The shape of your essay will be largely determined by the complexity of the opposition's argument and the complexity of your own reasoning. You can start with the opposition's argument and all its evidence, then refute that argument, and finally present your own side with supporting evidence. Or you can use your projected organization to separate out important disputed points, and then follow with counterargument-refutation-argument on each point. Consider how well you can control the information at hand. If you have a lot of details to hang onto, the second version may prove most useful, since you tackle one issue at a time and need present pertinent information only about that issue.

Stating a strong argumentative thesis will be difficult unless you know precisely where you stand in the contention about the chosen issue. Once you have thought about the issue and come to a firm conclusion about it, and you have evidence to support and prove your claim, you are ready to write. Try stating your position aloud. How does it sound? Do you have a strong verb, or do you use a form of "to be"? Remember, you want to enter the argument in a rigorous, assertive fashion. Show the opposition that you know what you're talking about.

Of course, you will also need to provide the critical links, those connectors that tie your details to the thesis, which is a statement of your controlling argument. And you still need to think about voice and style. Try for a strong, assertive voice. If your voice is that of a doubter (you're not really sure you're right but you'll toss in the information anyway) or a wimp (you'll back off when the argument gets hot), your opponents will recognize right away that they have an easy victory. In a physical battle, posture tells a lot about the combatants. Your posture, shown through your voice and diction, will tell a lot about how serious you are. Don't, however, confuse strength with bluster; see Strategic Concessions.