HurtBreaker
New member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2026
- Messages
- 1
Listen up friends because I'm about to drop some knowledge that took me three years of trial and error to figure out. I'm a junior now and I've written approximately one million 1000 word essays (okay maybe like thirty but it feels like a million) and I've finally perfected my system. This works every single time and I want to share it with you all because we gotta help each other survive out here. 
Step one: the pre-write panic (15 minutes)
I read the prompt like five times and then just open a doc and type literally every thought I have about the topic. No filter. No structure. Just pure brain dump. This usually gets me like 200 words of garbage but at least it's something.
Step two: the outline (20 minutes)
This is the most important part and I used to skip it all the time which is why my essays were always messy. I write a quick outline with my thesis at the top then three main points with bullet points under each. Having a roadmap saves so much time it's actually insane.
Step three: the word vomit method (1 hour)
I set a timer for one hour and just write based on my outline. I don't stop to edit or fix anything. I don't care if my sentences are awkward. I just write write write until the timer goes off. Usually I end up with like 700-800 words at this point.
Step four: the filler hunt (30 minutes)
Now I go back and look for places where I can add more detail. Where can I explain something better? Where can I add an example? Where can I quote a source? This is where I push toward 1000 words and usually overshoot a little which is fine.
Step five: the polish (45 minutes)
This is where I read everything out loud (weird but effective), fix my awkward sentences, check my citations, and make sure it actually flows. Then I do one final word count check and submit with confidence.
Anyway that's my method. It's not pretty but it works. Anyone else have weird essay writing rituals?
Step one: the pre-write panic (15 minutes)
I read the prompt like five times and then just open a doc and type literally every thought I have about the topic. No filter. No structure. Just pure brain dump. This usually gets me like 200 words of garbage but at least it's something.
Step two: the outline (20 minutes)
This is the most important part and I used to skip it all the time which is why my essays were always messy. I write a quick outline with my thesis at the top then three main points with bullet points under each. Having a roadmap saves so much time it's actually insane.
Step three: the word vomit method (1 hour)
I set a timer for one hour and just write based on my outline. I don't stop to edit or fix anything. I don't care if my sentences are awkward. I just write write write until the timer goes off. Usually I end up with like 700-800 words at this point.
Step four: the filler hunt (30 minutes)
Now I go back and look for places where I can add more detail. Where can I explain something better? Where can I add an example? Where can I quote a source? This is where I push toward 1000 words and usually overshoot a little which is fine.
Step five: the polish (45 minutes)
This is where I read everything out loud (weird but effective), fix my awkward sentences, check my citations, and make sure it actually flows. Then I do one final word count check and submit with confidence.
Anyway that's my method. It's not pretty but it works. Anyone else have weird essay writing rituals?