Do your homework. Before you can write an effective essay about conflict, you must narrow your topic. Use resources such as your library, academic databases or your local bookstore to identify fundamental frameworks for your topic, recommends The American University in Cairo. Read existing essays on conflict and study their construction. Learning to analyze essays written by others is helpful in learning to write them yourself.
Find your focus. Conflict is a broad topic that can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, you could write about national conflict, personal conflict or political conflict. In turn, each of those topics offers a number of options for writing a clear, concise paper. For example, under the heading of national conflict, you could write about the role of warfare in American history or the role of the United Nations in preserving world peace.
Create and refine your argument. In essay writing, your argument is called a thesis, explains The American University. Your thesis is the central premise of your essay. It's the point your essay will "prove." To be effective, your argument must be clear and convincing. Sharpen your focus by reducing your thesis to just a sentence or two. In turn, your conclusion will support your thesis after you present the individual elements of your argument.
Draft a detailed outline. You can't get to your destination if you don't have a clear path, notes The American University. Effective essays are constructed with self-contained paragraphs that serve as individual building blocks of your thesis. Write a brief description of each paragraph that you will use to make each of your basic points. Use bullet points to reinforce your argument and drive home your points.
Write your masterpiece. Create a powerful "hook" that immediately attracts your reader's interest, says The American University. Then state your thesis clearly. Make your argument one point at a time, with each point -- or paragraph -- logically and smoothly flowing into the next. Pack a punch at the end by restating your thesis, then reinforcing it with a brief quote about conflict from a famous person. That could be anybody from Sigmund Freud to Mahatma Gandhi.