2. Introduction
Getting Started
“Writer’s block” is a common
problem to many students. This is
when ideas for writing do not come
very easily. It is easy to get very
frustrated when beginning to write.
Brainstorming activities can help
you get ideas for your essay and
help you become less frustrated.
4. Brainstorming
Clustering
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in
the center of your paper.
2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main
topic. Draw arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.
San Francisco
Chinatown
Fisherman’s
Wharf
Golden Gate
Bridge
Alcatraz Museums
Transportation
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
5. Brainstorming
Clustering
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in
the center of your paper.
2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main
topic. Draw arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.
San Francisco
Chinatown
Fisherman’s
Wharf
Golden Gate
Bridge
Alcatraz
Museums
Transportation
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Roman Numerals reflect
your BODY paragraphs.
6. Brainstorming
Clustering
3. If you have new ideas, connect those words to the
appropriate sub-topic.
San Francisco
Chinatown
Fisherman’
s Wharf
Alcatraz Museums
Transportatio
n
Golden Gate
Bridge
American
Legion
Modern Art
Museum
Asian Art
Museum
Clam
Chowder
Ships
boats
Cable Car Bus
BART
Restaurants
Stores
Theaters
Old Military
Prison
Civilian
Prison
1934-1963
Famous
Prisoners
Completed
1937
Scenic View
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
A.
B.
C.
A.
B.
C.
7. Brainstorming
Clustering
Begin to create an Outline: Topic—San Francisco
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
II. Transportation
II. Museums
I. Introduction
A. Cable Car
B. BART
C. Bus
A. American Legion
B. Modern Art Museum
C. Asian Art Museum
9. Clustering
Example #2
My Mother
Liked
Sports Very
Religious
A Leader
Intelligent
Hard Worker
Housewife
Waitress
Cleaned
Houses
Read many
books
Had many
different
interests
Went to
church
Taught
Sunday
School
Gave to
charity
After-School
Club
Coordinator
President
of PTA
Volleyball Soccer
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
10. Brainstorming
Listing
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or
words at the top of your paper.
Why I Want to Become a Nurse
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
2. Write down any word or phrase that might relate to your
main topic underneath. Don’t worry about spelling or
grammar. Your goal is to write down as many ideas as
quickly as possible.
11. Brainstorming
Listing
Why I Want to Become a Nurse
Like science
Like problem solving
Many jobs available in nursing
Good salary
Like working in a hospital
Want to help other people
Challenging job
Opportunities for promotion
Interested in study of diseases
Interested in study of human
body
Flexible hours
Will always learn something new
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
12. Listing
Example #1
How to be a Successful
Language Learner
•Practice speaking with
others
•Take classes
•Guess at the meanings of
words
•Listen to radio or TV
•Observe others
•Set reasonable goals
•Don’t be afraid to
experiment
•Study vocabulary in related
topics
•Ask others to correct you
•Look for patterns in your errors
•Organize your study time
•Use special techniques to remember
new words
•Ask for help when you don’t
understand
•Review material regularly
•Use a dictionary
•Choose a good textbook
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
13. Listing
Example #2
Cambodia
•Major Cities: Battambang,
Phnom Penh
•Angkor Wat
•Borders Vietnam, Laos, Thailand
•Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers
•Once a French colony
•Tuol Sleng Prison
•Agriculture: rice, rubber, fish,
timber
•Cambodian writing: originally
from India
•Artful dances
•Theravada Buddhism
•King Sihanouk
•Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge
•Weather: hot and rainy
•Minority Groups: Cham, Pear,
Brao
•Land mines
•Education
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
14. Brainstorming
Freewriting
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or
words at the top of your paper.
2. Freewriting is like talking to yourself on paper. Write as
much as you can in connected sentences (not lists) about
your topic. Write as quickly as you can without stopping to
think about grammar or organization.
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
My Favorite Book
15. Brainstorming
Freewriting
My Favorite Book
My favorite book… I don’t know where to start. I read so many books
that are interesting that it’s hard to choose just one. I guess I could
start by talking about the kinds of books I really like. I like biographies
and autobiographies the best. I really enjoy reading about another
person’s life. One of my favorite books is called Roots by Alex Haley.
How the author was able to trace his family history all the way back to
Africa was amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl Sandburg’s
biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an incredible president! There are
also some very interesting books about leaders like Napoleon, Churchill,
and Stalin. Well, I guess that gives me a few ideas about where I can
start on my topic.
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
16. Freewriting
Example #1
A Problem I Have
I have of course many problems in my life like everybody has, but
right now I am feeling new problems like the cultural shock. I got out
of my country and came to study in the U.S.A. One of the biggest
problems is to make friends, to make or have the good old friends I
have back home. It’s so hard here- you don’t know how to act, whether
you should ask them their telephone number or wait for them to do it,
whether you should call them very often or not. Are they bothered by
my language problem? Can they not carry on a conversation with me
because they always talk about local or national subjects about which I
am not informed? This is really hard and sometimes makes me feel like
a stranger in a group where everybody is laughing and talking and they
supposedly were my friends.
(Spack, R., 1996)
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
17. Freewriting
Example #2
Things I Brought to the U.S.
I have been living in the U.S.A. for about four years. When I cam here,
I brought with me a few books, my favorite T-shirts, and a little hand-
made pillow from my mother. Among some of the books I brought with me
is one called The Little Prince. It is a very interesting book. Every time I
read it, I find new and different ideas that I can practice in my life.
Some of my favorite T-Shirts are souvenirs from places which I had
visited in Colombia where I come from and they remind me of the good
times I had. The little handmade pillow from my mother is a small cotton
square, with five lines around it and my Christian name on it. Sometimes
when I have difficulties in my courses, I look at it asking for help like my
mother used to give me when I was living at home.
And what I left behind was a happy family life, my good friends, and a
pretty city in the north of Colombia near the Atlantic Ocean, where it is
always sunny and windy. (Raimes, 1987)
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
18. Practice Exercise
Now you are ready to practice what you’ve learned. Click on
the button to return to Unit A. Print and complete the Practice
Exercise.
19. References
PowerPoint Presentation by Ruth Luman: Modesto Junior
College.
Raimes, A. (1987). Exploring Through Writing: A Process
Approach to ESL Composition. New York: St. Martin’s
Press.
Spack, R. (1996). Guidelines: A Cross-Cultural
Reading/Writing Text. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
This project incorporates portions of copyrighted works. These
items are included under the fair use exemption of the U.S.
Copyright Law and have been prepared according to the
educational fair use guidelines. They are restricted from further
use.
