Inexperienced writers often try to skip the earlier stages of writing where you generate ideas and plan your paper. But when they do, they usually struggle composing their first draft. What advice would you give to a developing writer about brainstorming ideas and planning the overall quality of an essay? What would you use to justify your position?
http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/writingstrategies/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PlanResearchPaper.html
To a developing writer, I would advise the following about brainstorming ideas and planning the overall quality of an essay:
1. Brainstorming Ideas:
- Start by setting aside dedicated time for brainstorming. Find a quiet and comfortable environment where you can focus.
- Begin by collecting your initial thoughts on the topic. Write down any ideas, keywords, or phrases that come to mind. Don't worry about organizing them at this stage.
- Use different brainstorming techniques such as mind mapping, freewriting, or listing to explore your topic from multiple angles. This will help generate a diverse range of ideas.
- Consider conducting preliminary research to gather background information and identify relevant sources that can support your ideas.
- Involve others in the brainstorming process. Discuss your topic with peers, instructors, or use online communities to get feedback and explore different perspectives on the topic.
2. Planning the Overall Quality of an Essay:
- Once you have a variety of ideas, review and evaluate them based on their relevance, significance, and potential for development. Remove any unrelated or weak ideas.
- Identify the main argument or thesis statement you want to convey in your essay. This should be a clear and concise statement that encompasses the main idea of your paper.
- Organize your ideas logically by creating an outline. Divide your essay into sections (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion) and allocate relevant points to each section.
- Within the body paragraphs, ensure that each idea supports your main argument and flows smoothly from one to another. Use logical transitions to connect your points and make your essay coherent.
- Consider the overall structure and flow of your essay. Make sure that it has a strong introduction to engage the reader, a well-developed body with supporting evidence, and a conclusion that summarizes your main points and leaves a lasting impression.
- Revise and refine your outline as needed, ensuring that your essay follows a logical and coherent structure.
To justify this advice, I would highlight a few key points:
- Brainstorming helps the writer generate a wide range of ideas and perspectives, which ultimately contribute to a more comprehensive and enriched essay.
- Planning the overall quality of the essay through outlining helps the writer maintain a clear direction and avoid getting lost or overwhelmed during the drafting process.
- By investing time in preparing and organizing ideas, the writer can focus on the quality of writing and be more efficient during the drafting phase, resulting in a more coherent, well-structured, and effective essay overall.
Remember, practice and experimentation are key to improving writing skills. The more you engage in brainstorming and planning, the more comfortable and confident you will become in crafting well-organized and high-quality essays.