Has the subject (or a range of possible subjects) been assigned to you, or are you free to choose your own?
What interests you about your subject? What questions would you like to explore?
Why is your subject worth writing about? How might readers benefit?
Do you need to narrow your subject (because of length restrictions, for instance)?
Purpose and audience
Why are you writing: To inform readers? To persuade them? To call them to action? To offer an interpretation of a text?
Who are your readers? How well informed are they about the subject? What do you want them to learn?
How interested and attentive are your readers likely to be? Will they resist any of your ideas? What possible objections will you need to anticipate and counter?
What is your relationship to your readers: Student to instructor? Citizen to citizen? Expert to novice? Employee to supervisor?
Genre
What genre (type of writing) does your assignment require: A report? A proposal? An analysis of data? An essay?
If the genre is not assigned, what genre is appropriate for your subject, purpose, and audience?
What are the expectations and conventions of your assigned genre? For instance, what type of evidence is typically used in the genre?
Does the genre require a specific design format or method of organization?
Does the genre require or benefit from visuals, such as photos, drawings, or graphs?
Sources of information
Where will your information come from: Reading? Research? Direct observation? Interviews? Questionnaires?
What type of evidence suits your subject, purpose, audience, and genre?
What documentation style is required: MLA? APA? Chicago?
Length and document design
Do you have any length specifications? If not, what length seems appropriate, given your subject, purpose, audience, and genre?
Is a particular document format required? If so, do you have guidelines to follow or examples to consult?
How might visuals—charts, graphs, tables—help you convey information and support your purpose?
Reviewers and deadlines
Who will be reviewing your draft: Your instructor? A writing center tutor? One or more classmates?
What are your deadlines? How much time will you need to allow for the various stages of writing, including proofreading and printing or posting the final draft?
Will you be sharing a draft electronically or in hard copy? If electronically, will your readers be able to handle your file's size and format?