essay mind map about my best friend

How To Write a My Best Friend Essay

Definition: What Is a My Best Friend Essay?

Write about what you know is sage advice often given to fledgling writers. And what do many of our young students know more about than their trusty sidekick, who is a constant presence through thick and thin?

A My Best Friend Essay is precisely what it sounds like; an essay the student writes that is focused on their closest pal’s endearing attributes (and otherwise).

However, the My Best Friend Essay is more than just a chance for students to wax lyrical about their BFFs. It is an authentic opportunity for students to hone their composition skills and exercise their creative flair. 

All this while talking about one of their best mate – not bad!

STRUCTURING a My Best Friend Essay

This is an essay. It says so right there in the title! Just how complex the structure of a student’s essay is will depend on essential factors such as age and ability. However, the 5-paragraph essay structure is a perfect framework for this type of composition.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the 5-paragraph essay is that it is easily modified to differentiate between lower or higher ability students by simply adjusting the number of paragraphs. The essay will still contain the same essential elements of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, regardless of how long it is.

The 5-paragraph (or hamburger) essay is a craft in itself and much too broad a topic to go into at length. Check out our complete guide here if you want more detail on this handy essay template.

Briefly though, in essence, the 5-paragraph essay comprises three parts:

• The Introduction : The opening paragraph will orient the reader to the topic of the essay, in this case, by introducing the show’s star, the best friend .
• The Body : In the traditional 5-paragraph essay, this makes up three of the five paragraphs. In this type of essay, the student will use these paragraphs to flesh out the main reasons they value their friend, or (at a more advanced level) they will tell a story about them that illustrates why they are the student’s best friend.
• The Conclusion : In the conclusion, the student can sum up why their friend holds the hallowed title of ‘best’. Or, at a higher level, the student can use the final paragraph of their essay to look forward to the future of their relationship with their best friend. 

Daily Quick Writes For All Text Types

Our FUN DAILY QUICK WRITE TASKS will teach your students the fundamentals of CREATIVE WRITING across all text types. Packed with 52 ENGAGING ACTIVITIES

My Best Friend Essay Story

While we are teaching a short essay on my best friend’, it can also be approached from another angle, i.e., as a nonfiction story.

While the clearcut essay format may be eminently suitable for younger students, you may wish to revisit this genre with older students, this time emphasising storytelling.

In this creative nonfiction approach, students can merge the essay format with storytelling elements such as character, setting, central conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 

Constructing their best friend composition in this manner allows students to work on structuring a nonfiction text. Simultaneously, it offers them a chance to develop their creative flair.

My Best Friend in 10 Lines

Another approach particularly well-suited to younger students is the my best friend essay 10 lines format.

This helps younger students get writing by giving them a clear target to aim for, which makes planning easy.

However, you can still introduce the three elements of the 5-paragraph essay here. As students list the points they want to make in their 10 lines, they can be encouraged to group these into introduction, body, and conclusion sections. 

For example, a plan might look like this:

A ‘My Best Friend in 10 Lines’ Plan

Introduction

Line 1: My friend’s name.

Line 2: What she looks like.

Line 3: Where she is from/her family.

Line 4: What friendship means to me.

Line 5: How we met.

Line 6: The kindest thing she has ever done.

Line 7: The funniest thing she has ever done.

Line 8: My absolute favorite thing about her.

Line 9: Restate why she is my best friend.

Line 10: How I see our future together.

To complete their 10-line ode to their friend, the student simply builds proper sentences around each of these (or similar) ideas.

More on Planning a My Best Friend Composition

As we can see in the sample plan above, the planning process is relatively straightforward when the 5-paragraph essay structure serves as a framework. However, we may want to take things up a notch for students of a higher ability.

A good, old-fashioned brainstorming session is an excellent starting point for the student. They can list their favorite memories and their friend’s best features.

While younger students may inevitably write something of a hagiography (a biography of a saint!), older students may want to present a more realistic portrait of their ever-present amigo.

Likewise, if the student is undertaking their composition in a narrative nonfiction form, they’ll need to map out the narrative arc of their story at the planning stage.

As with any story, the conflict will serve as the engine of the narrative. However, this conflict does not have to take the form of a problem between the writer and the best friend. After all, this text is more likely to be something of a love letter than a letter of complaint. Instead, the conflict is more likely to take the form of a problem or a challenge faced by the writer and their pal together.

Whether or not the student’s text will take a full-blown story form, true-to-life anecdotes will bring life to the student’s writing. The planning process is the perfect time to dump these onto paper, even if they don’t all make it into the final draft.

How to Start a MY Best Friend Essay

As with most text types, fiction or nonfiction, the writer will want to grab the reader’s attention from the outset. An effective way of doing this is by using a hook.

How to Hook The Reader

The student writer has many methods available to grasp the reader’s attention. While some of these will only be suitable for more advanced students, most can be adapted with a bit of effort for our younger writers.

• Start in the Middle of the Action

Technically known as, In Medias Res , this technique involves opening the story in the middle of a moment of dramatic tension with the exposition filled in later. This type of wizardry is probably best reserved for the more skilled student writer.

• Make a Bold Promise at the Outset

The promise of a big payoff can undoubtedly catch a reader’s eye and draw them in, but the student-writer must follow through later in the text. For less experienced students, you may want to offer a writing prompt to help out here. For example, 

My best friend Jack is truly one of a kind, but just how special he is wasn’t clear to me until the day a fire broke out in our school.

Students can quickly adapt such prompts by changing the event mentioned to their own circumstances.

• Create a Sense of Intimacy

Another way to grasp the reader’s interest is to create a sense of intimacy right from the start. This can be achieved by addressing the reader directly in a conversational tone. Students should use informal language and approach writing their text as if they were speaking to a close friend – this is perfect for this writing style.

• Open with an Anecdote

Another way to create interest (and a sense of intimacy) is to open up with an interesting anecdote about the friend. Students can select an interesting or humorous story to use as a carrot to entice the reader in. The student could substitute an exciting or amusing fact in shorter pieces for a full-blown anecdote.

• Begin with a Quotation

Quotes are a great way to garner attention. There are many online repositories of inspirational quotes on every topic under the sun where students can find a golden nugget of friendship-based wisdom to open their masterpieces. They must simply type in keywords such as ‘famous’, ‘quotes’, and ‘friendship’ to uncover a smorgasbord of well-articulated wisdom for students to choose from. However, students should ensure the sentiment expressed in their selected quote ties into the type of friendship described in their work.

Working the Body

As we stated earlier in this article, the 5-paragraph essay structure, or the narrative writing arc, lays out a suitable template for the student-writer to work their way through the body of their text. However, it’s worth pointing out five areas where a little attention can significantly impact.

• Get Specific

The devil’s in the details. The more specific the student is in their writing, the more effectively they will communicate with the reader.

Encourage students to be as precise as possible in their descriptions. A thesaurus is an excellent tool to help students find just the right word for the job.

• Vary Sentence Length

Often, emergent writers rely on the same couple of simple sentence structures in their writing. This soon makes the writing monotonous for the reader; if they continue to read, it is only with effort that they will finish the student’s work.

Variety is not only the spice of life but also the spice of good writing. Encourage students to vary their sentence structures and alternate between long and short sentences to diversify the rhythm of their writing and evoke interest on the reader’s part.

• Use Dialogue

Weaving dialogue into a my best friend essay text is a great way to bring colour and variety to a student’s writing. It also allows the student to practice punctuating dialogue – an essential skill!

Students will need to learn to listen carefully if they are to be able to write how people actually speak. Encouraging them to read their dialogue aloud is an effective way to check if it rings true.

• Incorporate Literary Devices

Though this is undoubtedly a nonfiction text, it has firm roots in creative writing too. Students should incorporate some of the literary techniques and devices that we’d more commonly associate with poetry and fiction writing to add colour, creativity, and imagination to their writing.

For example, for younger students, physical descriptions of their BFF provide the perfect opportunity to introduce similes and hyperbole. Don’t be afraid to get comical here; writing should be fun, after all. 

Does their friend have a big nose? How big? As big as an elephant’s trunk, perhaps?

Just make sure students avoid being too mean or poking fun at areas too sensitive for their friends.

It is easy to differentiate different abilities by challenging stronger students to use more complex literary devices in their work. Zoomorphism anyone?

• Evoke the Five Senses

Emergent writers often display a bias towards only using the sense of sight in their descriptions. To bring their writing up a notch, encourage your students to employ all five senses in their writing.

By evoking the sense of hearing, smell, taste, and touch in their work, students will help their writing to come alive in the reader’s imagination.

WRAPPING THINGS Up

In a regular 5-paragraph essay, the concluding paragraph is usually the time to summarize the main arguments and drive home the thesis statement one more time. Obviously, things are a little bit different in a “my best friend essay.”

Of course, students can take the opportunity to revisit and restate the main reasons why their best friend holds the best-friend-championship belt. Still, there is a more artistic way to use their composition’s final paragraph.

Ask students to think about their friendship and where they see it in five, ten, twenty, or even forty years.

Undoubtedly, for younger students, in particular, this may be a bit of a challenge, but it can be a fun thought experiment too. Students can pose themselves questions to help, such as:

• Will we be neighbours?
• Will we work together?
• Will our children go to school together? Etc.

Taking a tentative step into the possibilities of the future can make for an impactful ending.

MY BEST FRIEND ESSAY EXAMPLE

So that should get you well on your way to creating an excellent my best friend essay that will not only get you some great grades but also score you some brownie points.

25 Fun Daily Writing Tasks

Quick Write and JOURNAL Activities for ALL TEXT TYPES in DIGITAL & PDF PRINT to engage RELUCTANT WRITERS .

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ( 18 reviews )

RELATED ARTICLES TO MY BEST FRIEND ESSAY

How to Start an Essay with Strong Hooks and Leads

How to Write a Biography

7 Evergreen Writing Activities for Elementary Students

Figurative Language for Students and Teachers

Short Essay: My Best Friend

Writing a short essay about your best friend can be a delightful and meaningful exercise. It allows you to express your feelings, share insights into your friendship, and highlight what makes your friend special. Such an essay not only celebrates your friendship but can also deepen your appreciation for each other. Here’s how to craft a heartfelt and engaging essay on your best friend.

Table of Contents

Title and Introduction

Title:  Choose a title that captures the essence of your essay, such as “More Than a Friend: Celebrating [Friend’s Name].”

Introduction:  Start with an engaging opening that captures the reader’s interest. This could be a memorable quote, a vivid anecdote, or a simple declaration of the bond you share. Introduce your best friend by name and briefly explain your relationship. End your introduction with a thesis statement that gives an overview of what aspects of your friendship you will be exploring, such as the qualities that make your friend unique, memorable experiences you’ve shared, and the impact they’ve had on your life.

Describing Your Best Friend

Physical Description and Personality:  Give a brief description of your friend’s physical appearance to help readers visualize them. More importantly, delve into their personality traits. Discuss their virtues, quirks, and what you think makes them a great friend. Are they remarkably kind, hilariously funny, exceptionally wise, or incredibly supportive?

Shared Experiences:  Describe some key experiences that define your friendship. Select anecdotes that reveal the depth of your bond, such as adventures you’ve embarked on, challenges you’ve faced together, or everyday moments that have special meaning. These stories can illustrate why your friend is important to you and how your friendship has grown over time.

The Impact of the Friendship

Personal Growth:  Reflect on how your friend has influenced your personal development. Perhaps their courage inspires you to face your fears, or their compassionate nature has taught you the value of empathy. Share specific instances where their influence has made a noticeable difference in your life.

Support and Loyalty:  Discuss how your friend has supported you during tough times. Highlighting moments of unconditional support and loyalty can underscore the strength of your friendship and the trust you share.

Why They Are Your Best Friend

Unique Qualities:  Identify what sets this friendship apart from others. What makes this person not just a good friend, but your best friend? Is it the level of understanding you share, the way you always have fun together, or how they always know what to say in difficult times?

The Value of Friendship:  Conclude this section by summarizing what you value most about your friend and your relationship. This could be their unwavering support, their ability to always make you laugh, or their insightful advice.

Wrap up your essay by reaffirming why you cherish this friendship. Reflect on what the future might hold and express your wishes or hopes for your continued friendship. End with a heartfelt statement that captures your feelings and appreciation for your best friend.

My Best Friend Essay Example #1

Having a best friend is a special bond that can bring joy, laughter, and support into our lives. My best friend holds a significant place in my heart, as we have shared numerous experiences and created countless memories together. In this essay, I will provide a detailed description of my best friend’s physical appearance, discuss their remarkable personality traits, and recount some of the shared experiences and memories that have solidified our friendship.

My best friend possesses a unique physical appearance that is both striking and captivating. Standing at 6 feet tall, they have a slender build that exudes elegance and grace. Their perfectly proportioned figure is complemented by their radiant smile, which lights up their entire face. Their eyes, a mesmerizing shade of deep blue, are windows to their soul, reflecting their kindness and warmth. Their silky, chestnut-brown hair cascades down their shoulders, framing their face and enhancing their natural beauty. Moreover, their fair complexion adds a touch of innocence and purity to their overall appearance. When it comes to fashion, my best friend has an impeccable sense of style. They effortlessly combine trendy pieces with classic staples, creating outfits that are both fashionable and timeless. Their attention to detail is evident in the way they accessorize their outfits, always choosing the perfect jewelry or scarf to complete their look. Overall, my best friend’s physical appearance is a reflection of their inner beauty and radiance.

Beyond their physical appearance, my best friend possesses a plethora of remarkable personality traits that make them an extraordinary individual. Their kindness knows no bounds, as they consistently go out of their way to help others and make a positive impact in their lives. Their compassionate nature allows them to empathize with others, offering a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on during times of need. Additionally, my best friend has an incredible sense of humor that can brighten even the gloomiest of days. Their witty remarks and infectious laughter have the power to uplift the spirits of those around them, creating a joyful and lighthearted atmosphere. Trustworthiness and loyalty are two qualities that define my best friend’s character. They are a confidant I can rely on, knowing that my secrets will be kept safe and my trust will never be betrayed. Their unwavering support and unwavering loyalty have been a source of strength and comfort throughout our friendship.

The bond between my best friend and me is strengthened by the countless shared experiences and memories we have created together. One memorable adventure we embarked on was a road trip across the country. From the breathtaking landscapes to the exciting pit stops, every moment was filled with laughter and excitement. We discovered hidden gems and created lasting memories that we still reminisce about to this day. Our shared interests and hobbies have also played a significant role in solidifying our friendship. Whether it’s our love for hiking, exploring new cuisines, or binge-watching our favourite TV shows, we always find common ground that brings us closer together. During challenging times, my best friend has been a pillar of support and a source of comfort.

My Best Friend Essay Example #2

Having a best friend is a blessing that not everyone is fortunate enough to experience. A best friend is someone who knows you inside out, accepts you for who you are, and stands by your side through thick and thin. In my life, I am grateful to have a best friend who possesses remarkable personality traits, with whom I have shared countless memorable experiences, and whose impact on my life is immeasurable. In this essay, I will delve into the personality and character traits of my best friend, explore the shared experiences and memories we have created together, and discuss the profound impact my best friend has had on my life.

My best friend’s personality and character traits are what make them truly exceptional. One of the most striking aspects of their character is their kind-hearted and compassionate nature. They have an innate ability to empathize with others and always go out of their way to lend a helping hand. Whether it is offering a listening ear or providing practical assistance, my best friend’s compassion knows no bounds. Additionally, their sense of humor is infectious. They have a remarkable ability to lighten the mood and make others laugh, even in the most challenging situations. Their witty remarks and funny anecdotes never fail to bring a smile to my face. Furthermore, their trustworthiness and loyalty are unparalleled. I know that I can confide in them without fear of judgment, and they always keep their promises. Their unwavering support and loyalty have been a constant source of comfort and security in my life.

The shared experiences and memories I have with my best friend are a testament to the strength of our bond. From our mischievous adventures during childhood to our travels and explorations as adults, we have created a treasure trove of memories together. In our younger years, we would embark on daring escapades, such as building secret forts in the backyard or sneaking out to explore the neighborhood at night. These adventures not only brought us closer but also taught us the value of friendship and trust. As we grew older, our shared love for travel led us to explore new places and cultures together. From hiking through breathtaking mountains to getting lost in foreign cities, these experiences have broadened our horizons and deepened our friendship. Moreover, we have faced numerous challenges together, supporting and encouraging each other every step of the way. Whether it was overcoming academic obstacles or navigating through personal hardships, our friendship has remained steadfast, providing us with the strength and resilience to conquer any obstacle.

The impact of my best friend on my life cannot be overstated. During times of emotional turmoil, they have been my pillar of strength, providing unwavering support and understanding. Their ability to offer a listening ear and provide comfort has been invaluable in helping me navigate through difficult situations. Furthermore, my best friend has been a constant source of encouragement and motivation in pursuing my goals. They have always believed in me, even when I doubted myself, pushing me to strive for excellence and never settle for mediocrity. Their unwavering support has instilled in me a sense of self-belief and confidence that has propelled me forward in my personal and professional endeavors.

My Best Friend Essay Example #3

Having a best friend is like having a treasure in life. They are the ones who stick with us through thick and thin, providing support, laughter, and companionship. In this essay, I will describe my best friend in terms of their physical appearance, personality traits, and the shared experiences and memories we have built together. Through these descriptions, you will come to understand why my best friend holds such a special place in my heart.

My best friend is someone who stands out in a crowd due to their unique physical appearance. Standing at an impressive height, they command attention wherever they go. Their build is strong and athletic, a testament to their dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Their hair, a luscious shade of brown, falls effortlessly around their face, framing their piercing blue eyes. It is impossible not to notice the confidence that radiates from within them. In terms of style, my best friend has a keen eye for fashion. They effortlessly blend trendy pieces with their own personal flair, creating a style that is both fashionable and unique. Additionally, they have a few distinguishing features, such as a small tattoo on their wrist and a nose piercing, which add to their overall appeal.

Beyond their physical appearance, my best friend possesses a multitude of admirable personality traits. One of the things that drew me to them initially was their friendly and outgoing nature. They have an uncanny ability to make anyone feel at ease in their presence. Their sense of humor is infectious, and they always know how to lighten the mood with a well-timed joke or witty remark. They are the life of the party, the person who can turn a dull gathering into a memorable event. Moreover, my best friend is incredibly kind and supportive. They are always there to lend a listening ear, offer words of encouragement, and provide a shoulder to lean on. Their unwavering support has helped me through some of the most challenging times in my life, and I am forever grateful for their presence.

The bond between my best friend and I goes beyond physical appearances and personality traits. We have shared countless experiences and created memories that will last a lifetime. Our friendship began years ago when we were introduced by a mutual friend. From the moment we met, it was as if we had known each other for a lifetime. We quickly discovered shared interests and hobbies, which led to numerous adventures and trips together. Whether it was exploring new cities, hiking in the mountains, or simply spending a lazy day at the beach, every experience was made better by their presence. Throughout the years, we have celebrated significant moments and milestones together, from graduations to promotions to birthdays. These shared experiences have solidified our bond and created a strong foundation for our friendship.

In conclusion, my best friend is a remarkable individual who possesses not only a striking physical appearance but also a set of admirable personality traits. Their friendly and outgoing nature, sense of humour, and unwavering support make them a true gem in my life. Furthermore, the shared experiences and memories we have built together have strengthened our bond and created a friendship that will stand the test of time.

Final Writing Tips

• Be Sincere:  Write from the heart. Authenticity in expressing your feelings will make your essay more compelling and relatable.
• Be Respectful:  Ensure that what you share about your friend is respectful of their privacy and feelings.
• Use Descriptive Language:  Utilize vivid language to bring your descriptions and anecdotes to life.
• Proofread:  Review your essay for grammatical errors and ensure it flows smoothly.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

In his spare time, he likes to compete in powerlifitng events and the odd strongman event!

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

EdrawMind – Quick Mind Map

Easier, faster, and smarter

Mind Map for Essay: Complete Guide With Useful Tips

Edraw content team, planning to create mind map for essays.

EdrawMind is a powerful tool that lets you create mind maps for essays. Learn from this essay writing tips guide to know everything about different essay writing. Try this mind-mapping tool today!

Essay writing is one of the most crucial parts of any academic curriculum. Most students consider writing an essay a dreadful task, but with the correct essay writing tips, one can easily master the techniques. In this article, we will show you the importance of mind maps for essay writing. Creating a mind map for essay writing helps academic students visualize the idea before they start writing it. Here, we will discuss different essays and illustrate how just by creating a mind map in EdrawMind, one can easily write long essays for their academic purpose.

1. What is mind mapping?

Before we begin understanding the benefits of making a mind map for essay writing, we should first understand mind mapping in detail.

In general, mind mapping is a diagramming technique that helps display information visually. Let us suppose you have to write about yourself, including your hobbies, details about your parents, the video games you love to play, and more. In this case, mind mapping would be the technique you will use to visualize the content going along in your 'about me' essay. Since most students prefer to outline their essays before actually converting them into long paragraphs, it is always considered good practice to make a mind map in and around the essay's primary topic.

There are a couple of ways that mind mapping benefits the students who intend to write a good essay.

• A student can visualize the entire essay even before starting to write it.
• A student can prioritize the segments based on their subtopics.s
• A student can go back to the mind map and understand if they have missed out on any important topic.

Once students have created a mind map, they can seemingly convert it into long paragraphs for an essay. In most cases, if a student can add the mind map to the essay, it will help the reader understand the important topics covered in the submitted long piece.

2. Mind Map Helps with All Types of Essays

In academic writing, there are six different types of essay writing. As a student, you can create a mind map for different essays and later use these steps to write the essay itself. Here, we have covered all the six different types of essays and helped you understand how mind maps benefit someone who intends to write astonishing essays.

1. Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a form of essay writing that requires a student to go analytical by investigating a topic, collecting the data, generating the points, evaluating all the gathered evidence, and establishing a position on the topic. As you see, an argumentative essay requires the student to go in-depth about their research. If the student works on a mind map for an argumentative essay, they will be able to properly create different segments while outlining their investigative and evaluative stages.

When a student creates a mind map, it facilitates a visual sketch of the entire material the student has gathered to write the argumentative essay. In addition, by creating a mind map, the student ensures that they have all the relevant information before proceeding to write the essay.

2. Admissions Essay

Admission essays are essays that one writes to get themselves enrolled at any particular college or university. Admission essays mostly consist of a statement of purpose (SOP), a student's academic record, a student's record of extra-curricular activities, references, and personal details. An admission essay is considered a very important piece of writing because it allows the college or university to know the student better and learn more about any specific situation.

When a student is writing an admission essay, creating a mind map is extremely handy because it allows the students to jot down the details of all of their achievements in a manner that resonates with the admission process. In a mind map, the student can dedicate a specific portion to their SOP, add their academic record in other subtopics, and then work ahead to showcase their achievements. Once the mind map for the admission essay is created, the student can follow the basic steps to writing an essay.

3. Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of essay where a researcher or a student supports their content with facts and logical reasons to sway readers to a particular standpoint. In general, while writing a persuasive essay, the primary intention of the writer is to persuade the reader and convince them on a specific issue.

As you see, a persuasive essay requires a detailed logical argument and an emotional appeal. Most students tend to create a mind map before writing their persuasive essay to find the loopholes in the early stages of essay writing. A persuasive essay consists of three important parts: issue, side, and argument. By creating a mind map for an essay, a student can create these subtopics and work on them individually.

4. Compare-and-Contrast Essay

When students need to point out the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, they create a compare-and-contrast essay around it. Writing a compare-and-contrast essay is great for illustrating what separates and unites related topics, particularly those topics or concepts that are often misinterpreted by each other. In a compare-and-contrast essay, a student does not choose two specific topics to provide a contrast. Rather, they compare and contrast two types of similar topics to highlight subtle differences. For instance, when someone has to compare and contrast between watermelon and muskmelon, they will choose two different breeds of dogs and cats to convey the exact difference.

By creating a contrast-and-compare essay mind map, one can easily note the differences and similarities between two subjects. A mind map will help brainstorm the topic, collect the sources, and outline the essay structure.

5. Personal Essay

As the name suggests, a student writes about their experiences without having to prove any particular point in a personal essay. In personal essays, the author only intends to introduce the topic to the reader and make them aware of the subject and the theme. In most cases, a personal essay is based on feelings, emotions, personal experiences, and personal opinions.

While creating a mind map for a personal essay, the author can work on some important elements, like creating a compelling hook, presenting an engaging story, introducing interesting characters, having an immersive setting, and presenting meaningful conversations. With the help of a mind map, one can easily separate all these elements into subtopics and work on them individually. This way, they can present a more compelling story without missing out on important details.

6. Expository Essay

An expository essay is a long-form essay where the author's primary intent is to explain or describe a particular topic by providing factual information. When an author starts preparing for an expository essay, they start by investigating an idea, evaluating the gathered evidence, expounding on the idea, and concisely presenting an argument. Often, students get confused between expository and argumentative essay writing. The core difference between the two genres is that an expository essay will contain the information and explain the topic in brief. At the same time, an argumentative essay will contain the writer's personal ideas, facts, and other statistics.

Since expository essays contain information based on investigation and evaluation, creating a mind map for such essay writing is recommended. Using a mind map, the author can easily visualize all the evidence related to the information and brainstorm the topic before starting the writing process.

3. Mind Map for Essay: Step by Step

Now that you have understood how students can easily visualize their ideas by creating mind maps for essays, let us give you a detailed step-by-step description of how you can use mind maps for essay writing. It should be noted here that these are generic steps and can easily be applied to all the different types of essay writing.

1 Find Essay's Topic:

The first step in essay writing is coming up with a unique idea or a topic less explored. If you work on an essay topic that is already covered several times by different authors, your research might be hard-pressed to develop a unique standpoint. Instead, it is recommended to come up with the essay topic you are personally interested in, or at least something you can talk about without major complications. Choosing your essay's topic that is close to you will make the entire task of essay writing less monotonous.

• Create a mind map in a tool like EdrawMind and name the primary topic, 'Essay Topic.' Now start adding different ideas as its subtopics. These subtopics can be anything that you are closely associated with. For instance, you can add different ideas that your professors might have suggested or some ideas that were previously discussed in the classroom.
• Add your own areas of interest to the mind map and try to connect the dots with the ideas that you must have added in the previous step. Once you have a few good ideas that intersect with your interest and the ideas that were previously discussed, you can start weighing them against one another by noting down their respective pros and cons. Remove the ideas that have several cons and start working on that essay topic with maximum pros.

2 Commence Research Process:

Research is one of the most important processes in essay writing. At the same time, students often get confused between different arguments and counterarguments presented to them from different research papers. Students often waste an enormous amount of time just trying to figure out how to put all the different information into one piece. What all these students need is to make a mind map for essay writing where they can easily collect and structure their data and information.

• Create a mind map for different sources and make additional notes in these mind maps as you go on through the text. EdrawMind provides you with a comment option that helps in taking additional notes as and when they are required.
• Sometimes, students create one single mind map where they list all of their resources and branch them out for every quote and information, they want to use in the essay paper.

3 Outlining Essay Paper in a Mind Map:

Before you start writing your essay, you first create an outline of your paper that will help create a coherent structure of your arguments, counter arguments, examples, and sources. By using a mind map, one can easily review the outline and access the information they require in their essay.

Creating a mind map to outline your essay ensures that one will walk through sources and information more efficiently. It also enables the author to find and review information whenever they are stuck at any point.

4. Useful Tips for Your Essay

Essay writing can be a fun exercise if you follow some of the general steps to writing an essay. A couple of important essay writing tips ensure that your final submission has no plagiarism, no errors, has a proper citation, and does not divert from the primary topic. Some of the most useful essay writing tips are:

• Plan & Schedule: After coming up with the right topic for the essay, a student must allocate proper time and schedule their research hours. Most of the time, students underestimate the amount of work required to conduct proper research to write a professional essay and end up submitting an essay that will fetch them poor grades. It is always advisable to plan and schedule the essay writing in such a way that they get proper time for researching, and a good amount of time in writing, followed by sufficient time to conduct the second round of editing.
• Structure, Flow, & Focus: If you have not decided on the right flow of your essay, chances are your reader might not be able to relate to it. So, whenever you start writing the essay, ensure that you have properly summarized the core introduction and main body and presented your case that leads towards a proper conclusion. By structuring and focusing on the flow, each section of your essay will add a definitive value to the argument that you are presenting. At the same time, you should also perform multiple revisions just to confirm that the different parts of your essay fit together as a logical whole.
• Proper Style and Formatting: A good essay is about the argument and the narrative structure, but at the same time, the style tends to influence your readers, as that is the very first thing the reader will see when they look at your essay submission. Before writing down the essay, understand the formatting and styling criteria from your professor. You can even consult them about the language guide and the style that you have to follow while submitting the essay. It might look like a very simple or a basic step, but when an author submits an essay that has a proper table of content, introduction pages, bibliography, indexes, annexures, and references, the reader will get an idea that the author has done their proper research before writing the essay.
• Visualize the idea: In most cases, authors start writing the essay as soon as they get an idea. However, if the content is large and the project demands multiple rounds of revisions, it is highly recommended to go ahead and create a mind map. A mind map for essays will help the author visualize the content in a concrete manner. At the same time, by creating a mind map, you will be able to follow the timeline and have sufficient time to make revisions.

5. Key Takeaways

Regardless of the course of study and institution, essay writing is one of the most important curriculum activities for all grades. Even the graduates and postgraduate students need to submit their research paper that somehow starts by writing long-form essays. In this elaborate guide, we walked you through different types of essay writing and helped you understand how making a mind map for an essay is not only a logical activity but also saves you time and other important resources. Instead of wasting your time and money on complicated tools, you should start using EdrawMind, which has hundreds of templates for educational, business, and personal use.

Unlike other tools, EdrawMind has an amazing user interface that provides easy drag-and-drop features. From changing the theme of your mind map to adding different comments in subtopics, you can modify your mind map in any way you desire. So, what are you waiting for? Download EdrawMind today and make a mind map for the essay. You can also try using EdrawMind Online, which comes with a personal cloud.

You May Also Like

10+ amazing mind map examples for students to get inspired.

EXAMPLES & TEMPLATES

Boost Your Creativity and Productivity with Brainstorm Templates: A Comprehensive Guide

Health mind map complete guide with 10+ examples, personal mind map complete guide with 10+ examples, business mind map complete guide with 30+ examples, mind map ideas for students: explained with 30+ examples.