As you put your ideas in to related groups and shuffle theminto order, you should identify your THESIS -- that is, the central point orargument which you want to make in your essay. Distil it into a single sentenceand write it at the top of your plan. Make sure that every subsection of youressay develops this core idea in some way, including consideringcounter-arguments to it.
There are many possible ways of structuring ideas in anessay, depending on the topic. Play around with an outline or mindmap until asequence comes together. There is no formula for a perfect plan. The only essentialrequirement is that the sequence of ideas must develop your thesis, which inturn must respond to the prescribed title.
Nowcomes probably the greatest struggle of the essay -- to move from scribblednotes of tangled ideas to a plan for an essay that organizes a sequence ofarguments which respond clearly to the title. If you find this step difficult,remember that no one is born (as far as I know!) already knowing how to writean essay. It takes concentration and practice to learn to swim, to salsa . . .or to organize ideas for an essay. Allow yourself only a few minutes to wail,"But I can't . . . !" and then settle down to try.
Bynow you have done extensive thinking and planning -- but you still have noessay! The actual writing, though, is only a small part of a good essay, and ifyou have prepared well, it should be straightforward. Keep the following pointsin mind as you write and revise your draft:
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"Rememberto centre your essay on problems of knowledge and, where appropriate, refer toother parts of your IB programme and to experiences as a knower. Always justifyyour statements and provide relevant examples to illustrate your arguments, andremember to consider what can be said against them. If you use externalsources, cite them according to a recognized convention. Examiners mark essaysagainst the title as set. Respond to the title as given; do not alter it in anyway. Your essay must be between 1200 and 1600 words in length."
Steps for Writing a Good TOK Essay
(c)Now read over the criteria according to which your essay will be marked("External Assessment Descriptors"). Pay attention to the descriptionof the top mark in each of the six criteria in order to set your goals for anappropriate essay. (It does you little good to play a brilliant game offootball if you are being assessed on playing tennis.) Note that the first twocriteria emphasized in importance by being given double knowledge implied bythe prescribed title is at the core of the Knowledge Issue(s) criterion, andthat analysis and evaluation are at the core of the Quality of Analysiscriterion.