Dear Essayists,

Writers—all writers—rely on structure. While it may seem that structure limits us, it actually frees us to focus on the most important parts of writing—our ideas and the refreshing ways that we present them.

As I told you yesterday, you’re lucky to learn about essay structure in fourth grade. This is the same structure you will use when you write essays in college, briefs in law school, or memos in the office. I wish I had learned this in 4th grade. Instead, I had to take a self-taught crash course when I was much older.

So pay attention to structure. It will make you a better writer, a better reader, and a better thinker. Once we figure out the structure of a thing, we figure out the thing itself.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck