Heuristics
Heuristics are questions that a writer can use to explore a topic. It is important to remember that these questions don't have a right or wrong answer. A simple example of a set of Heuristic questions would be the journalist questions of Who? What? When? Where? and How?
There are many different sets of Heuristics, some are more appropriate for some topics than others. The best thing to do is just try to answer as many questions as possible until you feel that you have explored the topic enough to write about it or go search for more sources. The Heuristics below were collected by Ericka Lindemann in her book A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers.
Elizabeth Cowan Neeld created a heuristic based on the categories of definition, comparison, relationship, circumstance, and Testimony.
The dramatic pentad heuristic derived from Burke's rhetoric of human motives works well for literary topics, historical or current events, and biographical subjects.
Richard Larson's problem-solving heuristic works for issue-oriented subjects as well as for other problems such as: personal difficulties, writing problems, or the problem of a writing assignment.
The Literature Heuristic, adapted from Corbett's book "The Little Rhetoric and Handbook," can help writers with analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating literature.
Audience analysis helps writers to generate content as well as start thinking about the tone and point of view they will write with. The following questions were adapted form Karl R. Wallace's "Topoi and the Problem of Invention."
