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Selecting a Topic

Use the following strategies to select specific topics that truly interest you. Learn which strategies work best for you.

Journal Writing

Write regularly in a journal or notebook, reflecting on your experiences. From time to time, review your entries and underline ideas you would like to explore further. (See pages 129–134.)

Clustering

Write down and circle a word or phrase related to your assignment. Then cluster words around the nucleus word and connect them. After clustering for a few minutes, you will begin to sense an emerging writing idea.