Generating Ideas

• 1). State your position in the first or second sentence. Your first sentence can be a hook to get people interested in the essay, but the position statement should not be further from the top of the essay than that. Make a strong, clear position statement. For example, if you believe the voting age should be changed to 21, write, "The voting age should be changed to 21."
  
  
• 2). Write your position in the middle of a blank page and circle it. Draw eight lines out from the circle like the legs of a spider. On at least five legs, write a reason why you believe your position. Under each leg, write three specific examples, facts or explanations that clarify and support your reasoning. For example, you may think young adults do not know enough about life to vote until they have lived on their own. For support, you could write, "Most young people do not live on their own until after age 18. Then they begin paying bills, caring for their residence and holding a regular job. These activities help them think about how the law affects them."
  
  
• 3). Evaluate the reasons and choose the three best ones. Consider that people value money, time and freedom in our culture. If any of your reasons speak to these issues, keep those. As a monetary support for setting the voting age higher, you could say that most 18-year-olds do not pay taxes, so they should not be able to vote. Also, consider the history or surrounding circumstances of your reason. If it is pertinent to a current event or is a historic reason, it might have more validity.
  
  
• 4
  Research will enhance your persuasive essay immeasurably.shelves of library books image by nextrecord from Fotolia.com
  
  Do some research. Your ideas must form the framework of the essay, but research will strengthen your support, present issues and give you background knowledge. Get facts from the government departments like the U.S. Census Bureau, nonprofit organizations, international data gathering groups like the World Health Organization or even trend searches such as Google Trends. Acknowledge your sources.
  
  
• 5). Write a draft. If you get stuck on a point, go to another point and come back to it later. Complete your introduction after you are done with the rest. Summarize your reasons in the introduction but do not get into support of the arguments.
  
  

Perfecting Your Essay

• 1). Read the first draft aloud, revising its content and flow. If an argument seems stronger than others, then put it first. Put the next strongest argument last before your conclusion. If you feel your essay needs it, then do some more research. Type your essay in double-spaced format.
  
  
• 2
  A peer reader can help you hone your persuasive essay.students image by Ivanna Buldakova from Fotolia.com
  
  Have someone else read your essay. Ask the person if your arguments are convincing and how to make them better. Ask what were the weakest parts of the essay. Incorporate the suggestions as you can.
  
  
• 3). Proofread and correct grammatical errors. Go through the essay, marking spelling, punctuation and other errors. Then make corrections. Take a last look at your new document and make final corrections.