STEP 1:

Brainstorming
: List the major concepts/ideas related to your topic. Under each, free-write words or phrases related to those concepts/ideas.

Listing difficult questions
: Make a list of a few questions related to your topic that you think would be very challenging to answer. Your thesis should come from one of these questions so that it represents both a topic AND an assertion.

STEP 2:

Identify your audience
: In one complete sentence, describe the audience for whom this piece of writing is intended.

Decide on your organizational plan
: Will you structure your paragraphs in chronological order, description, criteria, categorical order, order of importance, order of appeals? In one complete sentence explain which organizational plan you will use.

STEP 3:

Outlining the body: 

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You may have 3 body paragraphs or more. In a compare and contrast essay, you may only have 2 body paragraphs—one for similarities and one for differences. Why do we choose 3 body paragraphs in the first place? Perhaps we feel 3 reasons is enough proof to win an argument.