How to Start Writing a Persuasive Essay for the First Time?
Writing a persuasive essay is challenging but enjoyable with the correct mindset. In this style of essay the goal is to coax the reader to agree with your view point. To effectively write a persuasive essay one must provide an intelligent argument that is both professional and respectful of others. Listed below are the necessary steps to begin creating a persuasive essay.
- Communicate
- Select a topic
- Organize your thoughts
- Select a mode of persuasion
As I stated in the article “How to Start the Creative Writing Process for Your Informal Essay” the first step in writing any paper is communication with your instructor or supervisor. You must know what they are expecting in order to create the ideal document. This may help you to determine your audience which is very important when writing this style of essay because it will direct how you present your argument.
The next step is the same as beginning a creative writing essay. This is picking a topic. Your topic should be relevant to your audience as well as interesting to you. If the topic of your essay is only loosely relevant then you will need to point out the ways it is and convince your readers of its relevance to have a chance of writing a successful persuasive paper.
After you have selected a topic, organize your thoughts and information on index cards to ensure that it is easy to later organize that information to create an essay that flows together well. Keep a stack of index cards beside you as you write to record any ideas your writing may spark. As always, you will need to back up your comments and claims using research from reliable websites and books as well as first person interviews if possible.
Selecting a mode of persuasion is another area that can prove tricky. There are three different modes of persuasion which are…
- Pathos (pertaining to the emotions of your audience)
- Ethos (references well known sources and people holding the same opinion to prove credibility)
- Logos (uses logic and comparisons as well as facts and statistics)
Each of these have their advantages and disadvantages and each of these apply best to one audience or another. Using these modes of persuasion you can create a professional essay that is sure to convince your audience to side with your stated point of view.