![A collage of a vintage 1950s woman holding a writing utensil.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b6e77e_d0958dbb5a9943e29b9d6d7561e330c0~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_65,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/b6e77e_d0958dbb5a9943e29b9d6d7561e330c0~mv2.png)
People like to think that each essay is unique. With every new prompt, we must start from zero with a blank page and new ideas. Not so, my friend.
In reality, your standard 5-paragraph essay is more like an algebra equation than a short story. You basically just need to memorize PEMDAS, and the rest is just fill-in-the-blank.
I created this slideshow as a helpful visual for my students, and it’s better when explained, but I figured I’d post it here, too! Read it and write.