Brainstorm possible ideas for your thesis proposal. Senior honors thesis proposals are often based on your original ideas about an existing book, collection of works or a specific genre (for example, poetry). Consider the following questions to guide you:
1. What English classes have I taken that I enjoyed?
2. Have I written any papers that I want to build upon?
3. What do I enjoy reading and thinking about the most?
Visit your university library to gather more information on your topic of interest. When you find a book, check the bibliography for additional helpful resources.
Read books and research articles on university databases. Write down what interests you about what you find.
Start your proposal with a question that you will answer over the course of your thesis. This question should be big enough and interesting enough to satisfy not only your reader's curiosity but your own.
Build on your introductory question by citing the existing literature on your topic. This will show the proposal committee that your project is feasible and worth arguing.
Add a time line for what you have to complete and when, so your English senior thesis is finished by the end of the academic school year. For example, you may want to have a solid draft by March if the final project is due in May so your readers have time to offer feedback.
Research the English faculty and name one or two people who might be interested in your project, if you don't yet have an adviser. Address your proposal to these people, in addition to the chair.
Complete the bibliography to attach to your proposal.
Edit and proofread the draft of your proposal. Make your sentences tighter, add more details and fill in any gaps.
Ask a classmate -- preferably one who is also majoring in English -- to look over your proposal to ensure clarity.
Make an extra copy for your records and submit the final proposal to the chair of the department, as well as potential readers before the fall of your senior year.