I’m confused how to write this compare and contrast essay : ( my questions. 1. can you say “this paper” in your essay 2. how do i make the first paragraph? ? i’m talking about a book called johnny tremain and he burns his hand and i jammed my finger and i have to compare and contrast! can someone guide me

Well I don't know the book but I can give you some pointers on writing the essay. 

Remember you paragraphs need to have a topic sentence, supporting facts, and a conclusion statement. Your essay needs to have an introduction paragraph, body (kind of like filler paragraphs or supporting details), and a conclusion paragraph that wraps each paragraph together in an essay. 

You want to avoid saying something like 'this paper is about comparing and contrasting ...' Try saying something along the lines of 'several things I will be talking about in this paper are...' Don't list things off. Try to make everything as detailed and as straight to the point as possible.