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Prewriting
What do I need to do?
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Choose a form. Your choices of forms include essays, reports, poems, letters, editorials, memoirs, stories, pamphlets, or instructions.
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Choose and narrow your topic carefully. For coming up with ideas that interest you, you can try freewriting, clustering, and brainstorming. Think about the amount of space you have to present your information. For example, a topic like "animals" is very broad. However, a topic like "African Elephants" is more manageable.
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Identify your purpose and audience. Why are you writing? Who will read your work? The answers to these questions will help you focus your ideas.
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Decide what point you want to make. It is important that you begin with a main idea statement, or thesis. This will help you keep your writing on track. Ask yourself - what is the purpose of my writing?
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Gather lots of information. Some sources to consider for information are books, magazines, the web, or even people.
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Think about organizing. Try to find a logical progression, or helpful order, for your ideas.
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