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There are several things you can do during the pre-writing phase. The largest step is working through your topic and research question, where you start researching your ideas to see if you have enough information to continue with that topic. Remember, keep an open mind about your topic, it may evolve as you do research and learn more about it.
To help you brainstorm and consider all your potential options, the graph below shows several different ways to work through your pre-research and pre-writing.
When you feel confident with your topics and research question, outlining is another step that you can take before you begin writing anything. There are many different ways to outline your information, so play around with options until you find something that you enjoy working on.Of course, there is the standard outline that you make in Word Or if you prefer a digital or visual outline, an online mind map might work for you. Coggle and Mindmeister are two free online mindmapping services you could try.
As undergraduates, students are encouraged to work through pre-writing, to create outlines, and to brainstorm, but they often skip these steps--even though all these things are vital to a successful writing process. As a graduate student, your writing is expected to be more developed, more organized, and generally more put-together than in the past. Being able to accomplish those feats will be more likely with a solid start in pre-writing.
As you work through your writing assignment, make time in your writing process to pre-write. It really can help you write better, no matter the assignment. This step helps you get your ideas on paper and helps with organizing your ideas and research. Additionally, this is a great time to make an appointment at the Writing Center. We can act as a sounding board for your ideas, help you start your outline, and provide resources to help you move forward.
