Research your topic area by reading scholarly journals and books.
Develop a thesis for your essay. Your thesis is the main argument for your paper, representing the stance you wish to persuade readers toward.
Develop at least three arguments to support your thesis.
Develop a counterpoint to your thesis. A counterpoint is a popular stance against your thesis. This shows readers you understand both sides of the debate.
Create an argument to refute the counterpoint. Refuting an opposing view further strengthens your thesis, leaving less space for naysayers to argue against you.
Create an outline of your 1,000-word persuasive essay. The outline is the general structure of your paper. Lead with the thesis. After the thesis, use with your strongest argument to help sustain credibility early in the essay. Afterward, use your more average arguments, saving your second strongest argument for last. Insert your counterpoint and refutation before your last argument.
Add details to your arguments on your outline. Use short sentences to record these details, which should support the arguments. These can be facts, statistics or analysis.
Write your introduction to the essay. It is important to grab the readers' attention here. Many writers like to use anecdotes, or stories, to set a scene to build toward the thesis. At or near the end of the introduction, you must list your thesis.
Write the body of your essay. Use your outline to structure the essay, expanding on the details.
Compose the conclusion paragraph of the essay. Many people choose to revisit the anecdote written in the introduction to create full-circle effect to your essay, helping to tie everything together without having to rehash arguments. Try ending the essay with a meaningful message related to your thesis, such as real-life consequences, further study opportunities or a solution.
Edit the essay. Proofread the essay for grammar and spelling errors. These types of mistakes can distract the reader and lower your credibility. Try reading the essay aloud. This helps you catch mistakes you may overlook reading silently. Let someone else proofread the paper; They may catch errors you missed.