Prewrite your paper. Prewriting is a stage in which you brainstorm your ideas and organize them. Write down your ideas for your paper before you begin composing. (See References 1)
Organize your ideas. Most essays should include at least three main ideas, one for each body paragraph. Research papers and theses can be organized into more than three main ideas. Cluster together all related information, then decide in which order you want to present your ideas. (See References 1, 2)
Choose your thesis sentence. Your thesis sentence will determine what direction your paper will take, as well as how you should use and present your ideas. The thesis sentence should also clearly outline for the reader what the rest of your paper is about. (See References 2, 3)
Write the rough draft of the paper. Emphasize the importance of each idea. This draft doesn't have to be perfect, but it should convey the general gist of the argument you're making or of the information you're presenting. (See References 4)
Read over your rough draft and edit. Look for inconsistencies in your argument, look for grammatical and spelling errors, and for the completeness of each idea you've presented. Also ask a friend to read and edit your paper. Make sure your friend completely understands your argument and ideas after they have read your paper. (See References 4)
Write the final essay. Apply any edits you or your proofreader have identified, and complete any necessary formatting of the paper. If you used references in your paper, cite them, and then double check that they are properly cited. (See References 4)