Brainstorming
Make a list...
... but don't check it twice. Don't check it at all. The purpose of brainstorming is to dump everything out of your head into a pile of possibilities. Critiquing comes later.
Where to start?
Every possible topic and angle is fair game at this point. Some general ideas might include the following:
- Experiences
- A journey or travel
- Best day
- Something that changed your life
- Achievements
- Something you are proud of
- A success story
- People
- A relative
- A friend
- A hero
- Ideas
- Favorite book
- Favorite school subject
- A topic or idea that fascinates you
- Your personality
- A quirky habit
- Your outlook on life
- Why you do the things you do
- Your personality
- A quirky habit
- Your outlook on life
- Why you do the things you do
- Pet peeves
- Eclectic
- Humor
- Poetry
- Multimedia (musical composition, comic strip, film)
- Fiction
- ??? Whatever makes you you ???
Think also about the negative of these possibilities -- for example, something you are ashamed of, rather than proud of.
Remember, your goal right now is simply to generate an enormous list of possible topics. The winnowing comes next.