Pre-writing techniques

In the past, I have always struggled with writing papers. Particularly starting and ending them. After learning more about the different techniques of pre-writing, I have come to realize that my problem is not that I am bad at writing, Just a little unorganized. When it comes to writing, I tend to have the “just sit down and get it all done at once” attitude. Impatience creeps up on my quickly and I get severe writers block. I know now that I have been making things much harder on myself then they really need to be.

I have used the “listing” method in my past writing experiences. My problem with this was I could never narrow it down to just a few ideas. I overwhelmed myself thinking about all that I have to say about each and every little topic. From now on, understanding what points I am trying to make and what ideas are most important will help me to choose the best ideas from the list.

A “stream of conciseness” is something that I have never done, but would like to try. The fact that it is a time-restricted exercise makes it less pressuring. I like that you can literally just let words from your brain flow onto the paper, starting with one topic and venturing out to many. This method seems like a relaxing yet efficient way to open up your mind to more areas of interest to write about.

If there is one thing I have learned so far in college, it is that working in groups is very effective. This is why I love brainstorming! It allows you to hear what other people are interested in. I have found that my best papers have started with a group discussion or brainstorm.

I found many of the tips in WS to be sensible and helpful. I know I will be using the suggested techniques in my future classes, workplace, and home.