8. First decide on the purpose of your essay Persuade someone to agree with you on an opinion or argument Change someone’s mind about something Urge someone to act
9. How to select a topic and develop a thesis: Choose a topic. Narrow the topic. Write a thesis.
10. How to choose a general topic for your persuasive essay: Consult this list of persuasive speech/essay topics. Pick an issue or subject that you really care about. Do you feel passionate about this topic? Do you care about it? Pick something that is extremely controverial. Are there two sides to the topic?Is there a reason to persuage people to think a certain way about this topic? Pick something for which there is evidence. Can you find sources? (in the high school library? the public library?) Pick something that your audience will be interested in hearing. Pick something that is not overdone. Example: Year round school.
11. How to go from a general topic to a narrowed topic: Decide whether you are for or against your issue. Why do people need to be persuaded about this topic? Put your topic in a question form and answer it. Usually this question will begin with the world "should" and can be answered with a "yes" or "no." Example: Should the school year be extended year round?
12. How to go from a narrowed topic to a thesis: (The thesis is the main idea of your speech/paper. It is the point you are going to prove.) Reword your question into a statement. If you want to, include your best support or an overall phrase about your ideas. Make it unique - it will make your topic more interesting and fun. Example: To ensure that students get the best education, the school calendar should be extended year round.
