Last time I wrote about finding ideas for interdisciplinary writing topics by seeking out in complex problems those questions that have the potential to spark a worthwhile discussion, or "finding the studs."
Let's go back to the literal wall for a second. Say you've found the studs and chosen the general area of the wall where you want to hang your picture. What now? Well, you need some more information, right? You'll certainly want to consider the weight of the picture. If it's relatively light, you can use only one stud. If it's a particularly large or heavy picture, you may need to use two or more studs to hang your picture well. Underestimate the weight and your picture might fall off the wall. Overestimate and you've just poked unnecessary holes in the wall.
As writers, we need to remain conscious of the scope of a project when we choose a topic. It's important to make sure that your topic allows you to develop a working thesis that you can effectively argue in a single paper. If you choose too broad a topic, your paper will lack direction and you'll be so busy trying to cover the issue that you end up writing a whole lot that actually argues very little. Narrow your topic too much for the assignment, and you'll struggle to find adequate evidence to flesh out an argument.
You are in MALS because you are interested in an issue that is enormously complex, hence the interdisciplinary approach. Chances are you don't have trouble keeping your topic broad enough, even if you're working on your project or thesis. More than likely, you repeatedly try to tackle too much in a single paper.
This is understandable. But don't let the complexity of a problem bully you into thinking that you have to address every layer of it in one paper. Instead, center your working thesis around one or two points that you can argue well. By offering some insight about one segment of a highly complex, systematic problem, you will benefit yourself and other scholars by providing a building block in the efforts to understand and address the issue as a whole.
So don't worry that you haven't hit every single point! You wouldn't expect to have the time, patience, or lack of sanity to take away the drywall, trace every single wire to its source, and analyze each square inch of a wall before hanging a picture, would you?
It's better to discuss a specific problem thoroughly than to discuss a generalized topic weakly.
Here's another way this can get tricky, though: you need to narrow your topic without digging yourself into a disciplinary hole. Hanging the Picture: Part II will offer tips for balancing focus with interdisciplinarity in your writing, with particular emphasis on developing a working thesis.
Oh, and Happy Valentines Day!
Kit
