III. Discuss and Brainstorm – your essay will require unique insight by you or your group. Try to answer questions that were surfaced during the analysis stage. During this stage it is important to give yourself time and space to let your ideas breathe. If this requires calling a friend not involved with the topic and explaining some of the ideas then do it. If it requires taking a walk because staring at another book will do nothing but stunt creative thought then so be it. The bottom line is, do whatever it is that you do to gain perspective and clarity.

IV. Thesis statement - during this part of the process the objective is to narrow down your ideas into a clear assertion that you can build the rest of your essay around. Remember the thesis of your paper is the “main idea” summed up in a sentence or two that gives the reader direction about where the paper is going. Often time’s readers are hooked or bored after the first paragraph so think of your thesis as your first opportunity to grab the reader while they have no preconceived ideas about the piece.

V. Outline a respected paper – more as a method of practice it is important to understand the flow of thought and discourse throughout a paper. It can help to find a paper of interest and note how the initial argument is presented along with the proceeding facts or ideas that backup the author’s point of view.