Organizing a process essay

     When you write a process essay, you will describe the steps of the process in the body paragraphs of the essay, after the introduction paragraph and before the conclusion paragraph. Depending on the process that you are describing, you might choose to organize the steps of the process either chronologically or by priority/importance. Organize the steps of the process chronologically if following the steps in exact order is important to complete the process successfully. This is usually the case in describing how to make something. A recipe is an example of this; if you don't follow the steps in order, and complete each step exactly, the dish probably won't turn out well.  On the other hand,  there are some "how to" processes that don't have a series of steps that have to be followed in exact order. It would be better to describe the steps of these processes by priority; giving the most important steps first, followed by the less important steps.  For example, if you write an essay about how to be successful,  there aren't specific steps that you have to follow in order to be successful. People define success in different ways, have different paths to success, and have different ideas about how to get there. So you could start by thinking about what, for you, are the most important steps to success, and start with those first. If you read my post yesterday, you know that I would start with "showing up and following directions."  Whether you describe the steps of a process in order or by priority, be sure to add details and examples with the steps to spice up your writing and make it more interesting to read.