Bird by Bird Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. On the first day of class, Anne tells her students that good writing is about telling the truth. What kind of attitude do the students have the first few days? How does their attitude change in the following days? Why does their attitude change?

2. A feeling Anne suffers from throughout the book is paranoia. In Part 1 Writing, Section 1 Getting Started, what does Anne tell her students about paranoia and the other painful feelings? She goes on to read a poem by Phillip Lopate about paranoia. What are...
(read more)