Prewriting [Lesson]

The Writing Process

The writing process is a recursive, fluid process that writers follow when constructing a text. Having a process allows the writer to break the writing tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Before publishing a final product, a writer may visit and revisit various stages of the writing process. As the figure below illustrates, the writing process includes five stages:

1. Prewriting — The stage of generating ideas and planning.
2. Drafting — The stage of writing a rough draft.
3. Revising — The stage of refining style and organization.
4. Editing — The stage of proofreading and correcting errors related to grammar, usage, and conventions.
5. Publishing — The stage of sharing the final draft with an audience.

Prewriting

The focus of this lesson is prewriting, or brainstorming, which is the first step in the writing process. The purpose of prewriting is to generate ideas and plan before developing a draft. Ideas for writing come from many places: what we’ve read, what we’ve seen, what we’ve experienced, what we imagine.

You will have an opportunity to practice three different ways of generating ideas using prewriting strategies.

Listing

Listing is a way to jot down ideas related to a topic in a short amount of time. Simply make a list of ideas, details, and examples related to a topic. There’s no need to organize the list in a certain way. The goal is to get ideas on the page.

Example: The below list was brainstormed based on the topic of “Going to College.”

• Topic: Going to College
  • Courses
  • Schedules
  • Professors
  • Textbooks
  • Dorms
  • Off-Campus
  • Safety
  • Tuition
  • Financial aid
  • GPA
  • Study Skills
  • Distance learning
  • Campus Involvement
  • Time management
  • Handling conflict
  • Emergencies
  • School events
  • Roommates
  • Attendance

Your turn!

Set a timer for 2-3 minutes.

Practice using the prewriting strategy of listing with a topic of your choice or a broad topic such as planning a vacation. List as many ideas that come to mind related to the topic.

Freewriting

Freewriting is a process of freely jotting down your thoughts and ideas related to a topic in phrases or sentences. “Correctness” does not matter at this point. The idea is to write down whatever comes to mind related to the topic.

Example: Using the same topic as earlier (“Going to College”), the following was generated in a freewriting brainstorm.

When I started college, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. It took me a while to figure out how to manage my time and study for my classes. Speaking of classes, I had to take all 8:00 a.m. classes my freshman year before I learned to register early! Registration wasn’t online, either, so my roommate and I spent hours waiting on the phone just so we could register for our classes each semester.

Your turn!

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Practice using the prewriting strategy of freewriting with a topic of your choice or a broad topic such as planning a vacation. Write as many thoughts and ideas that come to mind related to the topic. Remember, there is no need to be concerned about spelling, grammar, or conventions right now; the point is to get ideas on the page.

Clustering

Clustering, also called mind mapping, is a method to help you organize ideas related to a topic. It helps a writer to see how ideas are connected. Start with the main topic, and then brainstorm related subtopics and details.

Example: Using the topic “Going to College” again, the below visual captures what a cluster brainstorm might look like. An alternative version of this mind mapping can also be understood in the form of an outline, like so:

• Main Topic: Going to College
  • Subtopic #1: Housing
    • Detail #1: On-Campus
    • Detail #2: Off-Campus
  • Subtopic #2: Admission
    • Detail #1: Essay
    • Detail #2: Financial Aid
  • Subtopic #3: Courses
    • Detail #1: Professors
    • Detail #2: Books
    • Detail #3: Registration
  • Subtopic #4: Events
    • Detail #1: Sports
    • Detail #2: Campus groups

Your turn!

Set a timer for 5-7 minutes.

Practice using the prewriting strategy of clustering with a topic of your choice or a broad topic such as planning a vacation. Start with the main topic in the center, and then branch out with more specific subtopics and details.

Reflect and Discuss

Review your prewriting activities and consider the following:

• Why do you think prewriting is an important step in the writing process?
• What prewriting strategy did you find to be the most useful? Why?

Discuss your responses in pairs or small groups.

Downloadable Resources (Lesson)

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Pre-Writing lesson