The body of your paper will consist of evidence in support of your thesis. Sometimes a rough sketch is all you need to begin to organize your evidence. Ned Bishop, the student who wrote about Fort Pillow, used a simple list of questions as the blueprint for his paper. In the paper, the points in the list became headings that helped readers follow his line of argument.

What happened at Fort Pillow?

Did Forrest order the massacre?

Can Forrest be held responsible for the massacre?

Some writers prefer to start with a formal outline, perhaps using complete sentences. Other writers sketch an informal plan that organizes ideas in bold strokes.