Chapter 2
Generating ideas through prewriting

* Prewriting – is the first stage in the writing process, during which you discover what you think you know about a topic and then generate details and examples that will express and illustrate your understanding. * Ask and answer discovery questions –

1. What do I already know about this subject? 2. Why would someone else want to know about this subject? 3. What kinds of details and examples make it easier for me to understand this subject? 4. What’s the most interesting aspect of this subject?

* Free writing - is a no-holds-barred prewriting technique that involves writing down all your ideas on a subject for a set period of time-typically ten minutes. 1. Write everything that comes to mind. 2. If you feel blocked write something like “I can’t think” or “I’m stuck here” 3. Highlight, underline, or circle your best ideas.

* Brainstorming- Is a far less expansive technique than free writing.

1. Concentrate on a subject 2. Make a list of every idea directly connected to that subject. 3. A set time limit isn’t necessary. 4. You can also brainstorm using your computer, darken the screen so you cannot see what you write. 5. Print the list, highlight, underline or circle ideas you think have potential writing topics. * Clustering –is a visual prewriting technique that shows connections among the ideas you develop.

1. Write a general idea in the middle of the page and circle it. 2. As you think of a related idea or detail, write it down and circle it. 3. Draw a line connecting the ideas. 4. Continue this process.

Use alarm
Use alarm

Swearing
Swearing

Lateness
Lateness

Bad Habits
Bad Habits

Smoking
Smoking

* Branching – is another form of visual prewriting.

1. List your topic on the left side of a piece of paper. 2. Write ideas inspired by this topic to the right of it. 3. Connect them to it with lines. 4. Continue to add ideas working from left to right.

Spielberg’s movies have won big

Oscars

Competition Supermarkets

Athletics

* Idea Mapping –is a freewheeling prewriting technique that attempts to stimulate multiple aspects of your creativity. 1. Write words and create images such as icons, scribbles, sketches, and symbols. 2. Examples are on subject of frustration.

Bills Traffic

Not enough time

Parking tickets

* Journal – is a place in which you can explore different subjects through informal writing. * Writing in your journal every day is one of the best ways to make writing seem as natural as talking. * Spend at least10-20 minutes exploring your feelings about your topic.

* Response Journal – Records your reactions to and assessments of specific topics.

Recap chapter 2 * Prewriting – the initial idea-generating stage of the writing process. * Prewriting techniques include freewriting, brainstorming, clustering, branching, idea mapping, and maintaining a journal. * Freewriting- Writing freely about a subject for a set period of time without stopping or worrying about correctness or completeness. * Outlining – establishing a plan for presentation in list form. * Brainstorming – focusing on a subject and listing all related ideas that come to mind. * Clustering – writing and circling an idea in the middle of the page, developing and circling related ideas, around it, and drawing lines to connect related clusters of ideas. * See pages 12-25