Narrow your topic down to one literary theory. Different literary theories include queer, gender,and Marxist, to name just a few. Perform research, beginning with a more general source if unfamiliar with the chosen theory. For example, if gender theory is the focus of your literary theory paper, begin with an anthology such as the "Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism" or David H. Richter's "Falling Into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature." An anthology will have a generalized, yet comprehensive, introduction to theory, as well as major works in the field.
Read through an overview of the theory to determine the major branches of the literary theory. No literary theory is simple; each is complex and holds many different schools of though. For example, in their "General Introduction to Gender Theories and Sex," Emily Allen and Dino Felluga tease out some of the intricacies of gender theory: "Sex and gender theorists can be divided into various sub-schools that bring together the insights of disparate approaches (eg. materialist feminists, Foucauldian theorists of gender, postmodern and poststructuralist theorists of gender, and psychoanalytical feminists; psychoanalytical feminists can, in turn, be divided among Freudian, Lacanian, and Kristevan thinkers)."
Determine the specific theory or theorist on which you wish to compose the paper. Perhaps after reading the introduction to gender theory provided by Allen and Felluga, you wish to study Judith Butler's specific engagement of gender as performance, detailed in her seminal text "Gender Trouble." Highlight important details in "Gender Trouble" that you wish to include in the paper that explain Butler's particular theory and how it is applied to literature.
Read critical articles based upon the chosen literary theory. Using databases to perform the search, such as Project Muse, read about what other theorists and critics have not only to say about Butler's theory, but also how Butler's theory has been applied to literary texts.
Compose a thesis statement related to the chosen literary theory. If Butler's performance theory is the chosen topic, the thesis statement would explain why studying and applying gender performance theory is particularly relevant and important. According to the Online Writing Center at Purdue, when writing about literature, "you must have a specific, detailed thesis statement that reveals your perspective, and, like any good argument, your perspective must be one which is debatable."
Lay out the remainder of the paper to prove the thesis statement. You will have to include references and citations from the research you performed in preparation for composing the paper. Providing direct quotations from Butler's work would be requisite if performance theory were the chosen topic. Use each paragraph to develop the thesis statement, proving why the argument provided is correct. Recognize conflicting schools of thought to bolster your argument.
Conclude the paper with an effective closing paragraph that does "not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided." The conclusion should remind the reader of why the thesis is important, and how you as the writer have proven its importance on the topic of literary theory.