HOW TO WRITE A
LITERARY PAPER
By: Gonzalo Irazusta, Bautista Buljevich, Juan Elia & Ramiro
Aizpiri

● Analyzing the text and developing a thesis.
● Outlining your essay.
● Drafting your paper.
● Making use of multiple drafts.
● Editing your Paper.
● Overcoming writer’s block.
We will have 6 parts, and in each step is divided in
steps

Analysing the text and developing the thesis
To begin with, you will have to Read and analyze the text. Start
by thinking what most interests you, and think the main idea that the
author wanted you to understand once you finished reading. After this,
choose a topic which you will focus on. This one needs to be something
people might reasonably disagree about. Once you’ve done this, focus
your topic. A good one needs to be narrow enough that you can
completely address it within the limit. The next step is to develop a
thesis. This is to transform your topic into an argument. Finally, gather
more evidence to support your thesis. Now that you have chosen a topic
and preliminary thesis, you can focus your research.

Outlining your essay
Firstly, organize your ideas in an outline. It is always a good idea to
write an outline to organize your ideas. Use your outline to help organize
and guide your research. If you write an outline early in the research
process, you can use it to help focus on the specific areas you need to
explore in more detail. Finally, flesh out your outline as you go. An outline
can also provide "container" in which to put information.

Drafting your paper
Start with an introducing paragraph, including the texts and
authors you are working with, as well as your thesis. You will need to
give a summarize about the text. Give examples about the topic you
are working with. Explore deeply and support your thesis and ideas
in the following paragraphs, with evidence, backing, examples,etc.
Conclude by moving beyond your thesis.

Making use of multiple drafts
Focus on the argument during your first draft. Don't worry about
style, spelling, or length. Do another draft focusing on the
organization. Let someone else read your paper, so that you can
have another opinion.

Editing your paper
Print your paper to edit it. Check if you have unnecessary words
and then eliminate them. Also delete repetitive sentences. Remove
all references to yourself. How you came to your conclusions does
not matter. Read your paper out loud so that you think while you
read of grammatical mistakes like uses of commas for example.
Read one sentence at a time, from ending to beginning. And finally,
run spell check.

Overcoming writer’s block
Be sure that you give yourself plenty of time. in order to avoid
running out of time, start early and schedule plenty of time to write and
you will be calm to think as well. Work in 2 to 6 hour sessions spread
over multiple days. It is hard to stay productive past 6 hours. Start at
least a week before your paper is due.

THANK YOU!