First, it would be good to be familiar with the concept of persuasive writing. NESA defines persuasive writing as a type of writing where the main purpose is to present a particular point of view and persuade the reader/audience accordingly. A persuasive text aims to convince a reader of the strength of an argument/perspective through elements such as information, evidence, and critical analysis, as well as rhetorical, figurative and emotive language. The specific combination of elements to be used in a persuasive piece will depend on the nature of the main argument being presented. Arguments based on logic (i.e. rational arguments) will require you to clearly present factual information and evidence and connect them effectively to strengthen your overall argument, resulting in a good quality persuasive piece. On the other hand, arguments based on feelings/emotions, meaning that they seek to trigger an emotional response from the reader (i.e. emotional arguments) will require a focus on elements such as emotive language and may not rely as much on logic. A compelling emotional argument would successfully trigger the intended emotional reaction and would therefore lead to a good quality persuasive piece.
Second, you may wish to structure a persuasive piece similar to an essay. This means that it would contain the following components:
- An introductory part where you present your main argument/perspective regarding the topic
- Body paragraphs where you present and explain your main points in depth - This is also where you will be able to incorporate relevant techniques based on the texts that you have studied and the type of argument being made
- A concluding paragraph to briefly summarise your central argument and the main points that you made in your persuasive piece.
I hope this helps!