Choosing a Topic

EN 12 R42 Jan 25

• Templates for requirements on choosing a topic

Any other questions?

Second Method: Freewriting

• First thoughts• “The aim is to burn through to first thoughts,

to the place where energy is unobstructed by social politeness or the internal censor, to the place where you are writing what your mind actually sees and feels and not what it thinks it should see or feel”—Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

• “The internal censor squelches them (first thoughts) so we live in the realm of second and third thoughts, thoughts on thought, twice or thrice removed from the direct connection of the first flash.”—Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Other Applications of Freewriting

• Do it before you write anything• Before you run you?• Warm up• So before you write, you should freewrite

Instructions

• Intermediate pad paper• At top left of the paper, put your name and

section• I’ll give you starting points to your freewriting• Wait for me to say go before you write• For ten minutes, we will do freewriting• You can use more than one page of paper if

one is not enough

Rules of Freewriting

• You are not allowed to stop• You are not allowed to edit or cross out

anything• You are not allowed to think • This means, you are not allowed to think of

grammar, or if what you are saying is interesting or not, if your thoughts are organized or not, or to make any judgments about your writing

Product of Freewriting

• Raw• Badly written• But if you let yourself go, there’s also a chance

that you might say something brilliant• You can say what you truly want to say• No one will read this• You will pass this to me but I promise I won’t

read it. I will only check that you did it

Freewriting starting points

• Choose one and start writing with that phrase:• I am interested in• I like• I love• I want to learn about

How was it?

Instructions

• Read what you wrote• Underline any interesting things• Some of them might be possible research

topics

Organizing and Examining Ideas

• Let’s play a guessing game• I have several objects that you need to

organize• What do you need to know in order to

complete the task?

Freewriting

• Helps you see your ideas• If they continue to be amorphous thoughts,

they’ll be harder to examine and organize

Questions?

Start working on Brainstorming Method 1 (Individual)