Are there any key tips to writing an amazing essay that follows all of the standard essay guidelines? (I'm terrible at gathering all of my ideas...

Many a student has found success in essay writing by following a planned structure, or blueprint, as it is called by certain publishers.

The fundamentals of essay writing are organization, support, unity, and coherence. Organization is achieved by following a "blueprint" which is designed for a five-paragraph essay, which is composed of 

1. The introductory paragraph


2. The first central paragraph


3. The second central paragraph


4. The third central paragraph


5. The concluding paragraph

1. The introductory paragraph 
a) This paragraph is composed of what is often called a "hook," or a "motivator." A "motivator" is usually about three sentences that capture the reader's interest in the topic about which the student is writing.
This motivator can be composed from a quotation, a question, or an observation by the writer. For example, if the student is assigned a narrative essay about a personal experience, he/she can begin with an observation something like this:

So often choices that people make long affect their lives. How often have many people felt like the speaker of Robert Frost's poem in which he has been at the convergence of two paths and chosen one that "has made all the difference"?

b) The next part of the introductory paragraph is the thesis statement and "blueprint." The thesis statement is a general statement that answers the question of What is the essay going to be about? For instance, if the student is writing a character analysis of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, he/she could compose a thesis statement such as this:

In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch is an unusual girl who develops from having unusual experiences.

A blueprint for this thesis statement is a short summary of the main points that will be developed in the essay. Since the five-paragraph essay is used as an example here, there are three main paragraphs, so the blueprint will have three points.

Scout matures from such unusual experiences as (1) incidents that occur in her neighborhood, (2) the reactions of neighbors and others to Atticus's defense of Tom Robinson, and (3) her own observations and interactions with members of her community.  

The thesis statement with its "blueprint" is the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

2-4. The body paragraphs 
The body paragraphs develop the "blueprint."  Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that is formed from each of the three parts of the blueprint. For instance, using the example of character analysis of Scout given above, in the first body paragraph [the second paragraph of the essay], a topic sentence for (1) incidents that occur in her neighborhood, could be something like this:

Topic sentence:

Scout develops a less self-centered perspective from lessons learned after she experiences certain incidents in her neighborhood.

This topic sentence is then supported with details from the novel that exemplify the point made. Sentences are made coherent by the use of connecting ideas and words. One way to connect ideas from one sentence to another is to repeat a word. For example, after writing the topic sentence above, the student could then write a sentence like this:

One such incident in which Scout learns not to judge people too quickly occurs from Jem's rash actions against the neighbor, Mrs. Dubose, and his subsequent assignment to read to her. (Repetition of the words incident and neighbor, which are in the topic sentence.)

After this sentence, the student will want to use a transitional word or clue words.  Clue words are those that indicate examples to follow such as for example, for instance, such as, including, like; comparison words such as also, like, similarly, too, etc.; contrast words such as although, on the other hand, though, unlike, however, but, etc.; and cause and effect words such as as  a result, because, consequently, therefore, thus, etc.

A list of transitions are usually in any grammar text, or they can be obtained at this link: 

http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/linking-words.pdf

Using these connecting words greatly aids in writing a coherent essay.

The concluding sentence of the first and second body paragraph will lead into the topic sentence of the next paragraph. That is, the student should use some words from the concluding sentence in the topic sentence (formed from the blueprint) for the next paragraph.

5. The concluding paragraph
The final paragraph contains simply (a) a reworded thesis statement and (b) what is called a "clincher," a sentence that provides a sense of finality.

Using the example provided, a conclusion could be something like this:

From her unusual experiences of Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and others in the neighborhood, Scout matures and learns many valuable lessons. Certainly, she has acquired a knowledge of what transpires in the secret hearts of people, a knowledge that can also well serve the reader.

_________________________________________________________

One final tip: In writing the body paragraphs, the use of subordinating clauses and phrases in the sentences helps to establish the importance of ideas as well as enhance coherency and effective communication of ideas. In the example of a concluding sentence above, the use of the appositive phrase (a knowledge that can also well serve the reader) ties the ideas of the sentence together smoothly.

Again, the student may wish to consult a grammar and composition handbook. These can be found as part of high school texts or accompanying texts and often are separate books sold in college bookstores.