1. How to organize an EXCELLENT paragraph

2. Start with a topic sentence
Topic sentence = a sentence that explains what you are going to write about. 
It should have a subject, a verb, and a controlling idea.
Not so good: Today I am going to tell you all about Sherman Alexie.
Better: Sherman Alexie is one of today’s best known Native American authors.

3. Next, add supporting sentences.
Supporting sentences = more information about your topic. 
One way to do this is to imagine your topic sentence as a question and then ask yourself:  How can I prove this is true?  What examples can I give?
Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. He knew from a young age he wanted to be a writer, and he used his experiences as inspiration for his novels and short stories. The main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is loosely based on Alexie himself. Alexie’s latest collection of short stories is titled Blasphemy. He visited Missoula last October to read and discuss this work.

4. End with a concluding sentence
Conclusion = an ending sentence that sums up your information.
Although Alexie struggled in his early life, he became extremely successful and influential in the literary world.