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One of the most challenging aspects of becoming a good writer is learning how to construct a good argument in your writing. Anyone can ramble on about a topic for hours at a time, but it takes a certain degree of talent and hard work to get to the point where you can write convincingly about a topic. The good news is that just about anyone can learn to construct a good argument in their writing.

It's important, first, to understand what makes a good argument. A good argument meets a few specific criteria. First of all, a good argument in your writing is understandable. You want your reader to be able to understand what it is that you are saying. Your reader won't necessarily agree with your argument, but they should, at the very least, be able to understand what it is that you are saying.

Constructing a good argument in your writing also means writing with principles of logic in mind. Learn what makes a good logical argument, and what kinds of arguments are illogical. For example, you might say that your dog's name is Charlie. You might also say that your dog is a terrier. It would be a logical fallacy then, to say that all dogs named Charlie are terriers. There is a logical flaw in that argument, and understanding how logical flaws work will help you to to avoid them.

There is another aspect of constructing a good argument in your writing worth thinking about. If you want to have a good argument in your writing you want to worry less about anticipating the reader's objections and more about building your own case. If you want to make a convincing argument you need to provide support for that argument, rather than arguments against the alternatives. That doesn't mean that you'll ignore potential problems with your argument, it just means that you are going to focus on the evidence for your argument. It is also reasonable that you'll leave out potential problems with your argument. Leave those problems to your critics. They are going to come up with those problems eventually and when they do, you can answer them.

Constructing a good argument in your writing is much an art as it is a science. The more you write, and the more that that writing is critiqued, the more you will learn to recognize where the strengths and weaknesses are in your writing. As time goes on, you'll learn to master the art of constructing a good argument in your writing. While your readers won't always be convinced, at the very least you will make them think, and you will make them question as to whether or not your argument is a good one.

Learn more about this author, John W. Paulus.
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