Prewriting 2011

PRE-WRITING TECHNIQUESENGL 015– Penn State Abington – Fall 2011

Writing works the same way. Preparation is the key to good writing.

Would you jump into an empty pool?

•Get the ideas rolling•Focus your thinking•Organize your ideas

Pre-writing Techniques

Brainstorming

Let it ALL out! Don’t restrict yourself on this step.

Sketch, write, talk out loud – whatever gets you thinking

Various ways of writing out your ideas including freewriting, journaling and lists.

Written organizers

Freewriting

Specified time period.

Don’t worry about grammar/spelling. Just write!

Don’t stop until time is up.

Lists

Write down characteristics of your topic.

Look for commonalities.

Pros/Cons, Causes/Effects

Journaling

Keep a notebook and write every day OR

Collect “snippets” – photos, articles, notes, etc.

Look for inspiration in your collection

Look for common threads

Visual depictions of your ideas including Mind Maps/clustering, fishbone maps and other charts.

Graphic Organizers

Fishbone

Fill in what you know to start – add info as you develop your ideas.

Mind Maps

Reviewing Science & Chemical Formulas, Source: Revise GCSE Science Single Award by Eileen Ramsden, David Applin with Tony Buzan, Mind Map by: Patrick Mayfield

Main Idea

Details

Ven Diagrams

Ven Diagrams are useful to determine where two ideas cross-over. For instance, you might use a Ven Diagram to think about relationships in a Compare/Contrast essay.www.brighthub.com/.../k-12/articles/42282.aspx

MOST IMPORTANTLY…USE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

Prewriting = Preparation = Better Essays