Ideas for an Essay: How to Find a Strong Central Idea
How do you write a good essay? This guide gives a brief overview of how to find ideas for essay writing, especially for application essays. To succeed, you need to convince the reader that you're the candidate they are looking for. However, as you know, many other people are doing exactly the same thing, so you'll need to set yourself apart from the rest of the group.
Begin by assessing the situation. Remind yourself what's at stake and how much this essay means to you; this will make sure you don't do a half-hearted job. Now you are ready to start brainstorming ideas.
Finding the perfect idea for an essay
Brainstorming can be difficult, and unless you already know what to write about, this step can feel cumbersome. Still, it is hugely important, perhaps the most important step of all. Why? Because without a strong, clear central idea that ties all the threads together, the reader won't be able to follow your reasoning. How do you find this idea? Here are a few places to look.
Important aspects of your life
Think about some of the most important elements in your life, how they affect you and what they mean to you.
Had an epiphany lately?
If you've ever had an epiphany of some kind, it may deserve a mention in your essay. Readers love this sort of thing: the life-changing moment when you decided to become an "xyz" or to master the art of "xyz." Epiphanies are used a lot in film simply because audiences love them.
Past successes
Do you have any interesting success stories? A good success story can make or break an essay. Make sure you don't come across as boastful or arrogant. If you have an interesting success story, tell the full story and give credit where credit is due.
Past failures
Sometimes a good failure story can be even more persuasive than a success story, but only if you learned something from it. We all fail from time to time, sometimes on an epic scale. Discuss your failures not with pride (why be proud of failing?) but in the manner of a wise grandfather who tells his grandchildren about some of his mistakes to teach them an important lesson.
Ambitions
Why are you writing this essay to begin with? Talk about your ambitions passionately. If the passion doesn't show on paper, the reader will assume it doesn't exist off paper either, so make sure it stands out like a fire in the night.
Difficulties
Have you faced difficulties in your life worth mentioning? If so, make sure they are truly worth it (something more inspiring than struggling to open a jar of marmalade), and keep it brief and to the point. Nobody is interested in hearing about difficulties unless they serve a purpose.
The past, present and future
Think in terms of past, present and future. What interesting things happened in the past that you could write about? Perhaps events are happening right now, or will happen in the future, that you could use. Don't limit yourself to one of these; a good essay can contain all three.
More information
If you're still having trouble getting things on paper, read our guide on how to overcome writer's block, and visit our essay writing page for more help.