Is 100 Minutes Long Enough to Write an Essay?

We hope?

This week we've been working on a sane approach to the kind of timed 100-minute essay that is required for the writing test in March.

Here are the steps we came up with so far:

1. Read the prompt.
2. Understand the prompt. Pay particular attention to form and audience. A letter to the school board? A speech to a group of parents? An article for the school paper? Form and audience matters!
3. Brainstorm. Whether you make a list or some kind of word splash, the point here is to begin to know what you know. What are the details you already know about the topic that you can use as building blocks to your essay?
4. Make a map. True, some people prefer to start writing rather than mapping when they're beginning an essay. And, if you have a week to write an essay, that method can work well. When you only have 100 minutes, nearly everyone--including myself--needs to make a map to ensure that the essay will have some kind of order.
5. Draft and introduction. Introductions are so important. They make that first impression. And, when in doubt, fall back on the classic three-part form for an introduction: A hook that addresses your audience; a link to your thesis; and, finally, your thesis.
   
6. Write. Aim for filling the two pages that are provided.
7. Edit. Make sure each sentence you've written is a complete sentence. Check spelling.

That's it. And entirely doable in 100 minutes. The key is practicing this a few times so that it begins to feel like second nature.