Ever feel
the anxiety of starting a paper? You have a topic, but have no idea of where to
begin. You don’t have a topic, and need to decide on one for your next writing
assignment. Here are a few tips on how to start a paper.
The first
step to take, as with any endeavor, is to sit down and think. Think about the
things that interest you. What kinds of topics are exciting? What topics
aren’t?
If you
can’t think of a topic off hand, then take a stroll through a library, or surf
the internet, or peruse a newspaper. There are a myriad of sources of which to
find topic ideas. Specifically look for controversial issues or other ideas
that you feel you can research and discuss.
If you feel
bogged down by indentifying issues or topics in those manners, talk to a friend
or even your professor. More than likely they can help generate some ideas that
you will enjoy writing about.
Always remember to give the
thinking process a little time. Don’t become despondent or upset if you can’t
identify a topic to write about. Something will come along, and if all else
fails, you can always look back to your list and choose a topic.
Once I have a few ideas, I often
find myself creating a list with all the possible topic ideas I have thought
of. From there, I choose a few that I really think I can discuss. After I have
a shorter list, maybe about 2-4 topics, I then create a sub list of points that
I can discuss about each topic.
It’s also important not to be
overwhelmed by a topic. Most likely, the topic you choose will be
multidimensional and have many facets of which to discuss. That is not a
problem. The practice you can get from writing is deciding what does and what
does not belong in your paper. What is most likely going to happen is that you
are to write about some specific detail or issue on a larger topic. For
example, you’re most likely not going to be writing a complete autobiography or
history of an event or issue, but you will write about an important aspect of
it.
When you
have your topic settled, go! Start writing. Start with any idea that pops in
your head about the topic or look at the sub list you created about it. Design
your paper or just write. It all depends on your style and voice. Make the best
of it, and rock the writing world!
