Page 85 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Brainstorming

Brainstorming, a listing technique, is one of the easiest prewriting

techniques. To brainstorm, take a few minutes to list whatever comes

to mind on your topic, no matter how strange it seems. Your purpose

is not to censor or come up with the “right” items for your list, but to

generate ideas.

Example of Brainstorming

Here’s how one writer, Tamika, approached a brainstorming exercise

on clothing:

stores name brands

fashion models my red dress

slick magazines designer labels

anorexia even children are fashion-conscious

expensive secondhand stores

department stores uniforms

occasions proms

job interviews my favorites—old jeans and T-shirts

professional dress “Clothes make the man” (or woman)

When Tamika looked over her prewriting, she decided that the part of

it that most interested her was the quotation “Clothes make the man.”