Christine,

 I don't teach English but you might want to have the students work in a group and come up with 3 topics they would like to write about. You could then have each group share the topics with the class and then have the class vote on which ones to write a paper on. It might help you to see what students find interesting.

Hi Christine,

One extrinsic motivator could be awarding participation points for contributing to class discussions. Participation will allow for a more engaging and educational lecture and rewarding students with points will motivate them to participate in your lectures. This may also raise interest in the subject matter as a whole.