Create a goal

Create a goal and write it down. This will help you stick with the purpose of your argument. 

When forming an argument and writing about it, you are going to need to give yourself time and be very organized. Your first step should be to research. Utilize all outlets that you have access to. Go to the library and read as much as you can about your topic first and write down important points and supporting details. Then, if you have access to any online databases, use those. Generally, depending on your topic, you will find statistics and experiments. Do not disregard anything because it does not directly address your viewpoint. Anything you can learn is good.

The more you broaden your knowledge on the topic, the easier it will be for you to argue one way or another. You never know – halfway through, you may discover that you actually think the opposing viewpoint is better. Once you have searched databases, go to the search engines, and you will find the opinions of others and some more supporting details. The more information that you have and know about a topic, the easier your thoughts will flow. At this point, you should have several more sources than what is required. By the end, you will have to cut down the number of sources because you should not need them all. 

Next, you should make outlines. That’s right, multiple. Each should get more detailed, and by the end, you will have a sentence outline. This is essentially your first draft with different numbers and sections. You may think that making multiple outlines is excessive, but it will allow you to see your information in several different ways. When you look at an information in the same font in block paragraphs, it is difficult to determine whether or not it will be clear to readers. This is why having someone else edit it is important. Furthermore, if you don’t have someone else, as long as you have given yourself enough time, you can put the project away and look at it the next day. 

Your writing should not be confusing or full of hidden meaning. Make it as clear as possible. When you go through and edit, you should determine whether the following questions are easily found: 

Is the purpose of the piece clear and easily found? 

Stating the purpose in the first paragraph is the easiest way to do this. You are not trying to conceal your topic. There is no harm in including it in some of your first thoughts. 

What questions does this piece answer? What questions are explored? 

From what perspective is my argument? 

You should know this for a couple of different reasons. Understanding your own perspective will allow you to write about it clearer. It will also allow you to determine the opposing viewpoints and determine counterarguments. 

Where did I get my information? Are the sources valid? Was the information consistent in all of my sources? 

What concepts are central in my line of thinking?  

These would be your main points, a common number of main points is three, but you can have any number of main points to support your argument. These main points will have supporting details. They can be considered the premises of your arguments.. 

What conclusions am I making? What premises do I include?  

These, of course, would be your entire argument. If you use a thesis statement, which you should, your premises and your conclusions will be found here. Your thesis statement will only feature your premises and your conclusion. Write the premises in the order that they will appear to make the thesis statement more usable. 

Am I making any assumption/s? Are these assumptions that I should be making?  

There is a difference between making an educated inference and just making assumptions. For example, if there are no clouds in the sky, we can assume it is not going to rain. However, just because George Clooney is not your father does not mean you can assume he is your best friend’s father. You must have evidence to support this. 

As a writer who writes critically, you should be able to evaluate your work thoroughly. While you write, you will use several different levels of thinking: validity, context, accuracy, and precision. The conclusions you make should be predictable when paired with all of the evidence you gathered. Always keep your argument reasonable, solid, and valid. In addition, you should always consider any weaknesses your argument has along with potential counterarguments.

How does considering counterarguments help you? Well, you will be able to strengthen your own argument by pointing out the weaknesses in the counterarguments. You can also block the holes in your own argument by strategizing and using critical thinking. Make your weaknesses seem like strengths in an argument.