INTERPRETING THE QUESTION AND BRAINSTORMING STAGE

Begin by reading the question carefully several times and underlining the question stem. Then do some brainstorming. Choose whichever method you prefer—freewriting, listing, clustering, questioning, whatever—but do spend a few minutes coming up with ideas. If you were allowed to bring in a chart or any notes, read them over for information that will help with your essay. You might be surprised at how effective a five-minute freewrite can be. Students often think they don’t have enough time to freewrite, but usually it is one of the most time-efficient brainstorming strategies.

Draft a tentative thesis as part of your brainstorming. Start by using the question stem and turning it into a statement. Don’t worry if it sounds a little clunky: You can always make it sound better in revising, but it’s helpful to make sure you stick to the question and do what is asked of you. Remember that your thesis should be a direct response to the prompt. For more on freewriting and other strategies, see Chapter 9, Pre-Writing, page 000 in your book; for more on the thesis, see Chapter 10, Thesis and Main Idea, page 000 in your book.