Prewriting

outline

a plan or a blueprint of your writing, which puts the main point and supporting details in a logical order

questioning

coming up with ideas and details by asking questions about your subject, such as who, when, what, where, and why

prewriting

first stage of the writing process: techniques that help writers think about and develop a topic, and get words on paper; also known as idea generation

freewriting

jotting down in rough sentences, words, or phrases everything that comes to mind about a possible topic

brainstorming

making a list of details and ideas related to your subject

drafting

roughing out a first version of a piece of writing

mapping

using lines, boxes, arrows and circles to show relationships among ideas and details that occur to you; also called diagramming or clustering