IDEAS
Instructor Stephanie Hernandez
What is brainstorming?
A gathering of ideas from your brain to paper.
The variety of ideas and the use of your imagination assist you
in producing a lot of material with which to work.
Why do we need it?
Its the best way to collect your thoughts.
Its helpful for organization.
It ensures only quality ideas are used in the essay.
Brainstorming Techniques
Build lists
Map your ideas
Brainstorm to list
potential topics. If
you already have
a topic explore
the major points
you might cover.
Do not be picky or
too detailed, this
defeats the power
of brainstorming.
Think of writing
grocery lists.
Explore the
relationship
between your
ideas visually.
Some writers use
tree diagrams to
represent their
thinking. Start with
a single general
concept and
break it into
smaller parts.
Freewriting
Brainstorming technique of nonstop writing.
It typically begins slowly with disconnected phrases
and words.
By forcing yourself to write, you push yourself to think
and, perhaps what really matters in a subject.
Freewriting works best when you already have some
knowledge of the subject.
Although freewriting comes in many forms, the basic
formula is simple.
Stage one
Start with a blank screen or sheet of paper.
Put your subject or title at the top of the page.
Write on that subject nonstop for ten minutes.
Dont stop typing or lift your pen from the paper during that time.
Write nonsense if you must, but keep writing.
Stage two
Stop at ten minutes and review what you have written.
Underscore or highlight the most intriguing idea, phrase, or sentence.
Put the highlighted idea at the top of the screen or sheet.
Freewrite for another ten minutes on the new, more focused topic.
Example of Freewriting
This paper is supposed to be on the politics of tobacco
production but even though I went to all the lectures and read
the book I can't think of what to say and I've felt this way for
four minutes now and I have 11 minutes left and I wonder if I'll
keep thinking nothing during every minute but I'm not sure if it
matters that I am babbling and I don't know what else to say
about this topic and it is rainy today and I never noticed the
number of cracks in that wall before and those cracks remind
me of the walls in my grandfather's study and he smoked and
he farmed and I wonder why he didn't farm tobacco...
Venn diagram
Draw two circles that connect, like this:
Capital
Became Paris
in 400 A.D.
francophone
Cities
Eiffel
Tower
County seat
Anglophone
Founded in
1839
List two topics above the circles.
Brainstorm about the topics what do they have in common and
what is unique about each one.
Usually used when you are writing a comparison or contrast essay.
Use memory prompts
You might trigger ideas with photographs, yearbooks, diaries, or
personal memorabilia.
An image from a vacation might bring back memories worth
writing about flooding back to you.
Even credit card statements may help reconstruct past events.
Search online for ideas
You can get lots of ideas by simply exploring most topics online
using keywords.
Brainstorming with others
Smart reading
There is
probably no
better strategy
for generating
ideas than
reading.
Read to deepen what
you already know
Read above your level
of knowledge
Read what makes you
uncomfortable
Read slowly
Annotate what you
read
Read visually
Rules
Relax
Have fun
Support not
criticize
No
boundaries
Completely
free your
mind
No limits on
the number
of ideas
Fragmented
ideas OK
Just
keywords
OK
No criticizing
(during or after)
No dismissing
EVEN your own
ideas.
No You must
be joking looks
or comments
Select a
moderator
No dominating
No interrupting
Create ideas in
silence
Short session (20
min)
Activity: What If?
Come up with the most unique What if? questions answers you can think of.
(In other words, start with "what if" and finish with some unusual situation.) Here
are some examples: What if people didn't need to sleep? What if we "elected"
presidents by lottery? Then settle on one particular question with the answer and
share it with the rest of the class. After, the class will vote on which buddy pair
had the most creative question.
Assignment
If you were writing your autobiography right now, what would be five to ten events or things that
would have to be included? It will be easiest to think over your life chronologically.
Ask a few friends or family members to pick five adjectives or personality traits that characterize
you.
List five accomplishments you have made over the last five years.
List three to five things on which you consider yourself very knowledgeable.
List 5 people whom you respect and admire. They can be real or fictional, dead or alive.
What is your favorite movie or book?
Who is your favorite musician?
List two times in life when you failed miserably and two times when you were a fantastic success.
Ask your parents for five events in your life that they will always remember.
List four of your favorite things and four of your least favorite. These can include activities, places,
objects, virtues, etc.
