How to Write an Awesome Paper

Bronson K. Chadwick

This passage is written by Bronson Chadwick and is designed to teach students that everyone is a writer and can use writing to express themselves to other people without writing being as scary as it sounds!

Feeling Stuck?

Writing doesn’t have to be scary. If you’ve ever told a story, explained an idea, or argued about your favorite pizza topping—you’re already a writer! Let’s unlock your writing powers with a few simple tricks.

Step 1: Blast Out Ideas

Grab a scrap of paper and a pen. Think about the prompt. Got it? Now set a timer for 30 seconds and write everything you know about the topic—fast. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Just let the ideas fly.

Example:
Your teacher gives you a prompt to write about pizza.

You start with “I like pizza.” Then: “Pepperoni’s my favorite. I love the cheese-stuffed crust. Frozen pizza? Meh. Homemade pizza? Awesome. My friends like pineapple, which is weird, but they add extra cheese, which is great.”

Boom—you’ve got a pile of ideas.

Tip:
If your brain’s still frozen, read the prompt again. You might not understand what it’s asking yet.

Step 2: Sort Your Thoughts

Flip your paper over. Draw circles or boxes. Group your ideas into categories like:

Favorite pizzas
Pizza day at school
Pizza I want to try making
Pizza places I love

Now you’ve got a map!

Step 3: Write the Ending First

Decide how your paper should wrap up. This gives you a destination.

Example:
“At the end of the day, Mario’s Pizza Shop is my favorite. Their Chicago-style pizza is loaded with cheese and pepperoni. If I ran the city, I’d make Mario’s the law!”

Step 4: Hook the Reader

Now write the beginning. Start with a bold claim or a funny line. Then preview what’s coming.

Example:
“I know the best pizza in the world. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it. This paper is your guide to the top three pizzas and where to find them.”

Step 5: Fill in the Middle

Each paragraph should cover one idea. Keep it short and punchy.

Example:
“Pizza day at school is Friday. It’s not fancy, but it’s the best thing on the lunch menu.”

“Tuesday is pizza night at my house. Frozen pizza is okay, but my brother once made one from scratch—it was amazing.”

“One time we ordered from two places to compare. Mario’s won. The cheese was so gooey it slid off the slice!”

Step 6: Do Real Research

For bigger topics, you’ll need facts. That means reading books, articles, or doing interviews—not just Googling random stuff. The more you know, the stronger your paper.

Step 7: Track Your Sources

If you use outside info, write down where it came from. Your teacher might ask for a bibliography. That means listing the title, author, and date of each source. Never claim someone else’s work as your own.

Step 8: Edit Like a Pro

Read your paper out loud. Fix anything that sounds weird. Rewrite messy parts. If you’re handwriting it, use a clean sheet for your final draft.

Need to make it longer? Go back to your brainstorm and add more.
Need to make it shorter? Cut whole sentences or swap long phrases for short ones.

Want to make your next speech unforgettable? Try one or two of these tips and see what happens. You’ve got this—and we’re cheering you on every step of the way!