Writing Academic English 4th Edition

268 AppendixA ITheProcessofAcademicWriting

PRACTICE:2

Brainstorming

byListing

MODEl.:.

Freewriting 1

Nowtherearethreelists,eachofwhichhasa centralfocus.Thecentralfocusin

eachnewlistiscircled:communicationproblems,classroomenvironment,and

Americanfamilylife.Thewlitercanchooseonelisttobethebasisfora singlepara-

graphorallthreeforanessay.

Withyourclass,ina smallgroup,orindividually,brainstonnbylistingideasonone

ofthefollowingtopics.Followthefoursteps.

Charactelisticsofa goodstudent/employee/boss/fliend

Differencesbetweengenerations

Genderdifferences

Changesineverydaylifecausedbynewtechnology

OneofthetopicsfromPractice1:ChoosingandNan'owinga Topiconpage 266

Freewriting

Freewritingis a brainstormingactivityinwhichyouwritefreelyabouta topic

becauseyouarelookingfora specificfocus.Whileyouarewliting,oneideawill

sparkanotheridea.Aswithlisting,thepurposeoffreewritingis togenerateasmany

ideasaspossibleandtowlitethemdownwithoutworryingaboutappropriateness,

grammar, spelling,logic,ororganization.Remember,themoreyoufreewlite, the

moreideasyouwillhave.Don'tworryifyourmindseemsto"rundry."Justkeep

yourpencilmoving.Followthisprocedure:

1.Wlitethetopicatthetopofyourpaper.

2. Writeasmuchasyoucanaboutthetopicuntilyourunoutofideas.
   Includesuchsupportingitemsasfacts,details,andexamplesthatcomeinto
   yourmindaboutthesubject.
   3.Afteryouhaverunoutofideas,rereadyourpaperandcirclethemain
   idea(s)thatyouwouldliketodevelop.


3. Takeeachmainideaandfreewliteagain.

Inthefollowingmodel,thestudentissupposedtowritea paragraphaboutone

majorproblemathis college.Thestudenthasnoideawhattowriteabout,sohe

startsfreewlitingaboutsomeoftheproblemsthatcometomind.