The writing process is a long and involved journey to writing a final product. The most important thing about the writing process is to not believe the common tale about bold visionaries writing something perfectly on their first try. Every piece of writing goes through the various steps of choosing a topic, brainstorming, research, creating an outline, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading; the problem is we often do not see, nor are we told about, all the work that goes into the literature we read. Therefore, don't pressure yourself into writing something perfectly on the first try and remember that good writing is a process of many steps that everyone -- even the best -- must go through! In other words, take writing your essay one step at a time, put your best effort into each step, and you'll likely be proud of the final product.
For more information about the specific parts of the writing process and advice for each one, please see the linked handout: