tOpic List
We all have interests that spark our curiosity — topics or ideas that we find ourselves coming back to. But what would it look like to take that curiosity further? To dive deep, explore every angle, and imagine where that interest could lead you?
The Topic List exercise is an opportunity to feed your curiosity.
THE EXERCISE: Topic List
Create your topic list:
In this exercise you will be asked to come up with topics under different categories. These categories are inspired by Solai’s process of how she generates topic lists based on interactions with other people and her own curiosity. These categories include:
Frequently asked questions - These are questions Solai was asked regularly that she wanted to write about so she didn’t have to keep repeating herself.
Clarifying points - These were topics where she wanted to articulate what she stood for, or she had insight that could help other people make decisions.
Sense making - These were topics that she had developed a framework for and could be useful for people to refer to if they were doing the task for the first time. It also included topics that she found interesting and wanted to do more research on.
Visionary ideas - These were more novel ideas she had a view on that she wanted to share. They usually felt more risky to her because they were outside what people would expect from her.
You might find that you have topics that fit under multiple categories. Don’t worry about coding topics correctly, the purpose is to generate topics. Feel free to change categories so that they facilitate your own idea generation, or use the ‘Other’ column.
You will find a further breakdown of the activity here: Topic List template.
2. Expand your ideas: What am I actually going to write about?
After doing exercise one, you may have a list of broad topics. This exercise is an opportunity to refine each topic into discrete areas that could spark your writing.
Exercise: Imagine you’ve been asked to give a talk... Refer back to your list of topics and choose one topic you want to explore:
Start by brainstorming everything you’re curious or uncertain about within this topic. Write a list of all your questions and ideas.
For example, what questions would you love to investigate and answer in this talk?
What information do you already have that you could share with the audience?
By breaking down your broad topics in this way you will unearth additional interests or topics.
Add them to the Topic List template, or create your own template to keep track of your thoughts and ideas. You will want to keep referring back to and adding to your list.
3. 500 word piece #6:
Choose a topic or question or more that you are interested in exploring and use the prompting questions to guide your reflection:
Why are you interested in this question?
What are some anecdotes involving you and this interest?
What knowledge or insight do you have about this topic?
Why is it meaningful to you now?
Picture what your life might look like if this was a bigger part of your life? In five years time, what do you hope you’ll be saying about your career? What new opportunities might come your way? What if you pursued this topic fully and dedicated your life to it?
Once you’ve completed this exercise, you might want to move onto another interest and repeat the process. It’s an opportunity to explore all facets of your curiosity, so don’t hold back! And remember, the Topic List is a living document so keep adding to it. Revisit and update it regularly to reflect your evolving interest and insights. Refer back to it whenever you’re looking for inspiration.
Up next: The 3 Draft Method