First work on your thesis statement. State the main idea of your paper as well as your position. This will help you stay focused as you write. However, as you research, your thesis statement may evolve. Often writers discover that their topic is too broad and they need to narrow their focus.
As you research, write facts on individual cards or pages of a notebook. On the back of each, write the source for footnotes and the bibliography. Having the reference info on each fact is a great time saver.
Now you have enough to write an outline and arrange your notecards accordingly. Do this on the word processor and save it as a separate document from your paper. Use another copy of the outline to grow into a paper. The headings in the outline is usually quite logical to form paragraphs. Remember that hint about keeping your references with the facts? You can write that bibliography or place footnotes easily as you go.
Write a conclusion. It contains a recap of the thesis and a few of the points within the body. There's no need to elaborate again, you are summing up. The last sentence should leave a lasting memory. Acknowledging the broader implications is highly effective.
I've answered a few questions about essays. If you click my profile then "answers," you'll see a longer explanation of thesis statements, conclusions and closing statements.
