Dr. Mark Smith

Your next essay will be a process analysis, an explanation of how to do something.

Selecting an appropriate topic is very important to the success of this essay because your reader will not want to read a boring topic. So, forget the essay on "how to change a flat tire" or "how to bake chocolate-chip cookies" unless you can furnish some special insight or a unique perspective. The successful essay is creative and humorous. For instance, you might try an essay on "how to get a date for Saturday night."

For as long as I can remember, my older brother has had a date on Saturday night. When were growing up, his dates were as much a part of our family ritual as Sunday lunches and Christmas gifts. As a teenager, Steve never had problems getting dates. In fact, when he was living at home, girls would call him for dates.

As his younger brother, I was expected to carry on the tradition. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting dates when I was in high school. The girls I called were always "busy" or "had plans." However, after a couple of really dry years, I finally devised a foolproof way of getting dates, and I can now hold my own with Steve. I discovered that, to get a girl’s attention, one must plan, primp, and proceed.

You must consider your audience when writing such an essay. How familiar are they with your topic? What can you assume about their expertise? You can assume, for instance, that most everyone has experience in the dating game. Or, you could describe how to convince your parents to let you major in art history instead of accounting. (Certainly, everyone has struggled with determining their major.)

Whatever topic you choose, it should be one you can address with knowledge and insight. Humor is often a foolproof tone for such an essay. The afore-mentioned "flat-tire" essay could be legitimized if you described the process while trying to get your date home before her curfew. A "how-to-fry-chicken" essay might work if you explained how to do this while cooking for your boss who might give you a promotion or raise.

As with the first essay, your topic is not as important as how you present it.