The cursor blinks, the notebook stays open, and the subject still feels too large to touch. Often the useful beginning is not a topic but a question: something small enough to hold in mind and alive enough to resist an easy answer.
Make the question smaller
“What matters?” can lead anywhere, which is why it can be hard to begin with. Try asking what changed your mind this week, what detail you keep returning to, or what you wish someone had explained plainly. A narrower question gives the page an edge.
Follow the snag
The most promising question is not always the most impressive one. It may be the sentence you cannot quite agree with, or the ordinary moment that stayed with you longer than expected. Write down what bothers or interests you before polishing it into a thesis.
Leave room to change
A question is a starting point, not a contract. As you write, the answer may turn out to be more complicated, or the better question may appear halfway down the page. Keep the original nearby; it helps you see how your thinking moved.