Choosing A Good Topic

The fact is, nearly any topic that you feel like writing about can make a good topic. But for your writing class, you need to make sure your approach to that topic matches your assignment. 

Topic Example: Bonfires on Five Mile Beach
Persuasive Paper: Bonfires on the beach should be allowed.
Research Paper:  Bonfires on the beach
Personal Essay Paper: I first decided to leave my girlfriend and go to college while sitting at a bonfire on the beach.
Humorous Paper: I first decided to leave my girlfriend and go to college while sitting at a bonfire on the beach.
Fiction: The hero was sitting at a bonfire on the beach when he got the call fro headquarters....

Whatever the assignment, take a moment (and improve your paper while saving yourself hours of frustration later!) by writing down a clear purpose statement now.

PROCESS:

  1. Brainstorm a bunch of ideas to work from. You may also look through the 250-topics list or hot topics for something that strikes you as interesting.
  2. Write out a clear purpose statement.  If you're writing a persuasive paper, make sure it has a clear persuasive purpose that indicates what readers should do after reading your paper. If you're writing a research paper, do you have a clear idea of what questions you will answer? If a personal essay, does it have a clear point that readers will understand and appreciate by the end of the paper?
  3. Will the scope (or focus) of the paper allow you to cover it in depth in ten to twelve pages?
  4. Does the topic have an aspect that will be interesting, valuable, and significant to your readers?

Don't start writing (or at least don't get so far in that you can't start over) without first making sure that your topic is going to work according to the above criteria.    If it doesn't seem to be working, you can either find a new topic or adjust your purpose, audience, or focus until you're satisfied.  You can also get input from peers or your instructor.

Want more ideas? Browse through over 250 topic ideas or the hot topics list. You'll also want to avoid illegal topics.

 

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