In school, most of us were taught about the thesis statement. This statement is supposed to be the anchor of any written work, providing direction and focus to the entire piece. It typically shows up at the end of your introduction, stating the main idea you want to get across with the words to come. For anyone well-versed in the intricacies of academic writing, it seems impossible to write a piece without a thesis statement. But, is it possible?

Sometimes, a particular topic will come along where there are so many possible paths to take, so many different directions to explore. As I ponder the question, what is my thesis statement for this, I could find myself lost in a sea of ideas, a cacophony of thoughts vying for attention. Without a thesis statement to guide me, a writer can feel adrift, unsure of where to start.

Many things in life simply aren’t clear-cut, so is it able for you to state the purpose of your writing about them in a clear, concise thesis statement? Many things that we think about can be easily labeled or given to being broken down into conveniently delineated outlines. This is a common dilemma for many writers.

I prefer to think of a thesis statement in a much more scientific and direct way. When I’m crafting a thesis statement, I don’t refer to it that way. Rather, I think of everything I write as a sort of research paper on whatever thought, question, or topic I’m tackling. My thesis is rather a hypothesis. What do I believe the outcome of my writing task will be, and what do I expect to learn from writing it?

Oftentimes, this hypothesis I start with is entirely upturned. In the final piece, the actual thesis statement will likely be quite different. But I always make it a point to include that hypothesis somehow, to show that yes, I had to actually go about writing this piece to come to my final conclusion, and it wasn’t often presupposed.

Here’s the ironic thing. It’s perfectly OK to sit down and write without a thesis statement in mind. While I was taught in school that you always start with a thesis statement, I’ve found many times, the thesis statement doesn’t come to me until well into the actual writing process. After all, the thesis statement, generally, is more for the reader than the writer. I prefer to pursue my own presuppositions and hypotheses, then go about attempting to disprove them, because after all, questioning what you already believe is the only way you really learn anything.

What Does Writing Without a Thesis Statement Become?

The worst thing you can do as a writer is to be too rigid. There are countless things I should’ve written about over the years that went by the wayside because I didn’t have a point in writing them. I feel that being trained in thesis statements, supporting paragraphs, strategic repetition, and concluding strategies actually ruins a writer’s inherent ability to trust in the creative process for the essential meaning. 

In fact, my best writing has actually come out of refusing to start with a thesis statement. Yes, I go into my writing with my presuppositions and hypotheses, but I don’t always even state them in my initial drafts. While over the years I’ve engaged in many free writing exercises, most of them fell flat and never went anywhere. This is because, until you simply let go of the constraints of the technicalities you’re taught in school, you don’t realize what you’re actually capable of as a creative writer.

In my college years, I decided to simply write words, and not worry about where they were coming from. I let go of even grammar and punctuation. When I did this, something unexpected happened. At first, nothing made sense, of course. But, soon enough, I began to notice the beauty in the chaos. I became fascinated by the way that different ideas could flow together seamlessly without the constraints of a thesis statement. 

The more I wrote in this way led to what some might see as a mass of nonsense, but to me, I began to see it like a tapestry, woven together with threads of different colors, each one adding to the richness and complexity of the whole.

It took me well into my twenties to realize that writing without a thesis statement, or any predetermined structure whatsoever, was a freeing experience. Only in these wide open spaces of free expression could I explore different ideas and perspectives without feeling constrained by a predetermined goal. Unencumbered by the need to fit everything into a predetermined structure, my creativity could flow freely like a rushing river.

As I continued to free write in my young adult years, I found myself becoming more immersed in a new and deeper writing process. Each sentence led naturally to the next, building on the ideas that came before and adding new layers of meaning and depth. Eventually, I was able to write in this way while still having proper grammar and punctuation, but often letting paragraphs go on for several pages. After all, everything would make a lot more sense once the editing process took over.

In the end, I discovered that writing without a thesis statement was not only possible, but it could also be a truly exhilarating experience. Freeing myself from the structure taught to me in English class allowed me to explore new ideas and approaches, to take risks, and try new things without fear of failure. 

While a thesis statement can be a valuable tool, and indeed is something to consider when putting together something like a book, I realized that sometimes it is better to let the words take you where they will. Sometimes, especially when you’re feeling stuck, it’s best to embrace the unknown and let the writing guide you on a journey of discovery.

So, yes, it’s OK not to have a thesis statement right away. Sometimes, if you’re the type to write free-flowing essays like myself, you may not ever need one at all, letting the readers come to their own conclusions. I feel like too many writers, young and old alike, get stuck at the beginning. When you know what you want to write about, simply write whatever is coming to you. If you can’t come to a point where a thesis statement emerges, at least it has been a somewhat useful exercise in writing. But, this doesn’t mean that it was all for naught.

If you have an idea, just write and see where it goes. You can always work it into something clear and succinct later. It’s possible you’ll come up with a nice and neatly packaged thesis statement just as you wrap things up.

Can you write a piece without a thesis statement? Technically, yes. But, if you want something worth publishing, at least give the reader an idea of where you’re going. It may not have to be an academic level paragraph stating your intentions. But at least give some sort of statement of what you’re writing about, or otherwise, readers might just get lost in your words. Or perhaps, that’s exactly what you want!

~ Amelia Desertsong