3. 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
Three Activities
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting
5. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting 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.
Transportation
Alcatraz Museums
San Francisco
Chinatown Golden Gate Bridge
Fisherman’s
Wharf
6. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Clustering
3. If you have new ideas, connect those words to the
appropriate sub-topic.
Cable Car BART Bus
Civilian Prison American Legion
1934-1963
Transportation Modern Art
Old Military Museum
Prison Alcatraz Museums
Asian Art Museum
Famous
Prisoners
San Francisco
Restaurants
Completed 1937
Chinatown Golden Gate Bridge
Stores
Scenic View
Theaters Fisherman’s
Wharf
Clam Chowder Ships boats
7. Clustering
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Example #1
View of
Sunny Trees
Yellow
View of
Sky Good-Sized
Windows Bedroom
Favorite Room
Soft Bed Comfortable Big Closet
Furniture
Rocking
Chair
Quiet
8. Clustering
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Example #2
Volleyball Soccer
Cleaned
Housewife Houses Went to
Liked Sports church
Very Religious
Waitress Taught
Sunday
Hard Worker School
Gave to
My Mother charity
Read many books A Leader
Intelligent After-School Club
Coordinator
Had many
different
interests President of
PTA
9. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Listing
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of
your paper.
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.
Why I Want to Become a Nurse
10. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Listing
Why I Want to Become a Nurse
Like science Challenging job
Like problem solving Opportunities for promotion
Many jobs available in nursing Interested in study of diseases
Good salary Interested in study of human body
Like working in a hospital Flexible hours
Want to help other people Will always learn something new
11. Listing
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Example #1
How to be a Successful
Language Learner
•Practice speaking with others •Ask others to correct you
•Take classes •Look for patterns in your errors
•Guess at the meanings of words •Organize your study time
•Listen to radio or TV •Use special techniques to remember new words
•Observe others •Ask for help when you don’t understand
•Set reasonable goals •Review material regularly
•Don’t be afraid to experiment •Use a dictionary
•Study vocabulary in related topics •Choose a good textbook
12. Listing
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting Example #2
Cambodia
•Major Cities: Battambang, Phnom Penh •Artful dances
•Angkor Wat •Theravada Buddhism
•Borders Vietnam, Laos, Thailand •King Sihanouk
•Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers •Pol Pot/Khmer Rouge
•Once a French colony •Weather: hot and rainy
•Tuol Sleng Prison •Minority Groups: Cham, Pear, Brao
•Agriculture: rice, rubber, fish, timber •Land mines
•Cambodian writing: originally from India •Education
13. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting 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.
My Favorite Book
14. Brainstorming
Clustering
Listing
Freewriting 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.
15. Freewriting
Clustering
Listing
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)
16. Freewriting
Clustering
Listing
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)
17. 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.
