Paragraph Writing Made Simple

The answer to that question is going to be different from one person to another. When coping with stress through writing, you will want to be careful not to overload the process with unnecessary steps. The entire project from start to finish must continue to be an effective stress management tool, otherwise, you have defeated the purpose.

However, some of us will discover, maybe even by accident, that the things we have written are powerful enough that we begin to want to share them with others. In that case, learning simple writing techniques, including paragraph writing, may be very helpful to the final product.

So as you continue, remember that learning and picking up these techniques is only necessary if it serves your individual purpose... and you shouldn't be hard on yourself if it takes some time to learn and perfect. After all, we're all just a work in progress.

What makes a good paragraph?

When learning how to write a paragraph, there are three main components that you need to be aware of. These are the Topic Sentence, Supporting Details, and Closing Sentence... or simply put, Beginning, Middle, and End.

Your Topic Sentence will be the very first sentence of your paragraph. The reason it's not just called "the first sentence" is because it is more that just whatever you write first. You should present the topic of your paragraph... what is this paragraph going to try to convey?

An example of a Topic Sentence would be: I find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

That sentence gives you the main idea of what I am about to discuss. When working on paragraph writing, ask yourself if your very first sentence gives a clear idea of the topic of that particular paragraph.

The next element is Supporting Details. The bulk of your paragraph will include sentences that support your topic. These sentences should not stray from this topic.

Example of Supporting Details: As soon as I hear the alarm go off, my head fills with reasons telling me why I should call in sick to work. I often begin to focus on the horrible things that may await me if I leave the comfort of my bed to start my day. It doesn't take long for me to begin to plan what I may tell my boss when I call in.

The final element in paragraph writing is your Closing Sentence. This sentence serves as a reminder of your topic. This will be your very last sentence and it should re-state your Topic Sentence, however, it should be phrased differently.

Closing Sentence Example: I go through this routine every morning which is why it is so difficult for me to even make it out of bed.

The whole paragraph together would then be:

I find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. As soon as I hear the alarm go off, my head fills with reasons telling me why I should call in sick to work. I often begin to focus on the horrible things that may await me if I leave the comfort of my bed to start my day. It doesn't take long for me to begin to plan what I may tell my boss when I call in. I go through this routine every morning which is why it is so difficult for me to even get up at all.

And that is basically all there is to paragraph writing. Make sure you have those three elements and you will be sure that each of your paragraphs is focused, and thus, easier to understand. Using this technique also tends to help your entire story flow easily.

But remember, there are a ton of guidelines, tips, and techniques in writing and I am a firm beliver that not everything we write needs to be a grammatical masterpiece. Sometimes the most interesting stories don't follow all the rules.

Writing to relieve stress will be a very personal experience and you'll want to be careful not to lose your own personal voice and style.

So whether you're learning how to write a paragraph or learning descriptive writing techniques, pick something that works for you... learn about it... and then decide for yourself if, when, and how you will incorporate your new knowledge into your writing.

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