Persuasive Letter

Writing Tips: The Persuasive Letter

· Imagine your  reader  vividly. In most genres, the  audience  is indistinct, which accounts for many of the difficulties writers experience during the composition process–not so here. Your knowledge of your  reader  is a gift. Use it to help you navigate the choices you encounter, including what points to make and what  language  to use as you compose and refine this letter.   

· Persuasive writing  does not require the extensive research of academic argument; however, in order to best establish and develop their ideas, persuasive writers must know their topic (and the point-of-view they support) well. Research is one of many variables in the persuasive form that is influenced by a writer’s chosen  audience  and topic. A letter to a  reader  with  subject -matter expertise of the chosen  subject  requires its writer to undertake a different research process than the letter to a  reader  with general knowledge. Thus, be prepared to do such research as is needed to appear informed and credible on the page. If a source is formally used, you must  cite  from where and from whom it came. 

· Be sure your  introduction  anticipates any resistances or acknowledges any difficulties, that your  reader  might experience upon encountering your  thesis  before you deliver it. Few of us delight in learning that someone believes that we are mistaken, or misguided, or flat-out wrong. How will your  reader  respond to this news? Maturely? Angrily? Defensively? What emotional or logical appeals can your  introduction  deliver to make your  reader  receptive to reading criticism? Similarly, keep these considerations in mind as you compose the rest of your piece. Remember, persuading your  reader  is your aim; you’re not out to make them feel bad. 

· Write a  thesis / claim  that forecasts your persuasive position’s major  supporting points . 

· Ensure that your body paragraphs have a single governing idea–ideally, a point that supports the  thesis . As a general matter of practice, deliver that point in the  body paragraph ’s first sentence: a  topic sentence . Do write body paragraphs that develop their main point thoroughly. Avoid writing paragraphs that deliver multiple, varied points. Writing more about less is better than writing less about more–a rule to write by. 

· Use the  first-person   pronoun , “I,” but be wary of its overuse. Likewise, for reasons of economy and redundancy, avoid “in my opinion” and “I believe.” Your name is visible to the  reader  on the first page; assume they need no reminding of the source of all these words. Set your default mode to  third-person , but use “I” when it makes an obvious case for itself. 

· In your  conclusion , do revisit your letter’s main points, but don’t write a  conclusion  that merely summarizes your position.  A good strategy for your  conclusion  is to include (a) a statement of what unifies you and your  reader  and (b) a direct call to action. While your letter may address a point that divides you, the germ of this writing is a shared concern–the issue or the community that the issue impacts. You and your  reader  have a shared stake; find what it is and articulate it. Finally, name the specific action that you want from your  reader . What steps can they take to make the change you want? Be as specific as possible.