Pre-Writing Technique

Some of the pre-writing I have used in the past are mostly outlines. Outlines are very good for an essay because they really help you put your thoughts together and create a flow for your writing. Also, the great thing about outlines is that when you actually go to write your essay, you can change things or add examples as you are actually typing. Outlines are just a good way to get your ideas down.

Another great pre-writing technique I use often is highlighting and writing in the margins. Highlighting is a great way to remind yourself of important quotes that you want to include in your essay later - it makes finding them a lot easier than just underlining them or jotting them down. Writing in the margins also helps because I can highlight an idea and then write down a sentence or two further explaining my idea. Then, when I go back and re-read the notes I took while reading, I can pick and choose which ones support my thesis or not.

Of course, I never do this in textbooks that I don't own personally.