Make a list.

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Listing is a familiar activity. You make shopping lists and lists of errands to do or people to call, but listing can also be a great help in planning an essay. It enables you to recall what you already know about a topic and suggests what else you may need to find out.

A basic activity for all writers, listing is especially useful to those who have little time for planning—for example, reporters facing deadlines and college students taking essay exams. Listing lets you order your ideas quickly. It can also serve as a first step in discovering possible writing topics. Here is how listing works best for invention work:

  1. Give your list a title that indicates your main idea or topic.
  2. Write as fast as you can, relying on short phrases.
  3. Include anything that seems at all useful. Try not to be judgmental at this point.
  4. After you have finished or even as you write, reflect on the list, and organize it in the following way:
    • Put an asterisk next to the most promising items.
    • Number key items in order of importance.
    • Put items in related groups.
    • Cross out items that do not seem promising.
    • Add new items.