to write an essay quickly and efficiently. Alternatively, you can pay for essay to get results twice as fast.

How Long Does It Take to Write a Paper Fast

Every student wants to know how to write an essay fast and with less effort. It is a complicated task, as it requires a lot of previous preparation and understanding of basic writing and research principles. The amount of time required to complete a paper depends on several factors:

Generally, if you have a good topic understanding and have a solid outline, you will be able to write a 5-paragraph essay in a few hours or even less. On the other hand, if you are writing a research paper , it may take several days to complete, even if you are working fast. 

In this blog, we will discuss how to write a paper fast to help you quickly cope with assignments and enjoy your student life.

Tips on How Write an Essay Fast

Let’s start with a clear goal – you need to write an essay quickly and get the highest possible score. Start with appropriate preparation. Ensure you dedicate enough time to planning, understanding the task, creating an outline, and writing your essay. Consider an essential structure for your text that can be easily applied during the test or assignment.

The secret of fast and effective writing is appropriate planning and a clear understanding of assignments. Practice and learn from the best essay examples to write papers faster. In the following sections, we will focus on quick essay writing tips to improve your essays and make the whole writing process much more manageable.

1. Ged Rid of Distractions

To write essays faster, you need to be entirely concentrated on your work. Focusing intensely on something for an hour or more can be complicated, but this is the only way to complete your task quickly. Remember that you don’t have much time. Most likely you will spend 30% of your time on the planning and research part. Turn off all your gadgets, and ensure that messages and calls don’t distract you. Organize your workplace and dedicate time to writing. 

You can write your essay fast but should focus only on this task. It is essential to clarify what can be a distraction and fix it. For example, you may want to check your social media all the time. Then put your gadgets in another room to focus on your assignment.

2. Plan Every Minute of Your Time

Every minute of your writing process should be planned. If you need to learn how to write an essay in an hour, start planning the exact amount of time for creating each section of your paper. You may use our Assignment Calculator to divide your task into smaller pieces and stay on track. 

Let’s look at this 60 minutes example and what your time-planning can look like. You will need 5 minutes to create an outline and 10 minutes for each part of your text. An introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion will take 50 minutes in sum. Allot additional 5 minutes for revision. 

Ensure you are not spending 30 minutes on the hook intro to your essay. Be precise with the timing.

3. Set a Timer to Achieve Your Writing Goal

For fast essay writing, you need to have a lot of experience. As we have mentioned before, being proficient in time management is essential. But how to feel time and see the difference between 10 and 20 minutes? Practice is the answer. Set up a timer for 60 minutes and try to finalize your essay. Ultimately, you will see how much more time you need to improve your text. 

You may be a talented college essay writer and find that you can create a masterpiece in 60 minutes without any specific preparations. Who knows! But try working with a timer first! Write your essay fast and check how many essential points you are missing.

4. Carefully Read the Task

Start with careful assignment reading to learn how to write a good essay fast. No doubt that this is 50% of your success. 

When it comes to writing assignments, you may be given a prompt that includes questions or 3 different positions to choose from. Alternatively, you may be presented with a quote and tasked with elaborating on its meaning and explaining your understanding. It is essential to understand what each specific task is about. In this case, you won’t spend 20 minutes writing the answer to a wrong question. 

If you find that you don't fully understand the writing task at first glance, don't worry. Get acquainted with instructions again, and if necessary, read them one more time. And only after that move to the next step to avoid unnecessary confusion.

5. Do Quick Research

If you need to write an essay in 30 minutes, it may sound problematic to conduct research before commencing. However, if you have an hour or 2 for your text, it is possible to run a quick research that will improve your text significantly. 

To finish an essay fast, you must learn to conduct research quickly. If you have the Internet access, look at the statistics on your topic, as numbers often strengthen your statements. Search for the latest data, new discoveries, or approaches in analysis in your area. Maybe, you’ll find interesting facts or evidence supporting your point of view. Do not forget to save all relevant links.

6. Identify the Main Idea and Stick to It

Before jumpstarting the writing process, you must define the statements you will argue in your essay. Be clear with your main idea to do an essay fast. Otherwise, you will spend all your time discussing what viewpoint is the best to stand on. 

Here’s what you should consider in choosing the right statement for your essay:

7. Create an Outline

When you need to write a long essay fast, don’t spend much time on devising a detailed essay outline . However, you need to build a basic structure for your text, as it will definitely save time in the long run. 

What can be included in your outline?

Even if you don’t go deep with each point in your outline, clarify the critical thoughts for each part of your paper.

8. Follow a Basic Structure

The fastest way to write an essay is to be strict with the basic structure you decide to use. Usually, it will be an introduction, 2 or 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion section. If you already have an outline, you know the crucial points for each section. In this stage, the best way to save time is to stick to this essay structure without trying to add a few new paragraphs. 

For a solid paper, you should be logical and consistent in argumentation. If you are working on 5 paragraph essay, do not try to change its organization in the middle of the writing process.

9. Choose Quality Over Quantity

Writing an essay really fast does not mean you need to write a lot and put into the paper everything you have in your head. Submitting longer text than required doesn’t mean you will have a better score. Paradoxically, students tend to make more mistakes in lengthy pieces.

For example, if the task is to write a 1000-word essay, and students are trying to expand it to 1500 words, there is a risk that such paper will contain many errors. In this case, you will have less time for planning, research, and outlining and probably no time for proofreading. Don’t compromise on the quality of your text, since it’s more critical for advanced scoring! 

>> Read more: How to Write a 1000 Word Essay

10. Write an Introduction and Conclusion Last

If you want your paper done fast, start with the main body and argumentation paragraphs first. It can sound strange, as we got used to beginning with the essay introduction . But how will you hook your reader if you are unsure about your arguments yet? The solution is simple. Create 3 paragraphs with argumentation, then move to an introduction section. It will be way easier to identify what can entice your reader and become a benefit for the intro paragraph. 

Also, you will write your conclusion section only after you finish everything. By doing so, you will be able to paraphrase your thesis statement and wrap up only essential aspects.

>> Learn more: How to Conclude an Essay

11. Separate Drafting and Revision

Drafting your essay and carrying out a final essay revision are two separate processes, and you need to plan time for each one accordingly. For writing papers faster, draft your text right after creating an outline. It does not mean you should go into details. But add one introductory sentence to each text part and then move to more profound idea development. 

Revision of your ideas and argumentation is also a separate process. Plan at least 5 minutes to go through drafted ideas and critically analyze them. 

Quite often, students do drafting and revision at once. But we recommend separating this process to make your writing more efficient.

12. Proofread Your Essay

Writing a paper in less than an hour does not mean you can submit it with grammar or spelling mistakes. You should have at least 5-7 minutes for proofreading. Even if you are working on a 20-minute essay, allocate enough time for further improvements. Deep and valuable thoughts and arguments won’t help if your paper has many mistakes. Check the most common spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors that may occur in your text. Pay attention to the general structure and ensure you are not missing any logical connections. 

Proofreading is as important as building a solid statement for your essay. This is the ground for excellent grading.

Mistakes to Avoid While Writing an Essay Quickly

You may feel pressure to write your essay in under 30 minutes, but it does not mean you can’t create great work. How to succeed with this task? Be focused on your paper and try to avoid the most common mistakes. 

Here is the list of typical flaws:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Essay Writing

Submitting a last-minute essay can be quite a challenge for anyone. However, after some practice, you may feel it is more effective than spending days on a paper. It is evident that fast writing has pros and cons, and here we will cover them.

The advantages of a fast-written essay are:

At the same time, there are a lot of disadvantages of working with time-limited writing assignments. Here are some of them:

Bottom Line on How to Write Essays Quickly

In your study life, you will definitely face situations when you need to write an essay fast – in 20 or 60 minutes. It may look tricky, as last minute paper submission is always stressful. But in this blog, we provided you with the most effective tips on writing your essay fast and easy. 

It can be a piece of cake for you – just plan your time, pay attention to details, and do not forget about the proofreading part. We did our best to share actionable suggestions on how to write faster. Follow our advice on content writing and be confident in your academic writing success!

Buy essay papers from our academic writing service. Powered by great experience, our writers will find a quick solution to your request.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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• Length of an essay
• Topic complexity
• Depth of preliminary research
• Writing skills.
• You don’t need the right answer – opt for the one you can find argumentation on. Choose the main idea that can be easily elaborated and developed.
• Find a unique angle. If you have 3 prompt perspectives and need to select only one, be original and try to stand on an issue not presented in a prompt.
• To finish essays quickly, do not choose the most complicated but the most perspective point of view. It’s better to have a lot of various arguments for your statements.
• If possible, choose a position that can be supported by personal experience. Giving personal examples or sharing your feelings on the topic is vital and will make your text outspoken.
• Do not change your statements while developing the topic. If you want to get an essay done fast, be consistent with your chosen position.
• Intro: Write a few catchy sentences to introduce your topic.
• Thesis statement: Outline your position on this topic.
• 1st Body paragraph: Present the first argument followed by analysis and examples.
• 2nd Body paragraph: Mention the second argument.
• 3rd Body paragraph: Elaborate on the third argument.
• Conclusion: Summarize your argumentation and provide a call to action.
• Repeating introduction sentences in the conclusion. You need to summarize your thoughts at the end, not paraphrase your intro.
• Not planning enough time for research and revision. You may think you won’t forget to proofread your essay before submission, but you will often run out of time.
• Including too much information into a 200-word essay. Use only facts and information that will benefit your text, not everything you know on a topic.
• Ability to submit your work on time
• Honing effective time management skills and increasing productivity
• Nurturing concentration on important facts and only necessary information
• Gaining confidence and approaching future tasks with ease.
• Deadline pressure can make writers less creative.
• You may not plan enough time for proofreading, and it will affect even a well-written essay.
• You may have no time for research, and it will make your essay less valuable and robust.
• Focusing on each essay part separately may cause logic gaps in a text.

FAQ on How to Write an Essay Fast

1. can you write an essay in 30 minutes.

As a student, you will often be given tasks with 30 minutes allotted to complete it. Creating a solid essay in 30 minutes can be daunting, but it is definitely achievable. You need to hone time planning and research skills to handle your paper quickly.

2. How to finish an essay fast?

Usually, you will come to a conclusion section at the last minute. To finish a good essay fast, you can use suggestions at the end, underline your point of view or ask your reader to think on this topic. For example, you may ask the readers’ choice in this situation. Or you may come up with a rhetorical question at the end.

3. How many minutes is a 300 word essay?

On average, people will need 7.5 minutes to type 300 words on a computer and almost 15 minutes for handwriting. However, it does not mean that 7 minutes will be enough to finish your assignments. Identify statements and argumentation, spend time on an outline and draft, and finally have some time for editing and proofreading.