Your writing plan will consist of:
- A brief description of your topic—that is, the historical event you have chosen to analyze
- The research question you will attempt to answer in your essay
- Some primary and secondary sources you plan to utilize
- A working thesis statement and the message of your essay
- The audience for your essay and a description of how you plan to communicate your ideas to the chosen audience
The first step is to delete the section headings (e.g., Sources or Audience and Message).
Next, use transitional language*—transitional words, phrases, or sentences—to guide the reader from one section to the next. Transitions help smooth out your writing, by helping readers see the logical connection between two sentences, paragraphs or sections; when readers see how the pieces of your essay fit together logically, it’s easier for them to make the jump from one piece to another.
A good transition will show the reader how these two sources relate to each other logically. For instance, do they both tell similar stories, or do they deal with two different sets of circumstances?
Finally, add context and explanatory information. What makes your topic historically significant? Why did you choose to use these particular sources—what unique insights do they provide? And how do they help you to present your argument?