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