Before you start writing you should have in mind the following steps:

Carefully think what you’re going to write about:

• Once you’ve chosen the topic, write down the main ideas that you may need for your essay

Choose the most suitable structure for your story:

• Remember the main parts of a narrative: opening, body and closing
• The verb tenses and verb agreements you’ll need to write yours.
• If you’re writing about the past, make sure that you’re using the correct past tenses.
• Appropriate usage of linking words.
• Time adverbs ,clauses, and subordinate clauses and main clauses.

Focus on the specific vocabulary you’ll need according to the topic you’ve chosen in step one.

• You can make a draft list with the general words you may need, even in your own language. You may try to translate them later on.
• Use suitable expressions, specially for openings and closings.

Write a first draft.

• Now that you have the topic, the tenses and the main vocabulary it’s time to start writing a first draft.
• Remember that a draft is just a first approach to your final essay, so don’t worry too much about what the neatness or the accuracy of your handwriting looks like.
• If you’re finding problems translating a word, take your time and try to find suitable synonyms. Should that not be possible then try to explain the same idea using other words.

Check your draft.

• Read your essay carefully concentrating on identifying possible mistakes, such as misspellings, wrong verb agreements, use of correct pronouns and possessives and word order...
• Be extremely careful in avoiding literal translation.

Write your final composition:

• Once you’re satisfied with the text, it’s time to write your final paper.
• Remember that this time you should be more accurate and pay attention to some issues:
  • Neatness and handwriting (in case you’re not using a text editor)
  • Margins, paragraphing and indenting.
  • Check the consistency of the style, paying special attention to the right punctuation.