The first step to persuasive writing is to establish the supporting arguments. If you have assembled pertinent facts and statistics, these supporting arguments will be even more persuasive. Even just a well thought out logical argument can be effective, however, if you use good writing methods. Writing with a goal to persuade, like all other writing, needs to be succinct. This doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be short. It just needs to be stripped of any unnecessary language. As stated in the little classic, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E. B. White, “Write with nouns and verbs.” All good writing creates a sensory element, and beginning writers often try to accomplish this with a overabundance of adjectives. Precise nouns and verbs, however, are more effective. Blogging and other online writing can be published so quickly that another important rule of writing is often overlooked. This is the benefit of letting a persuasive essay have a few days to cool off before you make revisions. William Zinsser, in On Writing Well, points out how much a computer with a word processing program helps in the process of revising, or rewriting as it is often called. Learn to use your cut and paste when reworking that persuasive essay. Blogging presents a unique forum for the persuasive writer. Writing needs to be gripping in order to compete with the vast number of blogs vying for the attention of the reader. Persuasive writing can sizzle with emotion in the blogging world where controversial opinions are the norm instead of the exception. Some of the most effective persuasive essay and research paper topics come straight out of the news. For instance, the problems created by the high cost of medical care cry out for a good essay writer to suggest a solution. Environmental and moral concerns also bring out the intense feelings that make for an interesting persuasive essay topic or blog post. One of the best tips for writing a story, essay, or whatever, is to keep it simple. Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying, “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” Similarly, Strunk and White say “avoid fancy words.” Simple, straight forward words and feelings create the best persuasive essays. Barbara Wood is a writer and educator living in the Missouri Ozarks. Home organization has been a lifelong pursuit for her, and has led her to study many great books on productivity, time management, and organization. References: The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition – [William Strunk & E. B. White] On Writing Well, 25th Anniversary : The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (On Writing Well) – [William Zinsser]
