Pre Writing Techniques

Pre-Writing
Techniques
1. Brainstorming
2. Discussing
3. Free Writing
4. Looping
5. Listing
6. Outlining
7. Charting
8. Mapping
Brainstorming
Brainstorming” means thinking of as many ideas as possible in a short amount of

time.
Write down your ideas so that you don’t forget them.
Write down everything that comes to your mind; don’t worry about sorting out
“good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
Don’t write complete sentences write just words or phrases.
Topic: What would I do with one million dollars?

Travel--Europe, Asia, S. America
Pay off our house
Share--give a scholarship, donate to charities
Buy a lot of books!
Invest/save and let the interest grow
Discussing
“Discussing” is similar to brainstorming, but you do it with a partner or group.

Assign one person to write down the ideas.
Write down everything that group members say related to the topic; don’t worry about
sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
Free Writing
“Free Writing” is like pouring all of your thoughts onto paper.

Don’t take your pen off the page; keep writing for the entire time.
If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write” until you do.
Don’t try to sort “good” and “bad” ideas.
Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.
Write complete sentences.
Example of Free writing
Topic: Describe the most beautiful place you’ve seen.

I remember climbing to the top of Smolenskii cathedral in autumn, the leaves of St.
Petersburg on fire, like an ocean of gold red leaving me breathless with its depth. Stretching out
for miles and miles it was all I could see and suddenly the grime and sorrow of the city was
drowned with beauty, God’s beauty, God’s love for everyone, his artistic touch meant just for me
at this moment.
Looping
“Looping” begins with “free writing.” It can help you narrow a topic.
Choose the best idea, word, or phrase from what you wrote; underline or circle it.
Take that idea and begin free writing again.
Repeat the process at least one more time.
Follow all the rules for free writing.
Example of Looping
Topic: Describe the most beautiful place you’ve seen.
I remember climbing to the top of Smolenskii cathedral in autumn, the leaves of
St. Petersburg on fire, like an ocean of gold red leaving me breathless with its depth.
Stretching out for miles and miles it was all I could see and suddenly the grime and
sorrow of the city was drowned with beauty, God’s beauty, God’s love for everyone, his
artistic touch meant just for me at this moment.
We had seen hate rejection and fear in that city, dirt and grime and sorrow where people
didn’t know how clean a place could be, never seen a different world. On top of the
cathedral I saw the city as it could be, should be, as God sees its potential, baptized in
gold-red fire of autumn leaves, burning away the outer shell of hardness, burning through
to the hearts of people with truth and happiness which they did not know, had never seen
a different world. I cried, beauty and overwhelmingness and I must come down again.
Listing:
“Listing” is similar to “brainstorming.” The idea is to write down as many things as
possible.
Use single words or phrases, not sentences.
Listing works well for descriptive-type writing.
Don’t worry about spelling or sorting out “good” and “bad” ideas.
Topic: Describe your favorite room in the house/apartment where you live.
Kitchen/Dining Area
White tile, walls, countertops
Flood of sunlight
Healthy plants
Sturdy pine furniture
Glass door--view of lawn and trees
Outlining:
“Outlining” is a more organized form of pre-writing than the others we discussed.

It can be used after you have generated ideas through brainstorming, free writing, or other
pre-writing techniques.
It works well for structured types of writing such as essays.
You can use complete sentences, but you don’t have to.
I. Introduction: Internet “dating” has advantages and disadvantages.

II. Advantages
a) meet people around the world
b) not based on appearance
III. Disadvantages
a) can you trust them?
b) may be too far away to meet in person
IV. Conclusion: Some success stories, but too risky
Charting
Sometimes you will want to organize your ideas for writing in a chart.
Charting works very well for comparison/ contrast writing or examining advantages and
disadvantages.
You can use many different kinds of charts, depending on your topic and the kind of
writing you are doing.
Example of chart
Living with Living with

Family Roommates
Advantages May not pay rent More independence
Meals Social interaction
Different ages
Disadvantages Less independence Rent
Rules Cooking/Shopping
Noise
Mapping
“Mapping,” sometimes called “semantic/ idea mapping” or “webbing,” is another way to

organize your ideas.
Start with your topic in the center, and branch out from there with related ideas.
Use words and phrases, not complete sentences.
Example of Mapping

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Pre-Writing

Brainstorming” means thinking of as many ideas as possible in a short amount of

Topic: What would I do with one million dollars?

“Discussing” is similar to brainstorming, but you do it with a partner or group.

“Free Writing” is like pouring all of your thoughts onto paper.

Example of Free writing

Topic: Describe the most beautiful place you’ve seen.

“Outlining” is a more organized form of pre-writing than the others we discussed.

I. Introduction: Internet “dating” has advantages and disadvantages.

Living with Living with

“Mapping,” sometimes called “semantic/ idea mapping” or “webbing,” is another way to

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