Writing Center

Northern State University

Choosing Topics

Sometimes choosing a topic can be the hardest part of writing a paper. You may feel that nothing interests you or that you don’t know enough about any one subject to come up with two (or three or even ten) pages of written material on that subject. The following guidelines should help you choose topics more easily and effectively.

1. Make sure you understand the assignment clearly before you attempt to choose a topic.

If you don’t understand the assignment, you will probably have difficulty coming up with a topic.You may even choose a topic that won’t work for that particular assignment, so if you have questions, talk to your instructor.

2. Once you understand the assignment, ask yourself if there is any topic related to the assignment that you are already familiar with and/or want to know more about

In other words, choose a topic that interests you in some way. If you aren’t interested in your topic, you’ll have more difficulty motivating yourself to complete the assignment.

3. If you can’t think of anything, spend some time “brainstorming” for ideas. You can do this in several ways:

A. You can freewrite about the assignment.

In other words, you can simply write about whatever comes into your mind regarding the assignment. Don’t worry about whether or not your ideas make sense or whether they’re grammatically correct. At this point, you simply want to get your thoughts on paper. After you’ve written for ten or fifteen minutes, go back and read what you wrote, looking for anything that interests you or simply “catches your eye.” Then write for ten or fifteen minutes on that subject, and so on. At some point, you will probably find a topic that you could use for your assignment.

B. You can use a clustering exercise.

This technique is also called “mapping” or “webbing.” Begin by drawing a circle in the middle of a blank piece of paper. Then write down a few words about the assignment in that circle. For example, if you had to write a compare/contrast paper, you might write down“compare/contrast” in the circle. If you had to write a paper about some aspect of the Clinton impeachment process, you might write “Clinton impeachment process” in the circle. Then start “branching out” from your center circle. Write down any ideas that come to mind in other circles, connecting them to the first circle with a straight line. Once a particular topic interests you, you can branch out from that topic to come up with additional ideas.

C. You can use reference materials or the Internet to search for topics.  Spend some time looking through a magazine/newspaper or “surfing” the Internet for topics.  However, if you use information from an outside source, be sure to cite it!

4.  If you’re still struggling or if you have any questions, speak with your instructor or visit the Writing Center (Dacotah Hall 209).

Both your instructor and the tutors at the Writing Center would be happy to sit down and discuss ideas with you.

5. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for help!

The longer you put off the assignment, the more difficulty you will have completing it.

6. Once you have chosen your topic, check to make sure it fits the guidelines of the assignment.

By doing this, you can be sure you are on your way to successfully completing the assignment.