Getting started is often the hardest part of the writing process. Once you've chosen a topic, below are some strategies to help you begin writing! You might also try this interactive brainstorming workshop to get started.
- Freewriting: One of the best ways to start writing is to...start writing (but without the pressure that comes with writing a formal draft). Set a timer for a set amount of time, and just begin to write whatever comes to you about your topic. What do you already know? What questions do you have? What do you think is especially interesting about your topic? Who is your audience, and what might they find compelling about this topic? Don't worry about format or grammar or punctuation. Just open a word document or grab a pencil and a piece of paper and put words down on the page. This can help you get ideas flowing, and you'll often be suprised by how much you already know or have to say about your topic.
- Mapping: If you're a visual learner, mapping might work well for you. Mapping is a way to create a visual diagram of your essay. First, write your topic in the center of your page (if you prefer to work on your computer, you can also find free online mapping software that will allow you to create a map). Branching out from your topic, write main ideas related to your topic that you may explore with smaller details that branch out from your main ideas. These main ideas could eventually lead to paragraph topics with the smaller details acting as supposrt. You can use different colors or shapes to distinguish between main points.
- Outlining: If you already have a good start on your topic but want to work on developing it and planning your organization, an outline could help. You don't have to create a formal outline, like you would for a speech in a communications class, but laying out out your main points with supporting details allows you to see how well developed your topic is and where you need more support for your ideas. Outlining can also give you a road map to follow as you write your paper.
- Talk it out: One of the best ways to prepare to write is to talk through your topic with another person. This could be a friend, classmate, teacher, or even one of our friendly tutors. Talking through your topic with another person allows you to work through questions you or your partner might have about the topic. Having a conversation about your topic may also help you, the writer, to make new connections between pieces of information and to test out your ideas with a real-life audience.
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