WRITE

EXPOSITORY ESSAY? FOLLOW THESE STEPS.  YES, YOU NEED STEPS.

Identify your message.
First, identify your message, your main point about the topic you want to declare to the world.  Phrase it like a headline.  It should be compelling, begging your audience to respond. 

List your points.
Second, make a list of the points that support your conclusion or message.  You start with an argument.  No topic is neutral.  Your argument will invite opposition.  Expect it.  Prepare for it.  If your audience is your teacher, ask her how well does she know your topic.  If she's already spoken on the topic intelligently in class, then you have your answer.  She and the opposition to your point make up your audience.  You are arguing with her and the points that she's covered in her presentation.  You must gather proof for your points.  

Write your points out.  You need to see and hear them.
Third, state the points of your argument in full, complete, and logical sentences. Write a paragraph for each point if you must.  Then organize the points so that your point is solid.

Proof.  You'll need proof.  Otherwise, defending your point becomes weak. 
Fourth, find proof of your statements.  That's easy.  Use the internet.  Simply Google the statements that you wrote in step three.  Proof is essential for anyone to take your writing serious.  Without it your argument becomes just another opinion that you've grabbed from thin air.  So get proof.  And explain the importance of your points and of the proof.

Tone.
Though you are arguing a point with your audience, your tone does not have to be argumentative.  You can present points in a funny or rhetorical way that is engaging and has your audience laughing  and thinking about key points without making light of your topic.

Read your paper out loud.

Before you submit your paper for evaluation, you must read your paper out loud.  Reading your paper out loud allows you to hear logical inconsistencies, incorrect sentence structure, erroneous or omitted punctuation.  Reading your paper out loud is extremely beneficial to every writer. 

Note: interesting and engaging essays contain commentary or observations about your claims that makes your writing sound like it's a private but important discussion you're having with a friend . . . but in writing.  So consider adding brief commentary to your paragraphs.  Do you need more visual guidance on the overall look and structure of your essay?  Try this video.

YOU NEED AN INTRODUCTION.  YOU HAVE OPTIONS.

1.  Start with a question.  The question can often be a statement of your main point inverted into a question.

One more reminder on the structure of your essay.  Remember, too, that this is an academic assignment.  All essays are not like this.  You might be tasked one day with writing a newspaper article, a press release, or a story.

Pretend that a millionaire's hands and eyes will be on your paper.  That means that you must take care to make sure that everything is just right.  Spelling must be accurate.  Punctuation has to be exact.  Punctuation serves like stage directions on meaning, so make sure it is accurate.  Ask yourself, too, who your audience is.  If it is your teacher, then write like your life depends on it.  Your teacher can and will make recommendations of you to other people based on your writing.

OTHER KINDS OF ESSAYS

BE A BETTER WRITER

1.  Write Better Faster, Bob Bly.

WRITE CODE
1.  Code Academy.

USAGE
1.  Tips on Usage at Daily Writing Tips.

WRITING TOOLS

1.  Write daily with 750Words.com.

2.  Analyze Your Writing.
3.  "9 Steps to Writing and Publishing Your Novel on Amazon," Bill Myers. 
4.  Screenwriting tool.

TYPING SKILLS
1.  How fast can you type?  Ratatype, Typingweb, Typingclub, and or Typeacer.

CURSIVE WRITING
1.  Write more beautifully.  Try this. 
2.  How and Why to Write Better Cursive, Brett & Kate McKay, Dec. 16, 2014.

STUDY EFFECTIVELY
Here. 
Better to take notes by hand than by computer or e-notebooks.  But you already knew this.

PROOFREAD
ProWritingAid.com

CITATION GUIDES

1.  AP Style Book.

2.  MLA Formatting & Style Guide.  Cannot find the book online for free, so you'll need to go to the usual places to purchase it--either at the MLA.org website or Amazon.
3.  Chicago/Turabian Style.
4.  Or, you can just use the Citation Machine that uses anyone of the previously mentioned.
5.  Bibme.org.
6.  Endnote.
7.  Ottobib.  Just enter an ISBN.  Cool.
8.  APA Style, American Psychological Association Style.
9.  Chicago/Turabian Style.
10. MLA Style.
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4-PARAGRAPH REVIEW FORMAT*** for ARTICLE, CHAPTER, BOOK, or MOVIE REVIEWS 

Paragraph 1:  Accurately summarize the important points in the article.

Paragraph 2:  Explain why these points are important.

Paragraph 3:  Compare the article to another article that is better.

Paragraph 4:  Evaluate the article.  Explain how it helped to advance your understanding of the topic.  If it did not, explain why it did not.

**This format is quite good to build the habit of writing reviews.  As you develop that you can begin building a literary flare but until then this is an excellent practice guide for any age.  This format works well with chapter reviews in books.  And to give him full credit, this format belongs to Gary North.  Find him and the Ron Paul Curriculum at Specific Answers.

GRAMMAR TOOLS
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/