Invention Techniques

Invention or Prewriting There are many strategies for coming up with ideas and developing essays. You should try the suggested techniques; develop your own strategies and find what works for you; recognize the process may be a little different for each paper.

Invention Techniques Brainstorm--make lists, write down notes. Freewrite--write without stopping. Read and discuss--share ideas. Cluster—develop related ideas. Question—ask and answer questions. Outline--make a formal list of topics and subtopics. Contexts—start with Rhetorical Situation—Aristotle’s Topoi Tagmemics--use a formal linguistic tool

Freewriting Freewriting--designed to “free up” your thinking so you can generate ideas first without self-editing. Write without stopping--start with a topic or just write about anything that comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, etc. Keep writing for ten minutes or more. Find an interesting idea or sentence in your text and circle it. Write that on the top of a new page and start another freewriting (looping).

Tagmemics Three ways of looking at a topic: As a PARTICLE (the thing itself) As a WAVE (changes over in time) As part of a FIELD (in context, in relationship to other things)

Particle Static View Describe the topic (person, place, or thing) in detail, with all its parts. Consider its structure and uses. Consider how you think and feel about it now.

Wave Dynamic--Changes over time. Consider your topic in the past. Consider its future. Consider your changing perspective, your view in the past. Consider your possible view in the future.

Field Contexts and Relationships Compare and contrast: Think of your topic in relationship to others like and unlike it. Classify it. Find an analogy or metaphor for it.

Questions Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Rhetorical Situation Play a Role Solve a problem Define your purpose Analyze your topic Analyze your audience

Finding a Focus Answer a specific question to form a thesis. For example, why do young people join gangs? Your thesis will be an answer to that question: “Young people join gangs because….” Nutshelling—state your thesis in one sentence. What are you trying to do or prove?