Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just write about any topic you wanted? Well, that sounds good. In reality, that can be more difficult than you imagine. Sometimes the freedom of choice can be overwhelming. The pressure is on to find an interesting topic, then to wow your readers with what you write. It’s also challenging to find a topic when the subject matter is boring, or if you struggle with it.
How do you find an essay topic that is relevant to you, that allows your knowledge to shine through, and that keeps your audience interested. Most importantly, how do you choose a topic that impresses your instructor?
Fortunately, there are a few tips to help students struggling to find a great topic. Keep reading to learn more.
Find a Connection to The Subject Matter
The more you know, the better you can relate, the easier it is to write me an essay. If you can find some way to connect with the subject matter, choose an essay topic that allows you to work with that. This includes:
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A topic you have experienced or have prior knowledge of
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A figure that you relate to
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Something you’ve written about in the past
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An emotional connection
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Something that you know
Even if the overall subject matter is boring or difficult, you can through the writing process much easier if you can find a way to connect your personal life to it.
Look For a Story
Generally, essays or based on fact. Still, it can help to think like a fiction writer. Ask yourself, if you were to write a story or movie script, what would you write about? This can help you to identify the most interesting people, places, and events.
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Order your essayLikewise, you can also think like a journalist. What would you do if you were covering the story for the local paper. What would be your breaking news? Again, this can help you to find the most interesting topic possible.
Narrow Down Broad Topics
Essays can be difficult to write. Worse, many are difficult to read. They drone on and on, or they just don’t get into any really interesting detail. Oftentimes, this is because the writer chose a topic that was too broad.
Chances are, your essay isn’t going to teach anyone very much if it is too general. You also won’t find much that is interesting to delve into. Here is a rule of thumb. If you find that you can go on and on for pages, and have difficulty bringing your essay to a close, your topic may be too broad. Try to narrow in on something that’s a bit more specific.
Connect Too-Small Topics Together
Now the opposite problem! If you’ve ever ran out of words too soon, chances are your topic was too narrow. Perhaps you focused on an event that wasn’t quite significant enough for an entire essay. When you run out of things to say, or find yourself working too hard to meet your minimum word count, step back. Take a new look at your topic. Then see if you can take a broader view.
For example, imagine that you are writing about a civil war skirmish. It’s interesting, but even with every bit of detail filled in, it’s still not enough. So, it’s time to think of ways that you can connect another related topic. Perhaps there’s another event that happened immediately before or after this one.
Choose a Topic You Can Research
Your topic may seem perfect, but if you can’t conduct the research you need you’re going to struggle. After all, do you really want to wade through the stacks finding obscure research material just to write an essay? Of course you don’t!
When you pick a topic, do a little test run. See how easily you can find the sources you need. If you can’t, just move on to something else.
Check The News
How do you write something interesting? Write about what impacts people. Write about topics that people care about. Check the news! Check trending topics on Twitter and Facebook. Pull your topics right from the headlines. This way your essays will generate plenty of interest.
Even better, current topics are often easiest to research. All of the sources you need are online, and recent. There’s no worry about using stale or outdated information.
Conclusion: Avoid Taking The Easiest Topic
We get it. You’re busy with academics activities. You may even work or have a family to support as well. Sometimes you want a break from the academic stress. It’s tempting to pick the easiest topic possible.
Don’t do that. Get help if you must, but don’t take the lazy way out with your topic. If you do, your essay will be insipid. Worse, your professor will note your lack of effort.