Brainstorming Strategies

Brainstorming Strategies for Essay Writing

Outlining

• Outlining is a brainstorming strategy to organize thoughts before writing the first draft.
• Steps:
  • List anything relevant to the assignment.
    • Use short phrases and bullet points.
  • Rearrange points by relevance.
    • Group related ideas together.
  • Sort list items within each group.
    • Methods:
      • Less specific to more specific.
      • Chronological order.
  • Identify headings and subheadings.
    • Bullet points acting as categories.
    • Move points under category items to show lesser individual importance.

Clustering

• Clustering is a brainstorming strategy to generate more ideas quickly by removing filters.

• Steps:

  • Take a blank sheet of real paper.
  • Write the topic in the middle.
  • Write down anything that comes to mind around the topic.
    • Vocabulary word
    • Idea
    • Related topic
  • Jot down more concepts in the surrounding space quickly.
    • Do not focus on perfection; prioritize speed.
  • Continue until the paper is full, leaving space around each term.
  • Circle related terms and draw lines between the circles.

• Explore connections between ideas by going from circle to circle.

• The paper should resemble a web of circles and lines.