Brainstorming

Getting Ideas Before You Write

2001 by Ruth Luman

References

Introduction
Getting Started
Writers block is a common problem to many students. This is when ideas for writing do not come very easily. It is easy to get very frustrated when beginning to write. Brainstorming activities can help you get ideas for your essay and help you become less frustrated.

Brainstorming
Three Activities

Clustering

Listing Freewriting

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Brainstorming
Clustering

1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in the center of your paper. 2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main topic. Draw arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.
Transportation Alcatraz Museums

San Francisco Chinatown Fishermans Wharf Golden Gate Bridge

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Brainstorming
Clustering
BART Bus American Legion Modern Art Museum

3. If you have new ideas, connect those words to the appropriate sub-topic.
Cable Car
Civilian Prison 1934-1963 Old Military Prison

Alcatraz

Transportatio n

Museums

Famous Prisoners

Asian Art Museum

San Francisco
Restaurants Stores Theaters

Chinatown Fisherman s Wharf Clam Chowder Ships boats

Golden Gate Bridge

Completed 1937 Scenic View

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Clustering
Example #1
Yellow GoodSized

Sunny

View of Trees

View of Sky

Windows

Bedroom

Favorite Room
Soft Bed Rocking Chair

Comfortable Furniture Quiet

Big Closet

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Clustering
Example #2
Soccer Volleyball

Housewife Waitress

Cleaned Houses

Liked Sports

Went to church

Hard Worker

Very Religious

Taught Sunday School Gave to charity

My Mother

Read many books Had many different interests

Intelligent

A Leader

After-School Club Coordinator

President of PTA

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Brainstorming
Listing

1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper.

2. Write down any word or phrase that might relate to your main topic underneath. Dont worry about spelling or grammar. Your goal is to write down as many ideas as quickly as possible.
Why I Want to Become a Nurse

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Brainstorming
Listing
Why I Want to Become a Nurse

Like science Like problem solving Many jobs available in nursing Good salary Like working in a hospital Want to help other people

Challenging job Opportunities for promotion Interested in study of diseases Interested in study of human body Flexible hours Will always learn something new

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Example #1
How to be a Successful Language Learner

Listing

Practice speaking with others Take classes Guess at the meanings of words Listen to radio or TV Observe others Set reasonable goals

Ask others to correct you Look for patterns in your errors Organize your study time Use special techniques to remember new words Ask for help when you dont understand Review material regularly

Dont be afraid to experiment

Study vocabulary in related topics

Use a dictionary
Choose a good textbook

Clustering

Listing
Freewriting

Example #2
Cambodia
Artful dances Theravada Buddhism King Sihanouk Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge Weather: hot and rainy Minority Groups: Cham, Pear, Brao Land mines Education

Listing

Major Cities: Battambang, Phnom Penh

Angkor Wat Borders Vietnam, Laos, Thailand Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers Once a French colony Tuol Sleng Prison Agriculture: rice, rubber, fish, timber

Cambodian writing: originally from India

Clustering

Listing

Brainstorming
Freewriting

Freewriting

1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper. 2. Freewriting is like talking to yourself on paper. Write as much as you can in connected sentences (not lists) about your topic. Write as quickly as you can without stopping to think about grammar or organization. My Favorite Book

Clustering

Listing

Brainstorming
Freewriting
My Favorite Book

Freewriting

My favorite book I dont know where to start. I read so many books that are interesting that its hard to choose just one. I guess I could start by talking about the kinds of books I really like. I like biographies and autobiographies the best. I really enjoy reading about another persons life. One of my favorite books is called Roots by Alex Haley. How the author was able to trace his family history all the way back to Africa was amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl Sandburgs biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an incredible president! There are also some very interesting books about leaders like Napoleon, Churchill, and Stalin. Well, I guess that gives me a few ideas about where I can start on my topic.

Clustering

Listing

Freewriting
Example #1
A Problem I Have

Freewriting

I have of course many problems in my life like everybody has, but right now I am feeling new problems like the cultural shock. I got out of my country and came to study in the U.S.A. One of the biggest problems is to make friends, to make or have the good old friends I have back home. Its so hard here- you dont know how to act, whether you should ask them their telephone number or wait for them to do it, whether you should call them very often or not. Are they bothered by my language problem? Can they not carry on a conversation with me because they always talk about local or national subjects about which I am not informed? This is really hard and sometimes makes me feel like a stranger in a group where everybody is laughing and talking and they supposedly were my friends. (Spack, R., 1996)

Clustering

Listing

Freewriting
Example #2
Things I Brought to the U.S.

Freewriting

I have been living in the U.S.A. for about four years. When I cam here, I brought with me a few books, my favorite T-shirts, and a little handmade pillow from my mother. Among some of the books I brought with me is one called The Little Prince. It is a very interesting book. Every time I read it, I find new and different ideas that I can practice in my life. Some of my favorite T-Shirts are souvenirs from places which I had visited in Colombia where I come from and they remind me of the good times I had. The little handmade pillow from my mother is a small cotton square, with five lines around it and my Christian name on it. Sometimes when I have difficulties in my courses, I look at it asking for help like my mother used to give me when I was living at home. And what I left behind was a happy family life, my good friends, and a pretty city in the north of Colombia near the Atlantic Ocean, where it is always sunny and windy. (Raimes, 1987)

Practice Exercise
Now you are ready to practice what youve learned. Click on the button to return to Unit A. Print and complete the Practice Exercise.

References

PowerPoint Presentation by Ruth Luman: Modesto Junior College. Raimes, A. (1987). Exploring Through Writing: A Process Approach to ESL Composition. New York: St. Martins Press. Spack, R. (1996). Guidelines: A Cross-Cultural Reading/Writing Text. New York: St. Martins Press.
This project incorporates portions of copyrighted works. These items are included under the fair use exemption of the U.S. Copyright Law and have been prepared according to the educational fair use guidelines. They are restricted from further use.