Definition of Persuasive Writing

Have you ever been hanging out with a group of friends and suddenly decided you all wanted to go grab dinner? Trouble is, you’re all in the mood for different kinds of food. One person wants pizza, another wants burgers, and you really, really want Chinese. Someone has to step up and convince the others, and you decide that person is you. But, if you want to succeed, you’re going to have to really persuade your friends that Chinese food is the best choice.

This concept of persuasion works the same way in writing as it does in casual conversation. Authors use persuasive writing to change the minds of their audience about a specific topic. Persuasive writing is a type of non-fiction writing used to convince the reader to agree with the author about an issue. The author will rely heavily on facts to express their opinion and use them in an argumentative type of writing style.

When using persuasive writing, the author should never express their personal opinions, but instead should use facts to convince the reader to agree with them. In some cases, the author will present information to the reader about two sides of an argument. This is done to show the reader that they have thought about both sides and helps the writer shut down any counterargument that the reader may have about the issue. This type of writing style is commonly found in argumentative essays, articles, scripts for commercials and political campaigns, just to name a few.