One way to figure out what you think about a subject is to try out your ideas on other people. Conversation can deepen and refine your ideas. By talking and listening to others, you can also discover what they find interesting, what they are curious about, and where they disagree with you.

Tips for talking and listening

As you talk and listen, or soon after, make some notes in a file that can form the basis for your first draft. Don’t rely on your memory. Putting early, exploratory ideas in writing will give you good material to work with later.