Choose the subject of your critical essay. If you have been assigned a topic, research it until you find an aspect that you would like to explore in greater detail. If you can select your own topic, think about subjects you feel passionate about or ones about which you have detailed knowledge. Then select a thesis statement for your essay. For example, you may choose to write about how you feel the "Harry Potter" films are better than the book series on which they are based.
Jot down notes on paper about how you would like to introduce your chosen topic under the heading "Introduction." Include any general ideas you have concerning the direction the essay will take and what kind of information you will use to introduce your topic. For example, if you choose to write the difference between the Harry Potter books and films, think about how you would make your argument that the films are better than the books.
Write the word "Body," followed by three to five claims that you will make in your critical essay to support your thesis statement. Next to each item, write the gist of any existing information you have or plan to look up. List your claims in order of importance, which is also the order in which you will present them in your essay. Continue this pattern until you have every critical claim listed in your outline.
Determine what you would like to write in the conclusion of your essay. Write the word "Conclusion," followed by a brief description of what you want to include. Conclusions generally summarize your claims and refer back to your thesis statement.Review your critical essay outline to see if you want to include any additional information or if you think there is anything you left out.
Organize your outline by formatting into an official outline format. An outline can either be handwritten or typed and can be formatted however the writer chooses. Essay outlines are generally organized by numbers, letters and Roman numerals to categorize the sections (introduction, body and conclusion) along with brief descriptions of the content.