Pre-writing Strategies to Gather Ideas Before Writing
By: Brenda Mahler
Tags: Writing Tips, Writing, Life Lessons, The Writing Cooperative, Writers Block

Pre-writing Strategies to Gather Ideas Before Writing

Photo by Brandi Redd on Unsplash

For many, writing creates apprehension and uncertainty. The first stage of the writing process reduces negative emotions as it provides strategies that encourage writers to begin the journey to a completed piece of writing. With prewriting, writers record ideas before they begin to feel the uncertainty of what to write; they have already begun their journeys to success.

Prewriting prompts the gathering of ideas. This stage promotes opportunities to cognitively record what is known before formulating a draft. A process that begins with the first draft forcing words into the confinements of the current selected structure limits the free flow of ideas. Beginning to draft before mental preparation invites writer’s block, frustration, and a desire to quit. The objective of a prewrite is to organize the mind for writing by investigating not only what knowledge the writer owns but exploring what more information is required; it promotes motivation to write.

The prewriting strategies below have been proven successful with beginning and veteran writers. During this stage, writers learn to make decisions about the topic as they ask questions: Do I know enough about this topic to continue? How can I gather more information? What relationships exist? Do I like this topic?

Writers who experiment to determine what works and empowers their writing build a writing process that enriches their style and improves productivity.

Below are definitions and examples of different prewriting strategies. Each of the examples shares ideas generated on the topic of camping. This allows for a comparison of each. Notice how some activities are best when the focus remains fuzzy, but others help develop details and descriptions.

Brainstorming encourages uncensored list

Sometimes writers stall, causing writer’s block because they worry if the words are appropriate, meets the objective or follow grammar rules. Brainstorming allows writers to capture their ideas on paper without these worries.

Brainstorming rules

Do write all ideas that come to mind.

Do not censor ideas.

Sometimes what seems to lack potential becomes the catalyst for brilliance.

2. Do accept all ideas.

Do not criticize or critique ideas.

Often what seems to not work becomes useful at a later stage in the process.

4. Do focus on the ideas and allow them to spark new ideas.

Do not interrupt the natural flow of ideas

The objective is to see how long a list can be created in a selected amount of time (3–5 minutes). By competing within a limited time, writers are less guarded which promotes a free association of ideas. All examples were produced on the topic of spending time at the family cabin.

Example of brainstorming

Developed by author, B Mahler

Example of category fast writes

During this activity, writers use prescribed categories to prompt fast writing. The categories should revolve around the original topic. In the example below, the topic expanded upon the original brainstorm of camping.

Developed by author, B Mahler

Each of the above fast writes emanated from the prompt producing four possible stories for the future. Even now after using this strategy repeatedly, I was surprised at the ideas that flowed. This activity allows for writers to decide if they really know enough about a topic to continue. If you think one of these could develop into a story of interest, let me know in the comments; we all need a little encouragement.

Cueing develops details about ideas

Writers use simple cues to explore ideas of a topic. In drama, an actor sometimes forgets a line so from offstage comes a cue. In writing, cues work in the same manner. Writers sometimes cannot remember what they know. Cues act as prompts to pull out buried information. This helps to develop description and creates a bank of ideas and images for writing.

Example of sense cueing

Sight: hot embers, charcoaled marshmallows, sticky faces, wet clothes, thick flowing blood, hair flying, pale red and swollen bumps

Sound: hearty laughter, repressed and muffled sobbing, rustling limbs, buzzing, near silence, roar of engines, low tones, missed notes

Touch: sore bottom that’s rubbed raw, irritating itching, sticky, hot relaxed, excitement, fear, anticipation, warmth, sharp and penetrating pain, cold water

Taste: dirty and gritty dust, overwhelming sweetness, refreshing water, sweet marshmallows, chocolate

Smell: fresh air, pine scent, exhaust, smoky ashes, aroma of warm food, sweat, someone’s breath, dogs, burning hair,

Example of alphabet cueing

A — anticipation, ashes, ants

B — boat, bug spray, balloon fight, bats. Backpack, beer

C — campfire, cabin, candy, crash, chills, cinnamon, canoe

D — deer, dominoes, dirt, dust

E — engines, excitement, exhaust, eruptions of laughter, eagles

F — food, friends, family, fellowship, freedom to roam, fire, fresh, fishing

G — games, grill, garter snakes, golf, gingerbread houses

H — hotdogs, hiking, hide-n-seek, hospital trips, honor system,

I — itching, indigestion, inner tube, irritations, irate parents

J — jack rabbits, Jolly Ranchers, jeans, jello,

K — kindling, knapsack, kayak, Kindle books,

L — laughter, lawn chairs, life preserver, lemon drops,

M — motorcycles, movies, marshmallows, margaritas

N — noises, nuts, nighthawk,

O — outhouse, odors, ouch, osprey fishing

P — paddle boat, pain, pine scent

Q — quiet time alone, quarry

R — rafting, reading, relaxing, raking pine needles, river

S — swimming, songs, snowmobile, sleep, snow, shoveling, snowmen,

T — tent, TV, tree fort, thin mints

U — umbrella, unkempt, ugly spiders

V — volleyball, vanilla coke

W — water-ski, walks, water, whiskey

X — x-rays at the emergency room

Y — yelps, yellow wildflowers

Z — zipper stuck on tent, zip line

Example of question cueing

Who: family (Kat, Randy, Kari, Brenda), Vicky, Tom, and the kids, Jay, Lisa, Dani, and Linda

What: camping, fire, singing, roasting marshmallows, motorcycles, walks around the lake, eating stew and pineapple upside down cake, dominoes, reading, writing, laughter, s’mores

When: Fall of 2002, Labor Day Weekend, 3 days, end of summer, cool breeze, teenage children, late nights, sleeping late

Where: Cascade, Idaho, Herrick Lake, Clear Creek Road, cabin, dirt road, forest, fire pit, tree fort, kitchen table, front porch, grandpa’s, hammock

Why: fellowship with friends, relax, laugh, sleep, family, excitement, adventure, tastes great, work to do, competition, support for others

Gathering occurs when writers train their senses to recognize the potential of experiences

The idea of prewriting is to gather information that prompts writing. Everyday writers encounter multiple opportunities that inspire ideas. t like culling through seeds to identify which hold the potential to sprout and produce. Using the process of gathering to prewrite simply requires a writer to record ideas as they appear. I have found some of my best ideas using this process. I remember once when riding my Harley cross country, I pulled to the side of the road to record an observation. My husband shook his head in dismay, but a poem grew from the experience.

Examples of gathering

Read: When someone else’s words speak to me, I take a picture with my cell phone for later reference. Books I own are graffitied as I underline, comment, and expand on ideas.

Listen: Music provides constant inspiration, but simple active listening can inspire writers to think outside their area a comfort. Eavesdropping on conversations provides writers examples of natural communication allowing them to take away slang, dialects, and unique sentence structures prompting the ability to create realistic dialogue.

Discuss: Participating in honest, open discussions generates understanding for innovative ideas. An author who incorporates only their beliefs reduces the writing to a bland sermon void of the tension necessary to hold a reader’s attention.

Draw: Many writers draw to visualize their ideas. Visual learners can benefit from time spent drawing a picture of the place or item they are describing. Some writers are artistic and if this passion can be tapped, they can make a smooth transition into the writing. Illustrations will not only become great springboards but excellent supplements to the written piece.