Writing can be viewed as a series of steps or stages, and the first step of this
Writing can be viewed as a series of steps or stages, and the first step of this process is prewriting. Prewriting is the stage of the writing process during which you transfer your thoughts into more concrete ideas in ink on paper (or in type on a computer screen).
Benefits of Prewriting
Prewriting is a valuable first step in the writing process. It breaks through writer’s block, getting the ideas flowing and helping you find a starting point. As a result, it reduces the anxiety and frustration that you might have felt in the past as you began writing.
Prewriting is an important tool for writers because it has four uses:
1. Prewriting can help you find a topic to write about. On those occasions when you can write your paper about a topic of your own choice, prewriting can help you think of one.
2. Prewriting can help you narrow a topic or find some interesting aspect of it. If you are writing on an assigned topic, as is often the case in academic courses, you may need to narrow it down. Even a longer piece of writing, like a research paper, could not do justice to a subject as broad as the Civil War or abnormal psychology. You will need to find a more specific aspect on which to focus, and prewriting can help you narrow, or limit, your topic to one that is more manageable for the assignment. In addition, prewriting can help you discover an aspect of the topic that is interesting to you. When you write about a topic that interests you, you will be more enthusiastic about the paper. As a result, you will be more likely to write a better paper.
3. Prewriting can help you remember or discover what you already know about a topic. You can prewrite to discover a topic, and you can also prewrite to find out what you already know about a topic. You probably have some knowledge or thoughts about most topics, and prewriting can help you unlock this information from where it is stored in your mind. At the same time, prewriting allows you to get a better understanding of what you do not know about a topic. Then you can determine what you will need to find out— through reading and research—before you begin to write.
4. Prewriting can help you decide what you want to say about your topic. Once you have decided on a topic and explored what you know about it, you can use prewriting techniques to help you formulate the idea or opinion you want to express about that topic. In addition, you can use prewriting as a tool to help you begin to sort through your thoughts about the topic so that you can determine which of those thoughts you want to include in your paper.
Prewriting Techniques
Prewriting is useful for generating ideas prior to writing. In addition, it can be an effective method for preparing your mind to concentrate on tasks other than writing by helping you clear your mind of distracting thoughts.
Following is a brief description of some prewriting techniques:
Discussion
Have you ever noticed that after you talk about a subject with someone for the first