If you choose a subject that piques your interest, you’re likely to put more time and effort into gathering information. If you’re given a list of topics to choose from and none appeals to you, opt for one that has some facet that interests you and use that as your subject. For example, if one topic is a broad, “discuss the advantages or disadvantages of delaying childbirth until 40,” and you’re bored by the topic of childbirth but interested in medicine, focus on the inherent medical problems a woman faces when getting pregnant at that age as a “disadvantage.”
Writing about a subject with which you have a basic familiarity gives you the advantage of knowing whether it’s going to fit within the framework of your essay. Instead of expending time and effort gathering information on a subject and realizing there are no pros and cons to argue or that the subject is too complex to be broken down into a one-sentence thesis, you’ll start out with a topic you know will fit the format dictated.
Distill your subject into the single argument upon which you’ll base your essay. The more specific your thesis, the easier it will be to flesh out your essay. Given the same childbirth prompt from section one, if you choose to focus on the psychological advantages of later-in-life childbirth, a thesis that's too broad offers so many arguments that your paper won’t have the specificity needed to present an in-depth look at the subject. A thesis that states, “there are advantages for women in postponing childbirth,” encompasses too much. Opting for a thesis such as “there are economic advantages for a woman who postpones childbirth,” allows you to list a number of examples and write about them in depth, leaving the reader with a working knowledge of the subject.
Once you’ve decided on a thesis, list your arguments in outline form and follow that outline as you write. Include your thesis in the opening paragraph; in each succeeding paragraph, supply the arguments that prove it. Each paragraph must focus on a single argument. The closing must reiterate your thesis and summarize your arguments.