Step 1: Prewriting

The first step in the writing process is prewriting, an informal way of writing down initial thoughts about your writing subject. There are many different types of prewriting techniques, including the following:

• Freewriting: You know you have to write a paper, but when you sit down to prewrite, nothing comes to mind. The best advice is to just start freewriting. Ask yourself the 5ws and 1h: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Write about anything you think of for a period of time (about 10 minutes) or to a certain length—perhaps one entire page—to spark the thought process. Connect a word to a previous word or to another word it suggests or take off on a tangent that comes to mind. Keep at it—without stopping to reread, edit, or judge—even if you have to write the same word repeatedly.

• Brainstorming: Similar to freewriting, brainstorming is more compressed and focused. This technique also involves writing without stopping. The goal is to generate ideas about your assignment’s subject without any thought to organization. The tricky part is not stopping to correct the paper or to take a break. Just keep writing for the time allotted or until the page is full.

• Listing: This technique involves making a list of your ideas, which are usually short notes on your thoughts and may appear similar to an informal outline.

• Clustering or Mind-Mapping: This technique displays the relationship between ideas through drawing. Begin with your general topic in the middle of a page and draw a circle around it. From there, draw lines—or branches—to show connections to more specific, supporting ideas.

You may choose to use one or more of the prewriting techniques—unless a teacher indicates different instructions for the assignment. Try all the techniques until you find the one with which you are most comfortable and productive.