Reviewing persuasive writing samples can help you learn more about mastering this aspect of the freelance writing business.
About Persuasive Writing
The goal of persuasive writing is to convince the reader to agree with your point of view.
Persuasive writing often covers topics that are highly controversial. For example:
- Abortion
- Death penalty
- Welfare reform
- Immigration
- Gay marriage
- Censorship
- Religious freedoms
It is important to keep in mind that persuasive writing relies on facts, not opinions. You can have an opinion that is unpopular, but you must have facts to support the argument that you wish to make. You can't simply state how you feel about the issue and expect your reader to adopt the same viewpoint.
Persuasive Writing Samples
When looking for persuasive writing examples, remember that this style of writing can take many forms. Writers may have a persuasive purpose in creating:
- Academic essays
- Newspaper editorials
- Magazine articles
- Blog posts
- Business letters
- Business plans and proposals
- Legal documents
- Grant applications
- Speeches
You can find assorted examples of persuasive writing by reviewing the following links:
- Guide to Writing a Basic Essay includes a sample about why cats make excellent house pets.
- Famous Speeches lists multiple examples of speeches that were created to persuade listeners of a specific viewpoint. The text for each speech is not listed, however, so you'll need to do a separate Google search to find a complete writing sample.
There are many excellent books offering both persuasive writing samples and tips for crafting a more compelling argument. LoveToKnow Freelance Writing suggests the following titles:
- Can I Change Your Mind? by Lindsay Camp
- "They Say / I Say": The Moves that Matter in Persuasive Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
- Crafting Opinion and Persuasive Papers by Tim Clifford
- Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts by Tom Sant
- Making Your Point: A Practical Guide to Persuasive Legal Writing by Kenneth F. Oettle
Tips for Successful Persuasive Writing
Although there is room for variation, persuasive writing typically follows this basic structure:
- Introduction
- Background, including a statement of relevant facts
- Forecast of topics to be presented
- Conformation of the main idea, also known as the body of the text
- Discussion of alternatives
- Conclusion, which may include rhetorical questions to get the reader thinking about the validity of the argument
As you are reviewing persuasive writing samples, you may notice that many of the essays use the same writing techniques. The following are some of the most common strategies used in persuasive writing:
- Use repetition by stating the main theme of your persuasive argument in several different ways
- Use metaphors, similes, and analogies to make comparisons that relate your topic to something the reader is likely to already understand and agree with
- Incorporate social proof in the form of testimonials and outside referrals
- Address the objections the reader might have to your point of view
- Provide a glimpse into the future using facts and statistics to predict possible outcomes
Additional Information
You can learn more about persuasive writing by reviewing the following articles:
