Writing textbooks for English language learners frequently teach a paragraph pattern that is limited to topic sentence, support, and concluding sentence. Although beginning second language (L2) writers benefit from having a structured way to organize their ideas, as they advance, this type of writing can sound trite and uncritical. To provide a deeper understanding of how L2 learners can develop critical thinking skills in paragraph writing, this article presents empirical research on intermediate to advanced L2 writers enrolled in an 8-week intensive English program where they were taught how to use the TBSIR (topic, bridge, support, interpretation, return) framework. Using a double-blind rating approach, the study reveals that instruction in TBSIR positively impacts writing quality regardless of native language, suggesting that a writing framework with a rubric that includes critical thinking criteria provides developing writers with the guidance they need to move from banal and formulaic writing to more analytic and thoughtful prose.