When you choose your own topic, do you have to include your essay topic question in the actual essay, or do you just write it without stating your topic...
Personally, I start out with just a bit of background. I will state upfront what the reader should expect the essay to be about without saying, "Hey y'all, my essay is going to talk about what I liked in the book." If it is an English literature essay, for example, I might say something like:
Stephen Crane's 1895 novel
The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of a young man's experience during the American Civil War. The protagonist, Henry Fleming, experiences a wide range of emotions and responses to war as he transforms from naive recruit to brave and battle-tested veteran.
And then get into my thesis. When it is more of a research paper, I might start with an introduction like this:
Tap dance is a form of theatrical stage dance distinguished by percussive footwork that stomps out an intricate, yet precise rhythm on the stage floor.