Help! I've got writer's block and I can't get out!

Well this isn't much help so far...

So... For the rest of the semester, my English teacher will have me working a research paper that will basically be my final. The paper has to be about a controversial topic, but cannot be about legalization of marijuana (because my professor is tired about reaching such papers), abortion, or climate change.

I'm drawing a blank, would anyone happen to have a suggestion?

Truthseeker4449 wrote:So... For the rest of the semester, my English teacher will have me working a research paper that will basically be my final. The paper has to be about a controversial topic, but cannot be about legalization of marijuana (because my professor is tired about reaching such papers), abortion, or climate change.

I'm drawing a blank, would anyone happen to have a suggestion?

Hah! Looks like English professors all over the nation are sick of hearing arguments for legalizing pot. It's the same way here.

Anyway, I'd say just think of a topic that you have a firm stance on, that really riles you up when people talk about it. Like for example, I'm in a Speech Communication class and I'm composing a speech on why people should stop using Adblock. Obviously not as hot a topic as something like gun control, which is another issue that really makes me mad, but I don't have much of an argument to back up my instincts when it comes to that subject, so I decided against it. You see what I'm saying?

Hmmm...a research paper...
Topics I could think of include:
Religion in schools
The problems with political parties
Border control
Anti/Feminism
Racism in America


Mmm that's a few ideas I can think of right now. , thoguh I wouldn't be surprised if someone is tired of hearing about these issues with what's been in the news for the past year or so.

An idea I have: Controversial or violent video games.

something you might be interested in:

self driving cars
using computers in cars, exposing cars to being hackable
the test to determine how much pollution a car makes which is needed to get the car legalized in some states being lax to the point most cars can pass despite releasing too much pollutants

or volkswagon cheating on their emissions tests to try to get their engines seen as more efficient and less pollutiony

Hey Jack, it doesn't help with my professor has gotten a few papers where the strongest piece of evidence in their essays is "My friends and I have been using marijuana for years and we're not addicted." :P

Burnin' Bunnies wrote:
Religion in schools

*snaps fingers*

That's right, the last one isn't climate change, it's religion in general.

Spiky Nopon wrote:something you might be interested in:

self driving cars
using computers in cars, exposing cars to being hackable
the test to determine how much pollution a car makes which is needed to get the car legalized in some states being lax to the point most cars can pass despite releasing too much pollutants

Hmm... I'll start looking into some of these, but I will go ahead and mention that in Virginia, if you live in a mostly rural county, then you don't need an emissions test. Most of Virginia's counties do not require emissions.

or volkswagon cheating on their emissions tests to try to get their engines seen as more efficient and less pollutiony

Doing an essay on this would be primarily a reportive kind of thing, ideally the essay topic should be something to which there are valid arguments to both sides. Also I feel this topic is still too new, finding seven good sources of material on this topic might be hard.

1) Should cars be regulated to have a specific mpg for the sake of the environment or not
2) Is wind power a viable source of alternative energy for the long-term
3) Whether rape culture exists or not
4) Whether cloning is ethical or not (or should it be allowed or not)
5) Whether capital punishment is effective/ethical/both
6) Whether euthanasia/assisted suicide should be legalized throughout America
7) Whether the drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 in America.

Just a few that came off the top of my head.

I personally would pick a topic that is rather specific so you can solidly prove your point, rather than a topic that is so broad it is difficult to properly defend it (especially if there is a page limit). Then again, it depends how long your paper is supposed to be.

Dark Magician Girl wrote:1) Should cars be regulated to have a specific mpg for the sake of the environment or not

I can tell you right now, MPG and emissions are not always directly related to each other, particularly in a diesel. Emissions equipment can actually lower MPG (at one point we were seeing fuel economy being slashed in half) as well as longevity of the vehicle. Though as far as I can tell, it is getting better over time as the industry irons out the kinks in the systems.

2) Is wind power a viable source of alternative energy for the long-term  
3) Whether rape culture exists or not
4) Whether cloning is ethical or not (or should it be allowed or not)
5) Whether capital punishment is effective/ethical/both
6) Whether euthanasia/assisted suicide should be legalized throughout America
7) Whether the drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 in America.

Just a few that came off the top of my head.

I personally would pick a topic that is rather specific so you can solidly prove your point, rather than a topic that is so broad it is difficult to properly defend it (especially if there is a page limit). Then again, it depends how long your paper is supposed to be.

Thank you I'll consider these as well.

That lovely moment when you sit down to write a paper you think will be a piece of cake, and you draw a blank. My topic is dividing high school students into groups based upon my experiences.

Truthseeker4449 wrote:That lovely moment when you sit down to write a paper you think will be a piece of cake, and you draw a blank. My topic is dividing high school students into groups based upon my experiences.

well first of all uve got the NERDS, by far the best group, actually the only GOOD group in high school cuz every1 else is JERKS. teh NERDS are actually NICE and TOLERANT of differences and most of all super way more INTELLIGENT than anyone else cuz we watch AMINE and play COMPETETIVE POKEMON.

next uve got the JOCKS, but us nerds call them JERKS hahaha cuz they are!!! jocks are so dumb cuz they work out and play sports and take care of their bodies well and us nerds dont NEED hat! most unfortunately it seems that GIRLS havent wised up and realized that NERDS are thebest but they go out with JOCKS like RUCK OFF TAYLOR!!!!

next ve got GOTHS, who are trying rally hard to be NERDS but theyre not COOL enough!!!! goths try to like the same things as nerds but for example they only listen to MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE but us NERDS listen to REAL metal like TOOL and DREAM THEATER. goths also always wear make-up even the boys which is SO GAY, not that being gay is a bad thing cuz NERDS are smarter than that but still thats so GAY right????

EMOS are basically just goths.

finally uve got GIRLS. these GIRLS (i spell it with allcaps and bold and underline and italics cuz i know how to do that!!!!) are totally illogical creatures, hardly even human cuz theyre so WEIRD!!!! and when you ask them out they just say NO unless ure a JOKC and then they STOP messaging you BACK FUCK YOU STEPHANIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh, the girls... Once you start to look a little closer at their relationships, you would most likely be horrified to find that more than a few are downright nasty. Particularly in middle school it seems. It's really bad once they think they won't get caught, like after getting off the bus with no parents around. If punching another guy in the groin puts you lower than a snake, then I would put quite a few girls at least one level below that.

Truthseeker4449 wrote:Ugh, the girls... Once you start to look a little closer at their relationships, you would most likely be horrified to find that more than a few are downright nasty. Particularly in middle school it seems. It's really bad once they think they won't get caught, like after getting off the bus with no parents around. If punching another guy in the groin puts you lower than a snake, then I would put quite a few girls at least one level below that.

I mean, I was being sarcastic throughout that whole thing, but in a passive-aggressive sort of way, so I know what you mean. :P I mean, if the "end-goal" is supposed to be finding somebody who's "right" for you, what chance do you have of ever finding someone who both 1) is The One, and 2) lives within like driving distance of you? Oh, and add 3) is attractive to that while you're at it. Though I'm not endorsing Internet relationships here, since I hope many of us here have forgotten how swimmingly that went for me. Blegh.

Oh. Well I'm still submitting my two cents.