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Twenty Successful Process Essay Topic Ideas For College Students


So you were assigned to write a process essay? Maybe you are wondering what you should write about. There are a few considerations when developing a topic for a process essay, but the most important is deciding what type of process paper you want or need to write: a paper that explains how to do something or an essay that explains how something works.

The first step in writing a successful process paper is determining what type of process paper you will write. If you are writing a process paper that explains how to do something, you will need to write an explanation that is clear enough that your readers will be able to replicate the process. In other words, you are giving your audience well-defined directions for your chosen process.

On the other hand, if you are writing a process paper that explains how something works, you will be informing your readers about the process. While readers will not be able to replicate the process, they may be able to observe it (or its results) and should be able to understand it based on your description of the process that takes place.

The second step in writing a successful process paper is choosing your topic! If you choose to write an essay that explains how to do something, you will be writing a directive process paper. Here are ten ideas for successful directive process papers:

  1. How to plant a garden
  2. How to repair a computer
  3. How to beat a specific level or enemy on a video game ment
  4. How to make the perfect brownies
  5. How to survive without technology for one week
  6. How to sell something on eBay or Etsy
  7. How to learn a new foreign language quickly
  8. How to organize your bedroom closet
  9. How to train for a marathon
  10. How to pay for college without taking out student loans

On the other hand, if you are writing an essay explaining how something works, you will want to find a topic for an informative process essay. Here are ten ideas for successful informative process essays:

  1. How photosynthesis works
  2. How jurors are selected for a trial
  3. How stalagmites form
  4. How an instant camera works
  5. How the human heart functions
  6. How an egg becomes a chicken
  7. How a canyon is formed
  8. How a star forms a black hole
  9. How GPS (global positioning system) works
  10. How does sleep deprivation affect cognitive function

After you choose your topic, you are ready to write your process paper! Whether you are writing a directive process paper (how to do something) or an informative process paper (how something works), you will need to provide detailed steps for the process while anticipating audience needs (such as definitions of terminology), organize the process chronologically and step-by-step, use description and narration, and transition between steps. Finally, if you are writing a directive process paper, do the process yourself to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything (especially if your process is how to make the perfect brownie).