Prewriting
The
Clueless Student is one who has yet to begin the writing
assignment and has no idea where to start. “I don’t have
anything to say about this topic!” the Clueless Student
will say exasperatedly. Thus begins the job of helping with
pre-writing, or generating and developing ideas.
The purpose of pre-writing is to help students flush out
ideas below the surface; ideas that they may not be aware
are lurking beyond what’s easily observable. Provocation is
usually in order at such times. You, the tutor, can rely on
several different writing techniques to help students
generate ideas. Pre-writing not only helps students to come
up with the raw material of writing, the ideas from which
their writing will take shape, but prewriting also helps
students to gain more self-confidence about their ability
to think and to write. Just as the sculptor needs a medium
from which to sculpt, just as a painter requires paints and
canvas to paint, so, too, does the writer need to generate
ideas before these ideas can be organized and developed
into an effective piece of writing.
Support Handouts:
Prewriting Tools and
Strategies