The Clueless Student is one who has yet to begin the writing assignment and has no idea where to start. Thus begins the tutor s job of helping with pre-writing, or generating and developing ideas. The purpose of pre-writing is to help students flesh out ideas below the surface, ideas that they may not be aware are lurking beyond what s easily observable.
Provocation is usually in order at such times.
You, the tutor, can rely on several different writing techniques to help students generate ideas. Just as the sculptor needs a medium from which to sculpt, just as a painter requires paints and canvas to paint, so, too, does the writer need to generate ideas before these ideas can be organized and developed into an effective piece of writing. What the Clueless Student needs more than anything is to get started, to generate ideas so that he will have something to work with. Using whatever techniques prove beneficial, you, the tutor, can approach students in this stage of writing from whatever angle proves most productive. You should also, at this stage, emphasize that the writing process is in no way linear.