Responding to "Choosing a Topic"

Brainstorming is a crucial step when picking a topic thats interests you. While it can be daunting to start out, there are many different ways to get your ideas rolling. In the chapter "Choosing a Topic Through Basic Research", it lists 5 different ways one can get started.

The first method of brainstorming it lists is doing some initial reading online by looking up different topics of interest. This will help you to get a better idea of what you could write about and how you could extend your ideas even further. The second method it lists is talking to people. It can be helpful to vocally explain and work through your potential ideas, as well as, have another persons option and input. The third method is simply making a list of anything and everything. Some examples they give are pet peeves, things you're curious about, things you don't understand, etc. The goal of making the list is so that eventually you will start to think of some less obvious and more unique topics. The fourth method is similar to making a list, but it takes it a step further to free writing. This will help you to get all your thoughts out on paper without the pressure of having it to be perfect. Last method is making a mind map. This is a more creative/visual approach where one has their central idea and then they start making branches off of it to smaller and smaller topics that relate to the central topic.

Reading about the different methods for brainstorming helped me to see that there is a method for just about everyone. Whether you're more of a visual person, vocal person, find inspiration from others, there is a method that will work for you.

I feel the best way to chose a topic is to talk it out with someone. When you can talk with someone about your ideas, you will get a better idea on if the topic is the right one, and you will have a second opinion (or more). This is also a great way to avoid choosing a topic/question that you might already know the answer to. When talking about it with someone, you might discover that you actually do know a lot about what you are talking about and can even start discussing a different idea that would work better.