1. A GUIDE TO WRITING WITH READINGS Chapter 2 Prewriting to Generate Ideas

2. PART A Freewriting PART B Brainstorming PART C Clustering PART D Asking Questions PART E Keeping a Journal Chapter 2 prewriting to Generate Ideas

3. Freewriting is an excellent method that many writers use to warm up and to generate ideas. -These are the guidelines: for five, ten, or fifteen minutes, write rapidly, without stopping, about anything that comes into your head. If you feel stuck, just repeat or rhyme the last word you wrote, but don ’ t stop writing. And don ’ t worry about grammar, logic, complete sentences, or grades Part A Freewriting

4.  Freewriting is an excellent method that many writers use to warm up and to generate ideas. These are the guidelines: for five, ten, or fifteen minutes, write rapidly, without stopping, about anything that comes into your head. If you feel stuck, just repeat or rhyme the last word you wrote, but don ’ t stop writing. And don ’ t worry about grammar, logic, complete sentences, or grades.  The point of freewriting is to write so quickly that ideas can flow without comments from your inner critic. The inner critic is the voice inside that says, every time you have an idea, “ That ’ s dumb; that ’ s no good; cross that out. ” Freewriting helps you tell this voice, “ Thank you for your opinion. Once I have lots of ideas and words on paper, I ’ ll invite you back for comment. ”  After your freewrite, read what you have written, underlining or marking any parts you like.  Here is one student ’ s first freewriting, with his own underlinings: Part A Freewriting

5. Boy I wish this class was over and I could go home and get out of This building, boy was my day miserable and this sure is a crazy thing to do if a shrink could see us now.My I just remember I ’ ve got to buy that CD my my my I am running out of stuff to write but don ’ t worry teach because this is really the nuttiest thing but lots of fun you probably like reading this mixed up thing That girl ’ s remark sounded dumb but impressing. You know this writing sure puts muscles in your fingers if I writing oh boy this is the most incredible assignment in the word think and write without worrying about sentence structure and other English garbage to stall you down boy that guy next to me is writing like crazy so he looks crazy you know this is outrageous I ’ m writing and writing I never realized the extent of mental and physical concentration it makes to do this constantly don ’ t mind the legibility of my hand my hand oh my hand is ready to drop off please this is crazy crazy and too much work for a poor guy like myself. Imagine me putting on paper all I have to say and faster than speeding bullet.

6.  In focused freewriting, you simply try to focus your thoughts on one subject as you freewrite. The subject might be one assigned by your instructor, one you choose, or one you have discovered in unforcused freewriting. The goal of most writing is a polished, organized piece of writing; focused freewriting can help you generate ideas or narrow a topic to one aspect that interests you.  Here is one student ’ s focused freewriting on the topic someone who strongly influenced you: Part A Focused Freewriting

7. Mr. Martin, the reason I ’ m interested in science. Wiry, five-foot- four-inch, hyperactive guy. A darting bird in the classroom, a circling teacher-bird, now jabbing at the knee bone of a skeleton, now banging on the jar with the brain in it. Like my brain used to feel, pickled, before I took his class. I always like science but everything else was fun, crazy, made me think. Encouragement was his thing. Whacking his pencil against the plastic model of an eyeball in his office, he would bellow at me, “ Taking too many courses! Working too many hours in that restaurant! Living everyone else ’ s life but your own! ” Gradually, I slowed down, got myself focused. Saw him last at graduation, where he thwacked my diploma with his pencil, shouting, “ Keep up the good work! Live your own life! Follow Your dreams! ”

8.  This student later used this focused freewriting-it ’ s vivid details about Mr. Martin and his influence-as the basis for an effective paper. Underline any words or lines that you find especially striking or appealing. Be prepared to explain why you like what you underline. Part A Focused Freewriting

9.  Another prewriting technique that may work for you is brainstorming or freely jotting down ideas about a topic. As in freewriting, the purpose is to generate lots of ideas so you have something to work with and choose from. Write everything that comes to you about a topic-words and phrases, ideas, details, examples.  After you have brainstormed, read over your list, underlining interesting or exciting ideas you might develop further. As with freewriting, many writers brainstorm on a general subject, underline, and then brainstorm again as they focus on one aspect of that subject.  Here is one student ’ s brainstorm list on the topic email: Part B Brainstorming

10.  everyone has it-really neat  can send mail day or night  not like snail mail-so slow  I hate to write letters but I love to email  I email my friends at their colleges all the time  I even email my little brother at home  more intimate than phone calls-you can share inner thoughts  Mon ’ s always sending me emails  she emails her old college friends, too  people are more in touch with each other now

11.  With brainstorming, this writer generated many ideas and started to move toward a more focused topic: People are more in touch with each other now because of email. With a narrowed topic, brainstorming once more can help the writer generate details and reasons to support the idea. Part B Brainstorming

12.  Some writers use still another method-called clustering or mapping-to get their ideas on paper. To begin clustering, simply write an idea or a topic, usually one word, in the center of a piece of paper. Then let your mind make associations, and write these associations branching out from the center. Part C Clustering

13. holiday New Year ’ s Martin Luther King Day Christmas birthday

14.  When one idea suggests other ideas, details, and examples, write these around it in a “ cluster. ” After you finish, pick the cluster that most interests you. You may wish to freewrite for more ideas Part C Clustering

15. holidays New Year ’ s Chinese New Year grandmother ’ s house dragons decorations Joy, excitment Martin Luther King Day great man celebrated pride in race conflict over celebration Christmas expensive lost meaning parties birthdays never celebrated in childhood now a bid party sad memories adult friends Pamela Carole planning a child ’ s party fun low budget creativity needed careful planning means so much to child self-esteem

16.  Many writers get ideas about a subject by asking questions and trying to answer them. This section describes two ways of doing this. Part D Asking Questions

17. Part D The Reporter’s Six Questions  Who? Players, basketball and foot players, coaches, fans. Violence-I ’ m tired of that subject. Loyal crazy screaming fans-Giant fans.  What? Excitement. Stadium on the day of a game. Tailgate partied. Cookouts. Incredible spreads-Italian families with peppers, stuff to spread on sandwiches. All-day partying. Radios, TVs, grills, Giants caps.  Where? Giants Stadium parking lot. People gather in certain areas-meet me in 10-B. Stadiums all over the country, same thing. People party on tailgates, on cars, plastic chairs, blankets.  When? People arrive early morning-cook brealfast, lunch. After the game, many stay on in parking lot, talking, drinking beer. Year after year they come back.  Why? Big social occasion, emotional outlet.  How? They come early to get space. Some stadiums now rent parking spaces. Some families pass on season tickets in their wills!

18.  Keeping a journal is an excellent way to practice your writing skills and discover ideas for further writing.  Every morning or night, or several times a week, write for at least fifteen minutes in this journal.  Write about what you really care about. Part E keeping a Journal