Among the most important parts of the writing process are choosing a topic (see 4c), exploring what you know about it, and determining what you need to find out. These strategies can help you explore your topic:

After exploring ideas, you may have found a topic that interests you and that you think would also be interesting to your readers. The topic, however, may be too large to be manageable. If that is the case, narrow your topic using any exploring technique that works for you.

Emily Lesk planned to discuss how advertising affects American identity, but she knew that such a topic was far too broad. After thinking about products that are pitched as particularly “American” in their advertising, she posted a Facebook status update asking friends to “name products that seem super-American.” She quickly got seventeen responses ranging from Hummers and Winchester rifles to “soft toilet paper,” Spam, Wheaties, and apple pie. One friend identified Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, two products that Emily associated with many memorable and well-documented advertising campaigns.