Invention Techniques “Inventing” Ideas

Invention What? An invention technique is any method you use to come up with ideas for your paper. - Pre-topic - Everything goes on paper - Don’t worry about editing - It doesn’t have to look pretty - Shorthand is ok Not every technique works for everybody, so find one that works for YOU

BRAINSTORMING Write a GENERAL topic idea somewhere on a piece of paper in big, bold letters. Then write down everything that comes to mind when you think about that topic. - Don’t analyze - Don’t erase - DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF!! - Short intervals

Journaling Basically, what is sounds like. One the top of a piece of paper, write down your idea for a topic. Then, over a period of a couple of days, write down everything that comes to mind as an idea to include in your paper. - Complete/Incomplete sentences - Will look like a journal entry

Free Writing Similar to journaling, but there are some important differences: - not done over a several days; don’t stop - will wander further from the topic idea

Q & A Session(s) Make a list of questions, then answer them. Start with the basics: who, what, when, why, where, and how. - create own questions about what you already know and don’t know - continue throughout writing your paper

Picture It If you’re more artistically oriented, draw a picture of your topic. Then, label the parts. You’re essentially identifying different things to include in a paper, and you’ll be able to see how they relate to each other.