Edward Yom/Assignment 2(What's important to get writing right? Advice for student writers)/Tues 5,6

The Importance of Brainstorming

 

     When writing, everybody has certain factors they feel are important, and want to emphasize while writing. In writing there are numerous factors ranging from not having any  grammar mistakes to using a wide range of vocabulary. However, I believe to get writing right, the most important factor is brainstorming.

 

     When I write, I tend to brainstorm my ideas before writing. When I brainstorm, I do not think about grammar errors, or specific vocabulary words I will use. I usually only focus on the ideas, and write simple words, or phrases on the subject. Brainstorming prior to writing is a superb technique people can use to enhance their writings. 

 

     One of the most common problems student writers face with is getting off topic as they write their essay. If one brainstorms their ideas, and has a brief idea of how their writings will flow, this problem can be easily fixed. Another problem students have while writing is they get wordy. In most cases, this is because they have nothing more to say half way through their writing forcing themselves to repeat what they already said and attempting to fill up the remaining space, or word count hoping their reader won't know. Through brainstorming, one will already know ahead of time how much they can talk about a subject. By realizing ahead of time, one can choose to either discard that topic and write on something else, think more about what information to add, or do extra research on the topic through methods such as but not limited to finding reliable sources like quotations or studies to reduce wordiness, and give more detail. Brainstorming can become very handy in writings that require one to take a side. For example, if one has to right either for or against slavery, it is recommended to write out the pros and cons before writing, and choose the side that one has more to write about. It is encouraged that one takes the time to lay out their ideas before writing.  

 

     Although brainstorming is very effective, and can enhance writing drastically, there are a few downsides to it. One of them, and probably the most common reason why the brainstorming process is usually discarded is that it can be very time consuming. In cases where there is very limited time, students often feel pressured to finish the writing, and think they do not have the time to brainstorm. Another reason why brainstorming is not often used is people find it unnecessary. A lot of people think they can just write with the ideas that come to their mind, and often don't feel the need to brainstorm.

 

 

     A writing professor once told me that if you had one hour to write, you should spend ten minutes thinking about the subject, twenty minutes brainstorming, 20 minutes writing, and 10 minutes revising. Although it may seem like a waste of one's time, brainstorming is truly effective in enhancing the quality of one's writing.