Many writers approach the persuasive essay writing process differently, but there are a few general guidelines to follow when persuading your audience with your words. Here is how to write an effective personal essay.

1. Pick a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll do your best persuading when you’re arguing for something you truly believe in. If you have the option to pick a topic, choose one that appeals to your own sensibilities. There will be research to do regardless, but already having a strong opinion about your subject will make its defense a bit easier.

2. Know your audience. If you want to convince readers to believe and agree with you, know who you’re talking to first. For example, if you’re writing a persuasive letter about why standardized testing should be removed from school systems, your audience will likely be parents: Keep that in mind when writing to your targeted demographic.

3. Research both sides. In order to convince the reader to agree with you, you also have to know what you’re trying to get them to disagree with. Your audience may be completely stuck in their ways, so knowing both sides of your argument—and how to effectively counter the opposition—will assuage any follow-up questions a reader may have that can cast doubt on your position.

4. Outline your argument. Outlining your entire essay before you get to writing it can help you organize your thoughts, research, and lay out your essay structure. Detail all your main points and pair them with all of the relevant, supporting evidence from your sources cited.

5. Write your introduction. Every good persuasive essay begins with a strong introduction, which is the first paragraph of a paper. Its main purpose is to present the general premise of the paper, provide any necessary background information, appeal to the reader’s sensibilities, and capture their attention. You can do this with a personal anecdote from your own life, or information from your research. Your introductory paragraph should also present the thesis statement for your essay. A good thesis statement functions as a road map for the piece of writing that lies ahead. It articulates a paper›s main point in one or two sentences, and the rest of the paper serves to reinforce that point.

6. Include your body paragraphs. This is where the “meat” of your persuasive essay will appear, using data and evidence to back up your thesis and present your counterarguments. A good body paragraph contains three main sections: a topic sentence (or key sentence), relevant supporting sentences, and a closing (or transition) sentence. This structure keeps your paragraph focused on the main idea, providing clear, concise information. The body is where you will also discuss any opposing opinions and why they should be discredited, so make sure any claims you make in your essay can be supported with credible or relevant information.

7. Wrap it up with a strong conclusion. A conclusion is the final piece of writing in a research paper, essay, or article that summarizes the entire work. The conclusion paragraph should restate your thesis, summarize the key supporting ideas you discussed throughout the work, and offer your final impression on the central idea. It should also be where you include your call-to-action, if you are trying to urgently persuade your readers to quickly take action over a particular issue.

8. Proofread. Always proofread your writing a few times before submitting or presenting. A few missed words, grammatical errors, or sentence structure problems can impact your credibility in the reader’s eyes.