Complete all required reading for a paper assignment. Summarize the authors' arguments concerning the subject matter. For example, your class may be studying World War II from the perspective of novelists who lived through it. Realize that your thesis statement summarizes your argument about how one or more of those novelists understood or made meaning of World War II. Consider what you have read and jot down on a notepad or in a new word processing document a few significant points made by the authors.
Examine the points you jotted down and formulate an argument. Look for relationships between facts. Think about the significance between considered relationships. Write down two or three possible statements or questions that your paper may examine and that interest you. Because you will put a lot of time into your thesis topic, it helps to be interested in it.
Conduct research on those statements or questions. Look for academic journal articles, authors, poets, novelists, magazine or newspaper articles, or online articles from reputable sources that lend credence to or support your ideas. Realize that whatever thesis statement or question you devise, you must be able to back it up with evidence or agreement from published authors to make it credible.
Narrow your thesis statements from three to one depending on which has the most published support. Create an outline of three to five main points, depending on the length of your paper and the complexity of the topic, based on your research.
Write a three- to five-sentence thesis statement that encapsulates your thesis topic or argument. Make it specific and make sure it answers the questions "how?" and "why?" in regard to your topic. Show this statement to your professor or teacher. along with a list of authors you plan to reference in your paper.
Listen to your instructor's feedback and make adjustments to your thesis statement if needed. Understand that to make it strong you may need to tweak one or two points. Consider your approved thesis statement the road map for your paper. Write it down, print it out and refer to it often as you write your paper to ensure that you adhere to it and thoroughly support it.