WRITING PROCESS

Yudhie Indra G

BRAINSTORMINGGetting Ideas Before You Write

IntroductionGetting Started

“Writer’s block” is a commonproblem to many students. This iswhen ideas for writing do not comevery easily. It is easy to get veryfrustrated when beginning to write.Brainstorming activities can helpyou get ideas for your essay andhelp you become less frustrated.

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Three Activities

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1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in the center of your paper.

2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main topic. Draw arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.

San Francisco

Chinatown

Fisherman’s Wharf

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatraz Museums

Transportation

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3. If you have new ideas, connect those words to the appropriate sub-topic.

San Francisco

Chinatown

Fisherman’s Wharf

Alcatraz Museums

Transportation

Golden Gate Bridge

American Legion

Modern Art Museum

Asian Art Museum

Clam Chowder Ships boats

Cable Car BusBART

Restaurants

Stores

Theaters

Old Military Prison

Civilian Prison 1934-1963

Famous Prisoners

Completed 1937

Scenic View

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ClusteringExample #1

Favorite Room

Quiet

Bedroom

Big ClosetComfortable Furniture

Windows

Sunny

View of Sky

View of Trees

Soft Bed

Rocking Chair

Yellow

Good-Sized

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ClusteringExample #2

My Mother

Liked SportsVery Religious

A LeaderIntelligent

Hard Worker

Housewife

Waitress

Cleaned Houses

Read many books

Had many different interests

Went to church

Taught Sunday School

Gave to charity

After-School Club Coordinator

President of PTA

Volleyball Soccer

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1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper.

Why I Want to Become a Nurse

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2. Write down any word or phrase that might relate to your main topic underneath. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Your goal is to write down as many ideas as quickly as possible.

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Why I Want to Become a Nurse

Like science

Like problem solving

Many jobs available in nursing

Good salary

Like working in a hospital

Want to help other people

Challenging job

Opportunities for promotion

Interested in study of diseases

Interested in study of human body

Flexible hours

Will always learn something new

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ListingExample #1How to be a Successful

Language Learner

•Practice speaking with others

•Take classes

•Guess at the meanings of words

•Listen to radio or TV

•Observe others

•Set reasonable goals

•Don’t be afraid to experiment

•Study vocabulary in related topics

•Ask others to correct you

•Look for patterns in your errors

•Organize your study time

•Use special techniques to remember new words

•Ask for help when you don’t understand

•Review material regularly

•Use a dictionary

•Choose a good textbook

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ListingExample #2

Cambodia•Major Cities: Battambang, Phnom Penh

•Angkor Wat

•Borders Vietnam, Laos, Thailand

•Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers

•Once a French colony

•Tuol Sleng Prison

•Agriculture: rice, rubber, fish, timber

•Cambodian writing: originally from India

•Artful dances

•Theravada Buddhism

•King Sihanouk

•Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge

•Weather: hot and rainy

•Minority Groups: Cham, Pear, Brao

•Land mines

•Education

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1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper.

2. Freewriting is like talking to yourself on paper. Write as much as you can in connected sentences (not lists) about your topic. Write as quickly as you can without stopping to think about grammar or organization.

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My Favorite Book

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My Favorite Book

My favorite book… I don’t know where to start. I read so many books that are interesting that it’s hard to choose just one. I guess I could start by talking about the kinds of books I really like. I like biographies and autobiographies the best. I really enjoy reading about another person’s life. One of my favorite books is called Roots by Alex Haley. How the author was able to trace his family history all the way back to Africa was amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl Sandburg’s biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an incredible president! There are also some very interesting books about leaders like Napoleon, Churchill, and Stalin. Well, I guess that gives me a few ideas about where I can start on my topic.

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FreewritingExample #1

A Problem I Have

I have of course many problems in my life like everybody has, but right now I am feeling new problems like the cultural shock. I got out of my country and came to study in the U.S.A. One of the biggest problems is to make friends, to make or have the good old friends I have back home. It’s so hard here- you don’t know how to act, whether you should ask them their telephone number or wait for them to do it, whether you should call them very often or not. Are they bothered by my language problem? Can they not carry on a conversation with me because they always talk about local or national subjects about which I am not informed? This is really hard and sometimes makes me feel like a stranger in a group where everybody is laughing and talking and they supposedly were my friends.

(Spack, R., 1996)

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FreewritingExample #2

Things I Brought to the U.S.

I have been living in the U.S.A. for about four years. When I cam here, I brought with me a few books, my favorite T-shirts, and a little hand-made pillow from my mother. Among some of the books I brought with me is one called The Little Prince. It is a very interesting book. Every time I read it, I find new and different ideas that I can practice in my life. Some of my favorite T-Shirts are souvenirs from places which I had visited in Colombia where I come from and they remind me of the good times I had. The little handmade pillow from my mother is a small cotton square, with five lines around it and my Christian name on it. Sometimes when I have difficulties in my courses, I look at it asking for help like my mother used to give me when I was living at home.

And what I left behind was a happy family life, my good friends, and a pretty city in the north of Colombia near the Atlantic Ocean, where it is always sunny and windy. (Raimes, 1987)

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References

PowerPoint Presentation by Ruth Luman: Modesto Junior College.

Raimes, A. (1987). Exploring Through Writing: A Process Approach to ESL Composition. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Spack, R. (1996). Guidelines: A Cross-CulturalReading/Writing Text. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

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