Outline

Write out each part. Especially the explanations (articulate everything precisely). The more work you put into this outline, the better the entire paper and each of the parts will be.

  1. Introduction
  2. Story, Quote, Something as a hook to interest the reader
  3. General background information we need to understand the paper
  4. Specific information narrowing down to your thesis
  5. Definitions
  6. Define all nouns, verbs, adjectives, or phrases that need to be clear (make sure to try and work them elegantly into the intro, but that does not need to happen here)
  7. Thesis (1 sentence with active verb, subject and opinion about the subject) Oh, oh, my, this is important! Make sure your thesis is exactly what you want to say.
  8. Argument
  9. Major Point 1
  10. Relation to thesis explained
  11. Minor Point
  12. Specific details and/or examples
  13. Explanations
  14. Minor Point
  15. Specific details and/or examples
  16. Explanations
  17. Minor Point, etc…
  18. Specific details and/or examples
  19. Explanations
  20. Relation to thesis reiterated, if necessary
  21. Major Point 2
  22. Relation to thesis explained
  23. Minor Point
  24. Specific details and/or examples
  25. Explanations
  26. Minor Point
  27. Specific details and/or examples
  28. Explanations
  29. Minor Point, etc…
  30. Specific details and/or examples
  31. Explanations
  32. Relation to thesis reiterated, if necessary
  33. Major Point 3
  34. Relation to thesis explained
  35. Minor Point
  36. Specific details and/or examples
  37. Explanations
  38. Minor Point
  39. Specific details and/or examples
  40. Explanations
  41. Minor Point, etc…
  42. Specific details and/or examples
  43. Explanations
  44. Relation to thesis reiterated, if necessary
  45. Major Point 4+ and as many others as you need to prove your thesis
  46. Relation to thesis explained
  47. Minor Point
  48. Specific details and/or examples
  49. Explanations
  50. Minor Point
  51. Specific details and/or examples
  52. Explanations
  53. Minor Point, etc…
  54. Specific details and/or examples
  55. Explanations
  56. Relation to thesis reiterated, if necessary
  57. Counter-Argument
  58. Brief explanation of 1st possible attack on your argument
  59. Rebuttal of 1st possible attack on your argument
  60. Specific details and/or examples
  61. Explanations
  62. Brief explanation of 2nd possible attack on your argument
  63. Rebuttal of 2nd possible attack on your argument
  64. Specific details and/or examples
  65. Explanations
  66. Brief explanation of 3rd possible attack on your argument
  67. Rebuttal of 3rd possible attack on your argument
  68. Specific details and/or examples
  69. Explanations
  70. Etc… until all possible attacks are addressed
  71. Conclusion
  72. Restate thesis
  73. Broaden meaning of thesis
  74. Explain thesis’s value to us
  75. Connect to broader world