Choose a broad topic to write about. If you were given a writing prompt by a teacher or are writing an essay for a scholarship application, think generally how you want to approach the topic. If you need help finding an idea to write about, walk around with a notebook in your pocket for a couple of days and write down anything that pops into your head that might make a good topic.
Research your topic. Utilize the Internet, the library, your friends and family, and any other resources you can think of to learn more about the topic. Trends in thinking will emerge as you research the topic, as well as more specific areas of study within the broad subject. Begin to narrow down the topic you started with to something more manageable based on what you find in your research. For instance, your topic of "advertising" may end up "trends in Western clothing advertising in the last twenty years."
Analyze what others have said about the topic. When you analyze, you look closely at others' arguments and claims. Examine their logic and thoughts on your topic; see if what they say makes sense. As you do this, your take on the topic will begin to reveal itself. You will be able to identify how you feel and what you believe about the topic. You can then write your thesis statement, which is a one- or two-sentence statement summarizing your thoughts on a topic.
To help you figure out what others are saying about the subject, summarize the arguments and claims that you are reading in your research.
Diagram your essay. Write down your main points around your thesis, which you write in the middle of a piece of paper. Write supporting details around the main points.
Outline your essay by writing Roman numerals for each section of your paper down the left side of a piece of paper. Write headlines for each section next to each numeral. Put capital letters, A, B, C, etc. underneath each headline, and write your supporting details down next to each letter. (See Reference 2.)