1) WRITING PROCESS

2) WRITING ADVICE

3) FREEWRITING

4) BRAIN-STORMING

5) OUTLINING

6) COMMON ERRORS

7) JOURNALS

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ESSAY BASICS

• Titles
• Introductions
• Theses
• Topic Sentences
• Transitions
• Conclusions

EDITING/PROOF-READING

DOCUMENTATION

LITERARY CRITICISM

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POS

ERRORS

MECHANICS

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030

101

102

BARD

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·  When you are stuck and you cannot think of what to write, one way to jump-start the writing process is to freewrite.

· You do not need a topic etched in stone at this point; you may change the topic or, more than likely, adjust your topic as you go through the early stages of the writing process.

1) to write "free":

• free of pressure

• free of worry of perfection

• free of editing/revising

2) to write freely: 

• free associations

• that is, whatever comes to your mind

• word associations:  I say red; you say apple

3) to freewrite:

• pick a set time limit

•         --for a 300-500-word essay, 5-10 minutes will do

  

• then put pen to paper for that entire time

•        --no stopping, no pondering, no thinking

•        --the pen should not leave the paper

•        --or your fingers the keyboard for the 10 minutes

•       --whatever pops in your head, go with it

•       --do not worry about spelling, fragments, or any other

•          error type

• at the end of your time, look over what you have written

• cross out or delete the poor ideas

• circle and keep the strong ideas

• after separating the diamonds from the rough, focus on those gems: 

•        --perhaps freewrite again based on those strong ideas

•        --or move on to the outlining stage

• at least you now have some ideas on paper, something tangible to cross out, circle, or re-arrange

• and that is precisely the point of freewriting:  to get some words on paper instead of rattling around your head, driving you insane!