The Problem with Prewriting

The Problem with Prewriting

  How many times have you heard about the writing process, seen diagrams, listened to professors as they explain the writing stages?  The steps to writing have been drilled into us, but there is a serious problem with the prewriting process; people skip it and start out with the writing stage. 

Prewriting is a crucial element in the development of good writing.  When you are assigned an essay, you should always take time to think about it, plan it, research it, plan some more, and outline your main ideas.  

One of the best ways you can break through the ominous writer's block, which can inhibit the flow of words on your screen, is to brainstorm.

                                

                 You can make a list of random ideas, a flow chart, a diagram, a jumble of sentences with possible connections.  Brainstorming can be twenty minutes of freewriting, it can be the exploration of a topic from various perspectives, it can be a list, pictures, or anything that helps you to get your creative juices flowing.  Once you have some great concepts or ideas, try to connect them, make sense of them, and explore how they can work together.   

                 After you have your topic and some great ideas, you can begin an outline.  From your introduction to your main ideas and conclusion, you should organize your ideas in a way that makes sense and flows.  This will help you to develop your thesis and to create a strong essay that keeps the reader on track.  

                 While there are many other things that should be considered in the development of a great paper, prewriting should come first.