Brief guide[edit]
Check to see if the topic of the essay has been covered by skimming through Wikipedia:Essays in a nutshell. Avoid writing redundant essays.
Start the essay as a draft in the userspace.
Be concise and to the point.
Tag the essay with {{essay}}.
Use {{nutshell}} to summarize the gist of the essay.
Create a shortcut that redirects to the essay.
Categorize the essay, and use any relevant navigational templates.
Move the essay to the project space when finished.
Creating the essay page[edit]
A Wikipedia essay may be written by anyone. Before creating an essay, it is a good idea to check if similar essays already exist. Check the "see also" section of relevant guidelines and related essays, or perform a search of Help and Project pages.
If you find an essay similar to the one you intend to write, it is recommended you modify the existing one to include your ideas.
Labeling the page as an essay[edit]
Most pages in the Wikipedia namespace have a template at the top describing their purpose. (For some pages, however, editors may agree that no tag is the best option.)
The various "essay" templates available are:
{{essay}} – Essays that don't fit into other categories listed below.
{{guidance essay}} – Essays that don't fit into other categories listed below and may be consulted for assistance
{{civility essay}} – Essays on the topic of civility.
{{essay in development}} - Essay in development
{{humorous essay}} - contains comments by one or more Wikipedia contributors and may contain advice
{{supplement}} – Essays intended to expand upon the ideas outlined by policies or guidelines, without having any status as policy.
{{deletion essay}} – Essays pertaining to deletion
{{essayproposal}} – Essay intended to become a policy or guideline in the future.
{{notability essay}} – Essays pertaining to notability
{{wikiproject notability