The University Writing Center (UWC)
Prewriting
Prewriting is important because it helps generate ideas for writing. However, the main purpose of the prewriting stage is to find a focus for the essay. Finding a focus allows the topic to be narrow and, hopefully, clear. This should help a writer develop appropriate supporting ideas.
Below are several prewriting methods and their benefits:
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Method
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Process
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Benefit
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Fast-Write
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Writing, non-stop, for a specific amount of time
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Generating ideas without worrying about grammar
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List
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Writing keywords or key-phrases
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Excellent for jotting down words and phrases related to the topic
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Outline
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Organizing phrases and words in a specific order
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Excellent for organization and developing sub-topics
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Brainstorming
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Writing several problems and solutions without discarding any
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Creative thinking and developing ideas to solve problems
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Visualization
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Engaging your imagination and each sense while drawing, sketching, etc.
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Excellent for a visualized picture of the work as a whole; it brings the text to life
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Webbing/
mapping/
clustering
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Placing the subject in the center of a page and as ideas come to mind, linking them to the center; new ideas will link to related circles/squares
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Excellent for exploring many ideas as soon as they occur
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