This document discusses various pre-writing strategies that can be used in the writing process. Pre-writing is the preliminary work done before drafting a paper and includes activities like brainstorming, clustering, free writing, and questioning. The goal of pre-writing is to calm nerves and get ideas flowing so writers don't panic about their topic. Some specific techniques covered are brainstorming ideas related to the topic, mind mapping to relate concepts, free writing for a set period of time, and using the six journalists' questions of who, what, where, when, why and how.

1. Pre-Writing StrategiesBy: Elizabeth FosterEDU 290Class time: Monday and Wednesday 2:00

2. What is Pre-Writing?Preparatory work for a piece of writingIt is an idea formulationResearchUsed as an outline

3. The Goal of Pre-WritingFirst step in writing processCalms down nervesDon’t panic about the topic of the paperTo get ideas of what to write about

4. Getting StartedCarefully think about the topicThink about what the purpose of the paper isHow can you achieve that purposeStart thinking of topics and ideas

5. Types of Pre-WritingBrainstormingClusteringFree WritingLoopingAsking the six journalists’ questions(Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?)

6. BrainstormingAlso called “listing”Grouping items that relate to the topicJacob Botter, Brainstorms, October 5, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

7. ClusteringAllows you to relate ideas togetherAlso called “Mind mapping”Alan Cleaver, March 24 2010 via Canon EOS 400D Digital, Creative Commons Attribution

8. Steps for ClusteringPut topic in the center of the pageWhen you have ideas, branch them off the topicAdd to those ideas the same wayIn the end there will be clusters all over the page.

9. Free-writingA process of writing for a certain amount of timeFocus on a specific topicTime for 5-10 minutesForce yourself to continue writing

10. Free-writing continued…When finished, look over the paperPick out the most interesting ideaThen begin over again with related ideas

11. LoopingA type of free writingDon’t edit what is writtenDo it for 5-10 minutesFelix Trinh, July 19, 2008 via Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS, Creative Commons Attribution

12. Looping Continued…After the time is up, circle the best ideas, sentences, and phrasesHave your classmates circle ideas on your paper alsoThen write again for 5-10 minutesContinue for 4 or 5 times

13. The Journalists’ QuestionsWho?What?Where?When?Why?How?Mai Le, April 20, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

14. The Journalists’ Questions continued…Who?-Who are you talking about?What?-What is the topic? What are the issues?Where? Where does it take place?

15. The Journalists’ Questions Continued…When?-When did the topic take place?Why?-Why is the topic an issue?How?-How is the topic significant?

16. The End!For more information:"Prewriting Strategies." KU Writing Center. Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://www.writing.ku.edu/~writing/guides/pre writing.shtml>.Brizee, Allen. "Purdue OWL: Prewriting (Invention)." Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). Web. 26 Feb. 2011. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/67 3/01/>.