Choose your topic by identifying a person or event that has influenced you. Look for examples that taught you something or changed the way you look at life. English instructor Kate Sweeney suggests writing about a time you behaved in an uncharacteristic way, a mentor who had a positive or negative effect on you, or a person who inspired strong feelings -- such as anger, hurt or envy -- in you.
Draft a thesis statement that states your topic and explains its significance. If you want to write about your father, you might initially write: My father had many positive effects on me.
Narrow your thesis so that it clearly states your conclusions about your topic, what you learned or realized because of a person or event. "Positive effects" is too broad to cover in a short essay, and it is vague. Replace broad, vague phrasing with more specific wording. A stronger thesis might read: My father taught me that laughter, fighting fairly and a weekly gift of flowers are the three qualities critical to a strong marriage.
Evaluate your thesis to see if it passes the "so what?" test. A strong thesis should give readers a new way of looking at the topic and may contradict commonly held beliefs. Avoid writing a thesis everyone already knows or agrees with. If other people could disagree with your conclusions or might have come to a different insight than you did, then you will have a more interesting, significant thesis.