How to Plan a Persuasive Paper

A persuasive paper attempts to convince someone of something.

A persuasive paper tries to convince the reader of something--whether it is a certain point in an argument, a certain side to a story, or even a certain belief or opinion. When you write a persuasive paper, it is a good idea to have an outline to begin with. An outline will help you develop a strong argument and focus your writing.

Instructions

1. Decide on the subject you'd like to explore. Because a persuasive paper must try to convince someone of something, you have to choose a topic you'd like to convince your readers to support or agree with. For instance, you might choose to write a paper about the Titanic because you have an opinion about it that you'd like to convince your readers to share.

2. Decide what your position on the issue will be. For example, if you were debating whether the Titanic should be raised or not, decide which side of the argument you'd like to advocate on behalf of: either in favor of raising the Titanic or against raising it.

3. Plan the points that you will use in your paper. If you already know some that you'd like to use, jot them down. Otherwise, research your topic until you've found several different points that you'd like to use to convince your readers to share your opinion.

4. List your points in the order you'd like to reveal them in your paper. You can choose any order, such as chronological or in the order of importance. Make sure the order in which you present your points strengthens your argument.

5. Create an outline that lists your subject, your position, and each of the points you intend to use to support your argument. Jot down a few ideas of details that will support each of your points. For instance, if one of your points in favor of raising the Titanic is that many family members want this to happen, jot down some details to support this, such as the number of family members that support raising the Titanic. Be sure to document sources, such as books and websites, used to help find pertinent facts.

6. Add a summary of your introduction and a summary of your conclusion to your overall persuasive paper plan. List or jot down some of the details you'd like to include in your introduction and your conclusion to help provide a solid blueprint for your writing.

References

• StudyGS: Persuasive Paper