Make it sound like an 8th grader Choose a topic suitable for an informal essay. Remember that an informal essay is meant to entertain. The topic, therefore, should be personal, drawn from your own observations or experiences, and not too serious.

Brainstorm your ideas on paper or with a friend. Jot down the things you think are funny about yourself, your family, your pets, your school, your friends, your church, and so forth. Remember to be kind in your humor; it is not funny to destroy someone's self-confidence or to put them down. As you work, you will find yourself more interested in some topics than others, and these will be the ones about which you can generate the most ideas. Remember, you may choose to discuss a topic as in "Every Dog Should Own a Man" or to relate an anecdote as in "My Financial Career."

Next, group your ideas and place them in an order that makes sense to you. Write a simple list of your points in the order you wish to discuss them. Since the writing style for an informal essay should be natural-sounding, friendly, and open, making an informal list seems to work better for this style of writing than a tightly-organized formal outline.

If you can, take a humorous approach in your essay. Don't expect this early effort to be the funniest thing you've ever heard. Just relax and have fun with it.

Your finished essay should be at least 300 words long.

Don't forget to proofread your essay when you are finished before you save and submit it for grading.