Organizing and Outlining Ideas Terry C. Norris Spring 2015

Generating Ideas In order to organize and outline ideas, you must have ideas to organize and outline. There are several techniques that effective writers use in order to narrow their focus and generate ideas to include in their writing. These techniques are called “prewriting” because you do them before you begin to write. Some techniques will work better for you than others will, so it is good to try all of them in order to find the ones that suit you best.

Listing Make a random list of anything you can think of regarding your topic. Don’t evaluate the ideas; just write down whatever comes to mind. Making choices will come later. For example, if you are writing about restaurants, make a list of everything you can think of about restaurants. You might include specifics from these categories: types of restaurants quality of service location/convenience types of customers types of food cost atmosphere etc. The more items in the list, the more ideas you have to choose from for your writing.

Freewriting Like listing, freewriting is random. It’s called “free” because you don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar, sense, etc. Making corrections will come later. Write for a set time (i.e. 5, 10, 15 minutes), roughly in paragraph form, anything that comes to mind about your topic. Let the ideas flow freely. This is not a speed exercise; it is a motion exercise The goal is to get your mind thinking about the topic.

Looping Looping is an extension of freewriting: Freewrite for a set time Summarize the ideas from that freewriting in one sentence Freewrite on that summary sentence Summarize that freewriting in one sentence Etc. Each time you summarize and freewrite on the summary sentence (complete a loop), you are getting more specific and closer to a central focus for your writing.

Boomerang This is another extension of freewriting. Free write on your topic from opposite or contradictory points of view. The more perspectives from which you view your topic, the more information you will have to choose from in developing your essay. If you are not quite sure what focus you want for your essay, this process is useful in helping you decide how you want to approach your topic.

Interviewing Ask someone to help you with your assignment by asking you questions about your topic that interest them. Seeing how someone else views your topic gives you additional perspectives to explore, and that gives you more information. Also, the questions that the other person asks force your brain to come up with answers, giving you more information.

Cross Examination Ask yourself questions about your topic. Think of questions that you or people you know would like to know about it. Ask yourself the questions out loud (be sure you are alone when you do this). As with interviewing, hearing the questions stimulates your brain to come up with answers.

Clustering This technique is also called “brainstorming.” It involves building a cluster of ideas about your topic and has several advantages: It shows how the various points or your topic relate to each other. You can choose information more easily. You can start to organize your ideas. You can put that organization into an outline. As you fill in the cluster, you generate information to consider in your essay.

Clustering, continued Use information from the other prewriting activities to fill in the cluster. Start with a circle in the middle of a piece of paper. Draw lines out from that circle to connect it with other circles. Put your general topic in the center circle and fill in the next level of circles with main aspects of your topic. From those circles, draw lines to other circles, which will contain specific aspects of the topic. The farther out, the more specific the information.

Clustering Example Restaurants Fast Food Take-out Formal Types Mc Donald’s Olive Garden Fast Food Take-out Formal Types Restaurants Location Restaurants Food Cost

Clustering, continued The number of circles depends on how much you have to say about the topic. The act of drawing and filling in the circles stimulates your brain to come up with additional information to put in the cluster. When you think that the cluster is complete, note the connection between ideas and begin to build an outline.

Outlining When you have finished your prewriting, it’s time to plan your essay by outlining the points you want to cover and the order in which you want to cover them. An outline benefits both the writer and the reader: Writer – provides a pattern to follow so no necessary information is left out, and no unnecessary information is included Reader – provides a flow of thought to follow so he doesn’t get lost as he reads

Outlining - Choosing Information It is helpful to have a completed outline before you begin writing your essay, but you may need to build it as you write. You need at least the main points to keep you on track as you write. As you are listing your points, also consider the order in which you want to discuss them. Usually, go from least important to most important. Start by choosing from your prewriting your narrowed topic and the main points you will use to clarify it. Types of restaurants Formal Fast Food Take-out

Outlining - Adding a Thesis When you develop your thesis, put it above the list of points: Types of Restaurants The main types of restaurants are formal, fast food, and take-out. Formal Fast Food Take-out

Outlining – Summarizing Support When you have finished writing your body paragraphs, add a summary idea for each point in the outline: Types of Restaurants The main types of restaurants are formal, fast food, and take-out. Formal Grown-up Fast Food Playful Take-out Convenient

Outlining – Summarizing the Essay When you finish the conclusion, add to the outline the final thought that expresses your perspective on the essay: Types of Restaurants The main types of restaurants are formal, fast food, and take-out. Formal Grown-up Fast Food Playful Take-out Convenient Whenever I think about eating out, I choose a restaurant based on how I am feeling at the moment.