Generate Subtopics

Thesis subtopics do the following:

• Develop the thesis 
• Show up in introduction 
• Each subtopic is reproduced as a topic sentence of a body paragraph

To generate starter subtopics, use same pre-writing strategies:

• First, brainstorm a list or a cluster/web of parts of your largest definition.

• Then, narrow down to the 2-3 most important ideas you find should be addressed in order for outsiders to understand your thesis idea. 

• Because your first essay thesis is a definition,  view your subtopics as smaller parts of that largest definition. 
• Also, it helps that your 2-3 subtopics are closely related to each other in language. 

• Like a dictionary definition, try to "mix and match" your subtopics using different ways of defining. 
• However, it will also help if your 2-3 subtopics are closely related to each other in theme. 

Let's see how Anthony Bourdain could have done this if he were given our Essay 1 prompt:

Anthony Bourdain's thesis statement:

Food has always been a teacher in my life, showing me how to overcome faults like my sarcastic personality.

Listing things [food has taught me that help me overcome my sarcasm]...

1. Taught me to appreciate my parents and lifestyle
2. Taught me that strange doesn't mean bad
3. Taught me that pain is part of life
4. Taught me that being humble is important
5. Taught me that it takes effort/action to be a success
6. Cooking is not simple, even when it appears so.
7. ...

Subtopic Choices...made into body paragraph topic sentences:

1. The first lesson food taught me was to realize how privileged my life was growing up, with parents who saw food as more than just fuel.  
2. When I was around twenty, another way cooking educated me was...(finish it using the list!)