Prewriting

Prewriting: Exercises in Brainstorming, Prewriting and Concept Mapping to identify, explore, and refine ideas for creative nonfiction essays

Exercise #1: Brainstorming [15 minutes]

  1. Make a list of anything that you’ve ever been passionate about, obsessed with, infuriated by, or just plain curious about. Don’t second-guess your list—just get it down: people, places, hobbies, ideas, subjects, whatever. [5 minutes]
  2. Select from that list a Topic that you might like to explore in a Personal Essay.
  3. Brainstorm by writing down (without editing your flow of ideas) lists of words that you associate with this Topic
    1. Concrete nouns [5 minutes]
    2. Abstract Nouns [5 minutes]
    3. Verbs [5 minutes]

Exercise #2: Both Sides Now [15 minutes]

  1. Write down your (refined) Topic
  2. Make a column marked “Positive” and another list marked “Negative“
  3. Brainstorm qualities, examples, or associations about your Topic that could be considered positive in any way [5 minutes]
  4. Brainstorm qualities, examples, or associations about your Topic that could be considered negative in any way [5 minutes]
  5. Read across both columns and try to make connections between Positive items and Negative items—i.e., areas of conflict or ambivalence

Exercise #3: Interrogating the Topic [25 minutes]

  1. Write down your (refined) Topic or Thesis or Idea
  2. Partner up with another student
  3. Take turns and ask each other questions about your Topics. Write down your answers to these questions. Push each other to be as specific in your questions and answers as possible. [10 minutes each]
    1. WHO: Who is an expert in this topic? Who do you know that is affected by it? Who benefits from it? Who suffers? Who is a famous / infamous example of this topic? Who would care about reading about this topic?
    2. WHAT: What are the main verifiable facts of this topic? What is at stake? What is wider context to the issue?
    3. WHERE: Where does this take place? What kind of access can you get to this place / environment? How does this topic affect its surroundings? How is it affected in turn? What makes this setting original, unique and/or interesting? Where can you go to learn more about this topic?\
    4. WHEN: What is the historical context of this topic? How has it changed over time? When did the key events happen? How can you research and reconstruct them? How improtant is chronology to undertanding this topic?
    5. HOW: How did this happen? What are the potential causes? What are the potential effects? What processes are involved?
    6. WHY: Pepper each other with Why? questions from as many angles as possible
  4. Using these new answers, take your topic and formulate a question or questions about it that will guide the investigative and reflective journey of your personal essay or magazine article.

Exercise #4: Concept Mapping [30 minutes +]

  1. From the other prewriting exercises, circle concepts and examples that seem fruitful or relevant avenues of exploration for your Major Essay.
  2. Download the CMap software (PCs only) or FreeMind (available for Macs, too). You can also explore other Concept Mapping tools. Or use Post-It Notes / large sketch pad for a low-tech alternative.
  3. Open File / New CMap
  4. Type your central Thesis or Question or Topic
  5. Add other sub-concepts or sub-themes or sub-questions branching off the Main Theme
  6. Add examples, potential sources, anecdotes or anything else related to these sub-concepts
  7. Look for potential connections between all these items
  8. Play around with the organization of the Map
  9. Offer feedback to your partner’s Concept Map and vice versa
  10. Is there a potential blueprint to guide your research and writing?