VI. Draft your essay.
Let your first draft be rough.
With a clear sense of what your essay is going to say, begin the actual writing of your paragraphs. You may find that you don't want to begin with your introduction. If you're more comfortable starting with your body paragraphs, do so, and come back to the intro later. Or if you need an intro in place to feel comfortable drafting your other paragraphs, put something down and don't worry about the quality.
Treat your first draft as a first draft! Everything is subject to change as you get deeper into your essay.
The important thing at first is to get the essay drafted. Get yourself in a writing mood with whatever makes you most productive and lay out your ideas.
Write your abstract last.
If your essay requires an abstract, be sure to write it last. The abstract functions as a very short version of your essay: a summary that is specific enough that if a reader reads only your abstract, they should be able to understand the main points clearly. The whole trajectory of your essay’s organization should be apparent in your abstract. Since the abstract functions as a miniature of your whole essay, it must be written after the essay itself is already complete.
Now, let’s see in detail what needs to go in each paragraph as you write.