1. Create an Outline

A good CART comes from writing with purpose. Make sure that you plan your CART according to the prompt before you delve into writing. Starting straight-out sentences can be difficult; it makes rambling and going off topic very easy. So take your time planning. I usually spend about 30 minutes when I plan.

Planning an Essay Structure

1. Thesis statement

This comes before everything else! Write out your answer to the prompt, and be specific to what your chosen novel supports. Your thesis is the backbone of your entire essay so don’t be afraid to give it a little complexity. It can be multiple sentences if that makes it easier to read, or you can use a semicolon (if you know how to use one properly).

2. Topic Sentences

When planning, write these out in full sentences for each body paragraph.

From your thesis statement, draw the main points that you are going to prove in your essay and reword each one into a topic sentence. Your topic sentence should discuss your argument, not a plot point. Don’t get into evidence yet, because that happens after.

Here is where you make what teachers like to call your “claim” that you’re going to back up. At this point, it should have nothing to do with the story you’re analyzing and more to do with what you are trying to say.

3. Evidence

When planning, put these in bullet points.

This is where you choose quotations from the text or brief summaries of a plot point. If you are using a plot point, be very careful not to go off on a tangent. Stay on topic – your summary should be no more than two sentences.

One of my teachers once said evidence is something that you should be able to put your finger on. Literally. If the quotation or the plot point is too long for your thumb to cover up, you have too much. Many students go off on tangents because evidence requires no thought; you just chuck in what someone else wrote. I’ve fallen into this trap way too many times. Remember – put a finger on it!

4. Explanation

This is arguably the most important part of writing a CART. It only takes a bullet point but will save you points.

Evidence is useless without explanation. When planning, use a bullet point or two to briefly relate the evidence and the claim you make in your topic sentence. Explore what the author’s intention was, why the evidence was a good example, and ultimately how it relates back to the thesis statement and answer to the question.

5. Intro and Conclusion Paragraphs

These are usually the least useful to plan, but it can help to have a little starting point. Plan out your ending statement in full – should connect your point with the world and the general human condition – and make a note that your thesis statement should make an appearance in both. Reword it when you put it into your conclusion paragraph.

2. Avoid Blocks of Quotations

YUUUUUCKK. Keep giant quotations OUT of your essays. If you need evidence in the form of quotations, pick the best quotes instead of choosing all of them. But what makes a quote better than another?

Here’s a couple things to look for in a well-selected quotation:

• literary/rhetorical devices – great to break down and explain, shows understanding and nuance especially when you have an extended metaphor
• dialogue – especially that which showcases a character’s defining traits at the time, which can then be contrasted with quotations from after a character changes and analyzed for character dynamic
• short and sweet – nobody wants to read a massive chunk of writing that they’ve already read before. As long as it makes the same point, pick the shorter quotation.

3. KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid!

I used to be one of the students who thought they were a spiritual descendant of Shakespeare. I wrote long and grandiose sentences laced with fancy fluffy phrases, and it took a while to get to the point. My word count was triple that of my peers, yet my grades tended to be lower. I was always told to be more concise, but I never knew how to do it. If this sounds like you, read on.

Planning is one of the best things you can do if you ramble. Keep each section around two sentences when you write. Although I was flexible with this rule, it got easier to do once I got used to writing more. And you will get to your point I promise.

More importantly, leave the editing to the end. It’s so tempting to edit as you go, but often you will get stuck rewriting a sentence until it becomes incoherent mush. It’ll make sense to your anxiety-riddled mind in the moment and you’ll keep the incoherent mush, and you will also spend far too much time writing more incoherent mush until you realize there’s ten minutes left and you are only on your second body paragraph. Then you will type like your life depends on it.

Understanding vocabulary also helps greatly. Avoid using the thesaurus unless you know what the word really means, but oftentimes there’s a better wording choice that will save you a whole sentence. Expand your vocabulary by reading and writing more!