​How to choose a topic for an essay?

Choosing an essay topic can put your writing process on hold for a long time, because you just don't know what you're going to write about. Apart from the case when the exact topic of the essay is formulated by your teacher, the choice of the topic can be reduced to narrowing down the direction given by the teacher, choosing from the suggested list of topics or "free floating".​ 

Options for clarifying the topic​

• ​Narrowing the set direction​

The first of the mentioned cases implies that you have been given some general direction. For example, write an essay on the culture of Yekaterinburg. Such a topic is too broad and requires you to narrow it down to a single issue. Suppose, having visited this glorious city, you made a trip along the "Red Line" and now have the idea of opening a similar tourist route in your city. Then you can formulate a theme, for example: "The creation of the "Red Line" in Kostroma". At the same time, your work itself can be devoted to what objects of the city can be domywriting​​ in this route, or what benefits the city will receive after the creation of the "Red Line".​

Pay attention to who exactly you are writing the essay for. An ordinary paper to be handed in to a university teacher will be quite different from the essay it will pass mcessay review​​, which is handed in when you enter an educational institution, a literary circle or when you get a job. What does the person who is going to read your essay expect from you? Demonstration of originality, ability to reason competently and beautifully, professional qualities or something else?​

• Selecting from a list of topics

This option is simpler than the previous one, but it requires you to analyze what you know best or would like to know. When choosing a topic from the list given by the teacher, assess what knowledge and experience you already have on a particular topic. What authorial position would you take on the topic?

• Lack of theme

The third case is the complete absence of any topic. This option is the most difficult in terms of choice, but it literally opens the door to the world, allowing you to write about what you want. To avoid drowning in this ocean of possibilities, first determine what you are most interested in. What do you think about most often? What catches your attention to the point where you forget about everything else? What would you like to improve about your community, your city, and the things around you?

Once you have decided on a direction, find out what you like best. Some people like to vividly describe some events, places, interesting people, amazing things, others like to analyze, others like to write about themselves, and the fourth would prefer to criticize what they don't like. Depending on this, your essay will be descriptive, analytical, reflective, critical, or something else.

Combine a topic of interest to you with the type of essay, sketch out a few variations on the topics. What is important at this stage is not the exact wording of the topic, but understanding the essence of the problem and the potential of solving it.

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