Topics to Write an Op-Ed Essay On

Topics to Write an Op-Ed Essay OnPeople frequently ask me about the best topics to write an op-ed essay on. For a writing professor, the short answer is: it really depends.Writing for the Op-Ed page on your local newspaper or online website is an entirely different thing from writing for your high school English class. To write an effective op-ed is a lot different than writing a good essay, and it can be difficult to know where to start when you don't know how to approach the topic.When writing an essay, you are working to convince the reader that your ideas are correct, to show the reader that you are knowledgeable about the topic under discussion and to demonstrate your skills as a writer. When writing an op-ed, you are not convincing the reader that your ideas are right or that you have the knowledge to write a good piece of writing.Instead, you are trying to get someone to take action on a problem that you presented. By 'action' I mean 'vote for this candidate' or something simi lar. Writing an op-ed, in my opinion, is a whole different ballgame.First of all, the reader will want to understand what is being argued for by both sides. In many cases, we can only think about our side of the argument without considering the opposing point of view.Another important aspect of writing an op-ed is that you should show that you are knowledgeable about the topic. Without this knowledge, you cannot convince the reader that your opinions are correct. In other words, don't make the reader wait for you to let them know why you're right; you must make the reader think about the problem you are addressing, and the potential solutions to that problem.Finally, you should write well. If you do, no one else will. It's also not necessary to be a great writer; when writing an op-ed, you are trying to persuade others to act; it's in the writer's interest to appeal to the reader's emotions, not their logical reasoning.As a writing professor, I believe that learning to successfully write an op-ed is similar to learning how to write a persuasive essay. Though you will not get perfect results every time, it's a worthwhile exercise and will greatly improve your ability to write a persuasive piece of writing in the future.