Prewriting

[Ahribelle]

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Why Write?

If you agree with one or more of the following statements, we have some serious myth-killing to do:


1. I'm no good in English--never have been, never will be.


2. Only people with natural talent for writing can succeed


in composition class.


3. I write for myself, not for anyone else, so I don't need anything else.


4. Composition Classes are designed to put my creativity in a


straitjacket.


The notion that good writers are born, not made, is a widespread myth that may make you feel defeated before you start. But the simple truth its tat writers are made--simply because effective writing is a skill that can be learned. Despite any feelings of insecurity you may have about composition, you should realize that you already know many of the rules of good writing; after all, you've been writing since you were four, or six years old. What you need now is some practical advice on composition, some coaching to sharpen your skills, and a strong dose of determination to practice those skills until you can constantly produce the results you want. Talent, as the French writes Flaubert once said, is nothing more than long patience.


Think about learning to write well as a tennis game. No one is born a tennis star. You first need to learn the basics rules and movements. And practice. No one's tennis skills will improve if he or she stays off the court; similarly, you must write regularly.


"Okay," you say, "so I can improve if I try-- but why should I bother? Why should I write well? I'm not going to be a professional writer."


In the first place, writing helps us explore our own thoughts and feelings. Writing forces us to articulate oiur ideas, to discover what we really think about an issue. For example, let's suppose you're faced with a difficult decision and that the arguments pro and con are jumbled in your head. You begin to see that you do, indeed, have stronger arguments for one side of the question tghan the other. Once you "see" what you are thinking, you may then scrutinize your opinions for any logical flaws or weaknesses and revise your argument accordingly. In other words, writing lays out our ideas for examination, analysis, and thoughtful reaction. Thus, when we write, we see who we are, and what we stand for, much more clearly. Moreover, writing can provide a record of our thoughts that we may study and evaluate in a way that a conversation can not. In short, writing enables us to see and know ourselves--our feelings, ideas, and opinions--better.

Prewriting

For many writers, getting started is the hardest part. You may have noticed that when it is time to begin writing, you suddenly develop an enormous desire to straighten your books, water your plants, or sharpen your pencuil for the fifth time. If this situation sounds familiar, you may fidn it reassuring to know that many professionals undergo these dsame strange compulsions before they begin writing. Jean Kerr, author of "Please Don't Eat The Daisies", admits that she often finds herself in the kitchen reading soup-can labels in order to prolong the moments before taking a pen in hand. John C. Calhoun, vice president under Andrew Jackson, insisted he had to plow his fields before he could write, and Josepoh Conrad, author of Lord Jim and other novels, is said to have cried on occasion from the sheer dread of siting down to compose his stories.

Selecting a Subject

Start Early. Writing teachers since the Earth's crust filled have been pushing this advice, and for a good reason. It's not because teachers are egoists competing for the dubious honor of having the most time-consuming course; it is because a few writers, even experienced ones, can do a good job when rushed. You need time to mill over ideas, organize your thoughts, revise and polish your prose. Rule of the thumb: always give yourself twice as much time as you think you'll need to avoid the 2:00AM why-did-I-come-to-college panic.





Select something in which you currently have a strong interest. If the subject is left to you, think of something fun, fascinating, magical, somehting you've seen or done lately, or perhaps something you've already told a friend about. Think of something that will attract people, something interesting, or whatever you coldl think of. Something short, and yet complex. Don't feel you have nothing from which to choose your subject. Your days are full of activities, people, joys, and irritations. If it's a fandom RP, make the plot interesting.





Narrow a large subject. Once you've selected a plot/topic, you Amy find the tit's too broad for effective treatment in a short story; therefore, you may need to narrow it somewhat. However, soemtimes it is far too large and unwieldy for a short plot. Consequently, you must make your subject less general. Choose something specific.

Listing

Listing is one of the ways that you can use to choose a subject. Try jotting down all the ideas that pop into your head about your topic. Free-associate; don't hold back anything. Try to brainstorm for at least ten minutes, writing each word you can think of, that is related to the topic, down on the paper. As you read over the list, look for connections between ideas or one large idea that encompasses several small ones. Then, you may now find your new subject.

Clustering

Another excellent technique is clustering, which is sometimes called mapping. Place your general subject in a circle in the middle of a blank sheet of paper and begin to draw other lines and circles that radiate from the original subject. Cluster those ideas that seem to fall together. At the end of ten minutes, see if a topic emerges from any of your group ideas.


Here's an example:

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Other

Describe it: What does your subject look like? What size, color, textures does it have? Any special features worth noting?


Compare or contrast it: What is your subject similar to? What is your subject different from? In what ways?


Free-associate it: What does this subject remind you of? What does it call to mind? What memories does it conjure up?


Analyze it: How does it work? How are parts connected? What's it's significance?


Argue for to against it: Hear arguments cna you make for or against your subject? What advantages or disadvantages does it have? What changes or improvements should be made?


Apply it: What are the uses of your subject? What's it's daily routine? What can you do with it?