Do you have to write an essay?
Are you stuck for ideas?
Have no fear. Here’s a strange way to get ideas for essays: Use your initials.
That’s right. Use the initials from your first and last name as a jumping-off point.
How I did it
Take a look at the image below. I began with my initials (S. W.) and then thought of other things that begin with SW (Sam Walton, Steve Wozniak, and so forth). Samwise and somewhere have “SW” in them, so I used those as well. From there, I branched out into other ideas and actually found some interesting topics to write about.
Click here to download a copy of my chart.
Now it’s your turn: Put the initials from your first and last name in the middle of a piece of paper and then think of something else that begins with those letters. From that one idea, let other ideas come to you and put them in other circles.
Your ideas will flow in this direction: SW > Sam Walton > What qualities made him successful?
Starting with your own initials is a good idea because you are most familiar with those letters. When you tire of those, try someone else’s initials: Donald Duck, Tony Stark, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy, Wolfgang Mozart, Lionel Messi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, and so forth.
I think you’ll be surprised at how easily this will give you ideas for essays.
You don’t actually have to write any essay from these ideas today. This is just for practice . . . I mean, for fun.
