Grammar and Language Workbook

Unit 14, Composition 299

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Composition

Unit 14: Composition

Lesson 98

Unit 14 Composition14.98 The Writing Process: Prewriting I ............

During the prewriting stage, you plan what you will write. You choose a topic, or

subject about which you will write. You can get ideas for topics in any of the

following ways:

• Freewrite Write for several minutes, nonstop, about whatever comes into
  your mind.


• Collect information Gather facts and information from various sources.


• Make a list of events, experiences, people, or ideas that interest you.


• Ask questions Think of a question that you would like to answer.
  The topic you select may cover too much information for you to use in one piece
  of writing. When that is the case, you continue to ask questions or group the
  information into related items. When the information is cut down to a more
  suitable size, your topic will be narrow enough to write about.

Exercise 1 Spend five minutes prewriting. Continue writing the entire time. Then look

over your freewriting and circle any ideas that you might use as writing topics.