Determine your purpose. Knowing why you are writing and how you want the audience to respond is essential. In her book "The Harbrace Guide to Writing" author Cheryl Glenn suggests asking questions such as "Do you want the audience to feel more comfortable in its current position? Or do you want the audience to listen to and consider an overlooked position?" Knowing the answers allows writers to tailor appeals and evidence toward their audience.
Use pre-writing strategies to generate ideas and organize thoughts. Trying a variety of methods prevents getting stuck. Listing and writing down everything you know about the topic creates text that can be analyzed for patterns. Creating a visual essay organizer by drawing rectangles and then placing in each the paper's tentative thesis, topic sentences, supporting points and evidence and reasons why the evidence matters, helps a writer see how all the evidence fits together.
Provide general background information about the issue. Discussing why the problem matters, how it affects readers and why they should be concerned, places your stance in context and creates public resonance. Presenting a surprising fact or statistic, a personal anecdote or a quote from a credible expert draws readers in and helps them understand the stance stated in the thesis statement, which will be the last sentence of the introduction.
Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence. Include in each a specific reason that backs up the thesis, such as "Ensuring the safety of students is the first reason the university should establish a policy regarding guest speakers." Develop paragraphs by presenting two or three specific pieces of evidence and explanations of why the evidence is important.
Discover where others stand on the issue by conducting research. Use the evidence to support your reasons and to offer counterarguments and concessions to groups with opposing views. Combining outside sources with your own persuasive logical, ethical and emotional appeals builds a strong argument for your position, which can convince readers that your reasons are valid and reduce resistance.
Conclude by restating the thesis and briefly summarizing your supporting reasons. Take into account your original purpose for the paper and remind readers what is at stake, what others believe about the issue and how your stance is just as, if not more, valid than others you have discussed in the paper.