Choose a working title and a subject that you are passionate about. Your title is your first chance to grab your reader's attention.
Consider who your target audience is. Place yourself in their shoes.
Formulate a strong thesis statement. Take your time, brainstorm, decide what you want to convey, state your topic and be specific. Present your thesis statement in your introduction.
Conduct thorough research. This can include interviewing an expert or researching educational and government websites, books, journals or newspapers. Establish your authority; cite multiple credible sources that provide support for your main idea. Compose a list of definitions and concepts. Include facts and figures that reinforce your premise and persuade your audience.
Construct a well-organized outline. Components of your outline should include an introduction, a body and a conclusion. List and develop subtopics that support your premise. Create a logical framework.
Write a first draft. When writing your first draft, write it in sections and in several short blocks of time. Effective writing sets the tone, is deliberate, uses good judgment, engages the reader, convinces the audience and provides facts that support the premise. Write a provocative introduction. Adhere to the format. Stay focused and organized. Be energetic. Keep it simple. Include a bibliography, a title page and a table of contents.
Edit your rough draft. Ensure that your essay is concrete and clearly written, utilizing proper paragraph structure and containing support for your arguments and thesis statement.
Revise your draft. Wait several hours, a day or more before you look at your edited draft. Be critical. Have high standards. Polish your draft and perfect it. Ensure that it has clarity, balance, smooth flow and accurate facts and that all of your sources are properly cited. Less is more, quality over quantity. If you have to start from the beginning and toss your original essay, do so.
Proofread your essay. Wait 24 hours. Choose a quiet location with no distractions. Proofread your essay from the computer and make changes as needed. Carefully read each word aloud, one at a time. Look for awkward sentences, wordiness and poorly construction. Proofread a hard copy of your essay. Print out sections or print out the entire draft and then make corrections. Use a highlighter and a red pen to mark your mistakes. Read your essay in short increments of time. Once you have made all the necessary corrections, ask several other people to proofread your essay.
Revise for your final draft. When you're ready, begin this final critical step.