Brainstorming
C-20
Brainstorming, or listing ideas, is a good way to figure out what you know and what questions you have. A list can be a source of ideas and a springboard to new ideas. A list can help you see the emerging organization of your ideas and your paper.
Tips for listing ideas
- Write ideas in the order in which they occur to you.
- Rearrange ideas freely. Delete some ideas and add others.
- Group ideas under general categories:
most important/
least important arguments for/
arguments against good points/
bad points what I know/
what I need to know what they say/
what I say - Expand the ideas with more exact phrasing and add examples or counterexamples.
- Look for a tentative thesis, a specific claim, lines of reasoning, examples, or supporting evidence.
Try working alone, but also try working in a group—your writing group from class or just a group of friends.
