I feel confident in reading and talking about a text, but how do I turn this into an essay?

The most important thing about essay writing, whether it is for a homework assignment or in the high pressure environment of an exam, is technique. How you make your arguments is just as (if not more) important as what your argument is. It is sad fact that if you are unable to hit those all important assessment objectives, your brilliant and original ideas will not receive the attention (and marks) that they deserve. Thus it is essential to properly prepare, plan and structure your answer well before you put pen to paper. I like to split my approach to an essay into these three sections - preparation, planning and structure. To prepare your approach to an essay question, make sure to note down carefully your ideas, so as not to loose track of your thoughts as they occur to you. Whether spider diagrams, simple lists or mind maps are your preferred way of note-taking, it is essential at this stage to make a clear record of your initial engagement with the question. The next, and most challenging stage, is to plan your essay. Not only must you choose what you perceive to be the most important of your arguments, but attempt to choose points that complement each other. Remember, your argument needs to show a developed understanding of the text, analyse language features whilst maintaining a discussion of the text’s context and cultural significance. Use the assessment objectives as a template for choosing which points to include in your essay.Finally, you must decide upon a structure for your essay. A very simple way to begin this task is by answering the question, in the questions’s own terms. Don’t be afraid to very clearly explain in your introduction exactly the terms of your argument, and to return to these terms in your conclusion. By doing so, you will ensure a tight and self-contained answer.  For example, if the question is: ‘Does The Opposition Between Public Appearance And Private Reality In The Lives Of The Protagonists Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde Constitute A Critique Of Late Victorian Society’, the sections of your essay might revolve around both the differences and the similarities between the public and private, as well as the ways in which these both do and don’t criticise Late Victorian Society. By splitting your essay up into three or four sections, you will ensure your argument has depth, breadth, as well as an observable development from introduction to conclusion.