Generating Ideas

Generating ideas is the essential first step to writing an effective paper. You can have a strong grasp of grammar, style, and organization --the mechanics of writing--but if you have no ideas to express, your paper will be pointless and unsuccessful. On the other hand, if you have clearly defined your ideas and tested them for logic, relevance, and interest before writing, you will have lain the foundation for a persuasive, well-reasoned paper. 

Experienced writers rely on a number of techniques to generate ideas and topics:  

Brainstorming:

Write a key word or topic at the top of a piece of paper. Then write down any word or phrase that comes to mind, even if you are not sure of the link between them; it can be determined later. The important thing is that you get your ideas down on paper.

For example: WRITING 

paper 
pen
school
spelling
letters
research
fiction
non-fiction
poetry

Try doing brainstorming exercises for RIFLE, SAILING, BALLET, and CALIFORNIA. 

Keeping a journal:

Many writers record their ideas, observations, and reactions in a journal. Some write daily entries, finding the routine of regular writing valuable; others write only when an insight occurs or they have a problem to work out. A journal can be used as a storehouse of ideas--material available for use when writing a paper. 

Answer the journalist's questions:

Who is involved?
What happened and what were the results?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen?  

These questions can isolate the main ideas, the important people involved, and the order and causes of events. They can give focus to a topic when you are unsure how your ideas fit together. 

Freewriting:

Another way to generate ideas is by freewriting. Simply sit down for ten minutes and write anything about your topic that pops into your head, even if you think it is stupid or dull. Don't stop! If you can't think of anything to say, write "blah blah blah" or "this is so lame" or whatever else comes into your head until your brain returns to the topic. And don't judge: don't worry about whether what you're writing is obvious or boring or irrelevant. In the freewriting stage, the goal is getting something down. Ignore grammar and punctuation. For now, you are only concerned with ideas. This method should help you get past the feeling that you have nothing to say.

For example: Sit down and freewrite on WRITING for ten minutes. See if you can generate a thesis from what you have written. 

Clustering:

Like freewriting, clustering is based on the free association of ideas. Clustering, however, is also beneficial because it shows how the ideas interconnect.

Take a sheet of paper and write your idea in the middle of the page. Then, surround the main topic with related ideas. Branch out from each of those ideas with related details until you feel each branch has been exhausted. Remain open to possible connections between branches.

Idea Trees:

Some writers need a more structured method of generating ideas, such as the idea tree. Write a topic, argument, or theme at the top of a piece of paper. Branch off from the main topic with major facts or related details.An idea tree will not only help you come up with ideas, it will also help you think of ways to support them with relevant specifics.