Once you have decided that you
know what the question means and (if applicable) have chosen which texts you
are going to write about, you can begin to construct your answer. The process
of developing your ideas is likely to involve at least some of the following:
reading and re-reading the texts,
and making notes.
going over your lecture and
seminar notes.
consulting literary criticism.
discussing issues with your
tutor.
talking to other students (but
be aware of the dangers of collusion – the work that you hand in has to
be your own, not anyone else’s).
When you are in the process of
thinking about issues in relation to the text(s) you are going to write about,
you should always keep in mind how you can use the text to support what it
is that you are saying, and also how the various parts of the text(s) you
are looking at relate to those texts as a whole.
Have confidence in your own interests
and response to the text(s). There is no substitute for your own attentive
reading and re-reading of the text.
While there are useful techniques
or methods for developing ideas and planning your essay you might want to
draw on (e.g. brainstorming ideas, note-taking, developing notes into short
sections, etc.), there are not 'right' and 'wrong' ways of going about this.
It is all about what works for you.
