As all of us know, we are given with 8-11 topics and we have to chose one out of them. We may know one or more than one topics and may be confused. How to we make sure that Yes! I have to write on this very topic? Because in my mock exam in academy, I chose to write about "Democracy has a disadvantage of merely counting votes and not weighing them" and eventually failed. I was told that everything (language, material etc) was fine but topic was not justified as it should be, and there were so many other topics like global warming, and few argumentative topics as well. how not to fall prey of our 'false' imagination?

Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks any writer has is choosing a topic to write about. Whether you are writing a personal essay or a scientific report, it’s important to start by reading the assignment carefully. Once you know what the instructor is looking for, you can begin to play with various topic ideas.

Start With What You Know
Don’t try to tackle a topic you know nothing about. Begin with a subject you have an interest in or want to learn more about. On the other hand, don’t choose a topic in which you feel you are already an expert.

Writing should be a process of inquiry. An essay written by someone who already knows everything before he even starts writing will be boring and uninspired. You should approach a paper topic with a sense of examination. You are exploring the topic as you write. This makes for an appealing essay that will interest both you and your readers.

Brainstorming
This can also be called a “brain dump.” Write down a long list of topics that you might like to write about. Don’t censor yourself, and don’t make any judgments as you go along. You can write absolutely anything you can think of. At this point, nothing is off limits. Actually write your list on a piece of paper. Thinking about topics will not work because you will get distracted and your mind will wander.

Asking Questions
Choose a few topics from your brainstorm list and create a list of questions about your topics. What do you want to know about them? What are you curious about? Approach each potential topic with an inquisitive mind. Pretend you are a 6-year-old who has a sense of wonder about the world. Ask why. How come? What does it all mean?

Freewriting
At this point, you should have a couple of topics that you definitely want to know more about. Choose one or two of these topics and do a five-minute freewrite on each of them.

This technique is also called fastwriting, and it’s a great way to get your thoughts on paper. Freewriting, as the name implies, is writing without thinking. You just put your pen to paper and start writing about anything that comes to mind. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation, don’t censor yourself, and don’t stop writing until the time is up. If you go off topic, don’t worry about it. Just go where your mind takes you. This can be an exhilarating experience.

Narrowing Your Topic
Once you have done a sufficient “brain dump” of your thoughts and ideas, it’s time to choose a topic. Look over your brainstorm list, your list of questions, and your freewriting exercises. Choose the topic that you find most interesting and one that fits best with your assignment. Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to narrow the topic to a workable level.

If you chose “global warming,” for instance, you probably can’t tackle that subject in a five-page essay. Narrow down the topic to “recycling on campus” or “going ‘green’ on a budget.” The better job you do with narrowing your topic, the easier it will be to research and draft a well-written essay.



I guess this is enough to choose an essay But it shouldn't take less than 7 minutes and more than 12 minutes......according to my view point

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“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”

bother kia brain storming ke through jo points hamary zahain ma ay gy on ko hum answer sheet ke kisi page pr likh skty hain??? kia ye koi bad impression to ni dy ga

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Main ne Allah ko Apny irado ke tootany se pehchana":Hazrat Ali (RA)"

Use can use a lead pencil for this purpose. After you finalize your essay write neat outline. Do not write neat outline before starting introduction. Because many new aspects come in ones mind and it becomes difficult to rearrange the outline again if its already written with pen.
Allah Nighaban o Nasir

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" None are more hopelessly enslaved, than those, who falsely believe that they are free"
Goethe

Jo topics aate hain un ko aik page pe likh ke aankhen band kar den aur 10 baar durood sharif parhte hue un pe ungli ghumayen, aakhri durood ke baad aankhen kholen aur ungli rok den, jo topic saamne aaye us pe likhna shroo kar den aur baqi Allah pe chor den .

Mere khayal main sab se pehle essay ke type ko pehchanna zaroori hai ke yeh Descriptive essay hai, yaa argumentative hai, yaa narrative hai waghera waghera. Take for example topics relating to terrorism.

Agar exam main yeh aaye "War on terrorism has ruined Pakistan", yeh clear hai ke yeh argumentative essay hai aur aap kee writing ke base yeh hogi ke aap is statement se agree karte hain yaa disagree. aap kee soch ko us time usi lihaaz se chalna chahiye ke aap apne stance ko kis tarah prove karen ge, jaise ke agar aap is se agree karte hain to points aise banayen ke jaise "haan war on terror kee waja se hamari economy ko itna nuqsaan hua, hamare shahroon main tashadud barh gaya, hamara muashra disturb aur divide ho gaya" waghera waghera, aur agar aap statement se disagree karte hain to woh points likhen, us ke illawa aur kuch na likhen ke jaise "taliban zalim hain, america bara terrorist hai, war on terror pe hamari aur amreeki hukoomat sahi policy nahin deteen, aik 9/11 ke baad amreeki sab ke peeche par gaye hain" waghera waghera .

Agar exam main sirf "War on terror" aa jaye to zahir hota hai ke yeh descriptive essay hai. Descriptive essay main aap ko koi arguments nahin dene aur apni soch kaa nahin batana, to is ke liye apne dimaagh main kahani chalana shroo kar den ke jaise "9/11 pe america main hamla hua, us ke baad preemptive strikes kee policy bani, musharraf ko force kiya gaya, aur phir yeh hua woh hua, aur is war kee waja se yeh nuqsan hua yaa yeh faida hua" waghera waghera .

Is tarah se type ko identify kar ke rough page pe brainstorming karen aur dekhen ke aap kis topic ko handle kar sakte hain aur phir woh choose karen. Mere khayal main descriptive essay ko attempt karna ziada aasan hoga.

That would be my strategy . Seniors plz tell if that is correct strategy cuz I have formulated it on my own without any guidance .

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The precondition for existence of a higher humanity is not the state, but the nation possessing the necessary ability.