Choosing an Essay Topic

Steps for Choosing a Writing Topic

1. Within the discipline you need to write the paper on, choose something interesting to you. If you cannot find anything that interests you, try searching for a topic that looks more interesting than others.
2. Analyze the chosen topic. You need to figure out whether the topic is broad or narrow. A broad topic is one that does not provide you with specific information about what you need to write about. For example, the topic “Minerals on Mars” is an extremely broad topic, because it is unclear whether you need to write about all mineral deposits across the entire planet of Mars, or if you should focus only on crystalline minerals, or whether you should prove something true or wrong, and so on. A narrow topic provides you with a clue of what and how to write. For example, “Methane deposits on Mars as a source of fuel for Earth industries” is easier to write a paper about than a general topic.
3. Make sure there are sources from which you can retrieve information on the topic of your choice. Even when your topic is narrow, if there are no materials on it, it will be impossible to write about.

Key Points to Consider

1. Besides a topic being interesting personally to you, it should also match another important requirement, which is, “How much do you know about this topic?” An interesting topic can be so difficult that you may not write a single word, even if you are craving to do so. Therefore, choose carefully and make sure you know something about the topic of your choice.
2. It is alright to reuse a topic you have already written a paper on. Just try approaching it from a different angle; for instance, if you wrote a persuasive essay against abortions, try writing a persuasive pro-abortion paper.
3. Asking your teacher for a hint or a piece of advice on what topic is better to write about is a prudent idea.
4. Choosing offbeat topics for the thrill of it is not good, because the more uncommon the topic is, the more difficult it will be for you to find sources.

Do and Don’t

Common Mistakes

– Choosing a boring topic because it is easy to write about. Being bored with the topic means writing a boring essay.
– Not narrowing a topic down and trying to write a paper about a “minerals-on-Mars” kind of topic.
– Reusing an old topic, but writing a paper from exactly the same perspective as the previous time.

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