A persuasive essay is a paper in which the writer attempts to cause the reader to change their opinion about a persuasive topic, or to take a specific action in relation to that topic. In order to do this well, the writer needs to think carefully about his or her persuasive strategy. That is, the writer needs to think hard about what might actually work effectively to get readers to change their minds or take action.
Here are some tips for how to write an effective persuasive essay.
Choosing a Persuasive Topic
The first trick to writing an effective persuasive essay is choosing a realistic persuasive topic. It's important to choose a topic that the writer feels strongly enough about to write a convincing argument. It's also important to choose a topic that's neither too broad nor too narrow, and to avoid tired persuasive topics that teachers have read about over and over again.
Here are some tips for how to choose a persuasive topic.
Choosing an Effective Persuasive Strategy
It's not enough to sit down and write a persuasive paper that seemingly follows all of the guidelines of the assignment. A good persuasive essay actually does something. It moves the reader to action or causes the read to rethink his or her opinion about a topic. This is a challenging task, and in order to pull this off, the writer needs to put some thought into persuasive strategy.
Persuasive strategy refers to the well-thought out process in which the writer asks, "What can I actually include in this paper that would increase the likelihood that the reader will actually take action or change their mind?" An important part of a persuasive strategy is audience analysis. It's important to know exactly who the audience is because then the argument can be tailored to the needs, beliefs, and desires of audience members.
When developing a persuasive strategy, here are a few possible strategies to keep in mind:
- Identify a specific course of action at the end of the paper to increase the likelihood that the reader will take action
- Avoid very broad and controversial topics (like abortion), and instead choose narrower issues related to these topics (like parental notification laws).
- Choose evidence in the argument that is relevant to the specific audience.
- Try hard to understand where those who disagree are coming from, and tailor the argument with these concerns in mind
- Use gentle humor carefully to win over audience members.
- Show respect for the opinions of those who hold differing opinions, as these individuals will never change their mind if they are belittled or demonized.
Persuasive Essay Evidence
Another important element of developing a persuasive strategy is choosing appropriate evidence to back up the claims that are made in the essay. Without evidence, claims will be unsubstantiated and ineffective. Here's what writers need to know about developing evidence for persuasive essays.
Persuasive Essay Introductions
In the modern world, most readers have short attention spans, so an introduction needs to grab their attention immediately. Choose an attention getting strategy that will capture the imagination of the specific audience, and that (of course) relates directly to the persuasive topic at hand. Consider introducing the topic with a short story or compelling example that illustrates the problem at hand, and try to use stories and examples that will be especially relevant to the audience.
In addition, the introduction needs to include a clear thesis statement. The audience is not going to be persuaded unless it is crystal clear what the argument is all about.
Writing a persuasive essay is a challenging task, and to be successful, writers need to plan carefully and strategically. Writers need to choose an appropriate topic and appropriate evidence, and they also need to think carefully about an effective introduction and a thoughtful persuasive strategy. By thinking carefully about these steps, a writer has a much better chance of writing a persuasive essay that is truly effective.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
