🧠 Make Writing Essays WAY Easier, 5th-College (Executive Function, ADHD,Neurodivergence, 2e)

I’m going to teach you how to make writing essays or papers of any kind easier, quicker, faster, and less of a headache.

This is especially helpful for parents and teachers, but also for students—from about fifth grade all the way through graduate school. It will make life easier, particularly for students with executive function challenges.

I’m going to show you a template and explain exactly how it works and why it makes writing so much easier.

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If you’re a student with executive function challenges—ADHD or anything similar—you may struggle when it comes to writing papers. No matter your grade level, writing can take forever. It’s frustrating.

You might also be the type of student whose writing goes in a million different directions. You end up with one giant, long paragraph, and then you have to go back, break it up, and figure out how to organize everything.

If that sounds like you—if you waste a lot of time and spend far more time writing papers than you should—this will help you figure out what to do.

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What’s up—my name is Seth Perler. I’m an executive function coach. I wear a lot of hats in the executive function, neurodiversity, and ADHD worlds.

You can check me out at SethPerler.com. Subscribe to the YouTube channel, like, comment—all the things.

If you have a thought while watching this video, go ahead and drop it in the comments. If you have suggestions to make this better or something that might help others, please share.

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Let’s get into it.

We’re going to look at this template. I’ll enlarge it in a moment, but this is something I share with my students—especially those who struggle with writing taking way too long.

This template allows you to duplicate it every time you start a new paper. First, create a new document in Google Docs (or whatever you use). Then follow these steps.

You can pause as you go. Next time you have to write a paper, you’ll just duplicate the template and rename it. This alone will save you a lot of time.

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Here’s how it works.

You start with a blank document. The first thing you do is N-D-T-T: Name, Date, Teacher, Title.

Type your name. For the date, you can leave a placeholder or use a format you like—but most of the time, this should be the due date.

Then add your teacher’s name and, if needed, the class (e.g., Biology 101). Finally, add the title. This could be the assignment title or your own creative title.

This template structures your entire paper. Some of you may feel resistance—thinking, “I don’t need this.” Just trust me. You can always delete what you don’t need later.

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Next, go to “Insert” and add page numbers. These will automatically appear on every page.

You can also add your name or other information in the header if you’re a more advanced student. It looks more professional.

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Now, we’ll build the structure of your paper.

Type the following:

* Paragraph 1: Introduction
* Body Paragraph (or Section) 1
* Body Paragraph (or Section) 2
* Body Paragraph (or Section) 3
* Conclusion

I’ll explain what goes in each of these.

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You may have learned the five-paragraph essay in school. This structure still applies—even in college.

You start with an introduction, followed by three body sections that support your main idea, and end with a conclusion.

The introduction says: “Here’s what I’m going to talk about.”

Each body section explains one key idea.

The conclusion says: “Here’s what I just told you.”

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Now, under the introduction, type:
**Thesis?**

This is where you brainstorm your main idea. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just get your idea down.

Perfection is not the goal here—structure is.

Think of this like building a house. You’re creating the framework. Without structure, your writing turns into one long, messy paragraph.

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Next, list three main points that support your thesis.

These will become your body sections.

For example, if your topic is why a guitar is great, you might list three reasons. Each reason becomes a body section.

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For each body section, include:

* What is the main point of this section?
* What is the supporting evidence? (List at least three details)

You can copy and paste this structure for each section.

This works whether your paper is short or long—even if it’s 10 pages.

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Now, for the conclusion, write:
**What was my paper about? What did I teach the audience?**

This is your summary.

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Next, add a section:
**Bibliography / Works Cited**

Even if you don’t always need it, include it in your template.

Add placeholders like:
1.
2.
3.

You can fill these in later when needed. Tools like EasyBib can help you.

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Let’s review the structure:

* Name, Date, Teacher, Title
* Introduction
* Body 1, 2, 3
* Conclusion
* Bibliography

This is the foundation for most papers at any level.

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Now, add this note:
**Paste rubric below (when possible).**

If your teacher provides a digital rubric, paste it into your document. Then go through it carefully and remove anything irrelevant as you complete the assignment.

This saves time and keeps everything in one place.

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Finally, include the writing process:

* Planning
* Drafting
* Revising
* Editing
* Publishing

Planning includes outlining and brainstorming. This template is part of that.

Many students skip planning—but that actually wastes more time. A good structure makes everything easier.

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To recap:

Create a reusable template. Include:

* Name, date, teacher, title
* Page numbers
* Standard formatting (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced)
* Structured sections
* Bibliography
* Rubric notes
* Writing process

Then reuse this template for every paper.

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That’s it.

My name is Seth Perler. Check out SethPerler.com, ExecutiveFunctionLab.com, or the Executive Function Summit.

If you found this helpful, leave a comment or share your ideas.

I wish you peace of mind, joy in your heart, and strong connections with the people you care about—especially the kids in your life.

Take care.