by Lucy E. Zahnle

Created on: October 21, 2009

Choosing an Essay Topic

An essay topic is what your paper is about generally. A thesis statement is a single sentence that states what you want to say about your topic. For instance, if an essay paper topic is "Cats," then the thesis statement might be "Cats are smarter than dogs." A thesis statement is easier to create after you have decided on a topic. The best place to look for topics is usually within your own life.

The most effective essays explain grand scale ideas with small-scale examples. For instance, you could write an example essay discussing the meaning of life using the scenario of watching a small child sleep or a narrative essay discussing the worth of self-sacrifice by telling about a mother who works three jobs to put her child through school. You don't have to write about lofty things to write interesting essays.

When you need to come up with an essay topic, brainstorming with family or friends and freewriting can be excellent tools. If you are having problems deciding on an essay topic, sit down with friends or family, explain what kind of essay you want to write, then brainstorm with them about things that have happened in your life that might work for a given essay type. Share any notes or thoughts you may have on your proposed essay and write down any ideas, memories, or details your team generates. Not every idea the group produces will be helpful, so you will have to go through your notes later and cross out anything that is not relevant.

Understanding how to approach specific kinds of essays will also make the essay writing process easier. Although there are at least a dozen different types of essays, the most commonly assigned essays in high school or college are the narrative essay, the example essay, the process essay, and the comparison essay.

The narrative essay provides a thesis statement and tells a story that proves to the readers that the thesis statement is true. Life experiences work well as topics for narrative essays. For instance, you could have a thesis statement about not underestimating a child and tell a story about some way in which your child surprised you.

In an example essay, a thesis statement is presented; then examples are provided to prove the thesis statement. A thesis statement for an example essay might discuss whether a spouse or significant other has supported you (or not supported you) during a difficult or busy time. In your essay's body, you would give specific examples of the quality of that support.

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