Paul Graham, "senhor Lisp" e autor do famoso ensaio "Hackers and Painters", disseca a arte de escrever um ensaio. O artigo foca ainda uma questão que me parece deveras pertinente: o ensino da escrita e boas razões para que este deva ser separado do ensino de literatura. Não resisto a deixar alguns excertos:

Certainly schools should teach students how to write. But due to a series of historical accidents the teaching of writing has gotten mixed together with the study of literature.

...an expert on literature need not himself be a good writer, any more than an art historian has to be a good painter...

The river's algorithm is simple. At each step, flow down. For the essayist this translates to: flow interesting. Of all the places to go next, choose the most interesting.