Pre-Writing and Outlining
Please note: Though thesis generation/development and research are important parts of the pre-writing
process, these issues are not discussed in detail here. Please see the separate powerpoints and handouts on
theses and research strategies.
The pre-writing phase of the writing process may very well be the most important phase, though ironically,
it is usually the phase that receives the least amount of attention from students. During the pre-writing
phase, you have the opportunity to map out your paper and to create a logical and coherent arc for your
argument. You also have the chance to think about the various points and details that you will use to support
your thesis. In short, the pre-writing phase is a planning phase, one that requires you to invest a good deal
of thought into your thesis and your paper.
This investment carries a very significant return during the writing and revising processes. If you think long
and hard about your paper’s argumentative arc, you will likely find the writing process to be fairly
straightforward when you begin working on your supporting paragraphs; you will have a clear idea of the
role that each paragraph must play in supporting your thesis and advancing your argument. Conversely, if
you do not invest sufficient time in planning out the paper or thinking about your thesis/supporting points,
you will likely find writing the paper more difficult. Consider this litmus test when you are writing: if, when
writing your supporting paragraphs, you find yourself struggling to articulate your points, or to stay on track
with your ideas, it is a probably an indication that you did not invest sufficient time in the pre-writing
process. If, however, you find that your ideas are flowing very naturally, and that the writing process feels
very smooth and coherent, you probably did a very fine job of planning out your argument, or, at the very
least, of thinking through the thesis and its implications.
Here is a good maxim for you to live by as a college-level writer: “The more time you spend PRE-writing,
the less time you will spend RE-writing.”
The two most important questions for you to consider (and answer) during the pre-writing process are: (1)
what ideas will you use to support your argument, and (2) how will you structure your paper? Generating
a list of potential supporting topics/points, and then organizing that list based on logical relationships
between these topics/points, is essential to the pre-writing process.
Pre-Writing Techniques
There are several techniques that you can try during the pre-writing process. As will be discussed below, it
is usually a good idea to experiment with different techniques and try combining them in different ways.
The more general techniques (like brainstorming and free-writing) will help you come up with several
different ideas and topics for your paper, while the more focused techniques (like clustering and linear
outlining) will help you to create a coherent plan for supporting your thesis:

Brainstorming – generating a list of ideas, examples, points, and details.

Free-writing – writing informally about a subject for a specified amount of time as a way of
documenting your thoughts and ideas.

Clustering – creating a diagram in which ideas and details branch off of one another.

Linear Outlines – creating a rigid and formal outline that arranges your supporting ideas in a
specific order.
Brainstorming

For ten or fifteen minutes, think about your thesis, and write down every idea, example, or detail
that comes into your head regarding the thesis. Do not worry about structuring the ideas or
arranging them in a specific pattern. The point of brainstorming is to get as many examples and
ideas down on paper as possible. As you are listing these ideas, you will begin to notice patterns
emerging, and you can then use these patterns of thought as a way of arranging your examples.
You will also probably notice certain keywords or details that keep popping up; again, keep an eye
out for these patterns.
◦
Advantage of Brainstorming: You will come up with a significant number of ideas and
supporting points, and you will have invested a significant amount of thought in your thesis
before proceeding to the supporting paragraphs.
◦
Disadvantage of Brainstorming: It can be a messy process, and if you do not limit yourself
to ten or fifteen minutes, you will probably come up with too many ideas to manage or
organize afterwards.
Free-writing

For ten or fifteen minutes, write about your thesis in complete sentences. Do not worry if these
sentences are not well-structured, or if they seem awkward. Like brainstorming, freewriting can be
a messy process, but it allows you to collect your thoughts and to think about how you will use the
practice of writing to support your thesis. As you are writing your sentences, think about how they
are building upon one another: why does one sentence lead you toward a subsequent sentence? You
may be able to note patterns of development or sequences of ideas that you can later use in your
paper.
◦
Advantage of Freewriting: Freewriting prompts you to reflect on your topic and your thesis
in detail, and to consider how your thesis will develop in the supporting paragraphs. By
writing complete sentences, you will get a sense for what it “feels like” to write about this
particular topic/thesis, and you will also come up with supporting ideas and details.
◦
Disadvantage of Freewriting: Freewriting, like brainstorming, requires a strict time limit,
otherwise it is possible to lose control of the process. Also, some students allow freewriting to turn into the actual writing process, which is not the purpose of the exercise:
free-writing is meant to help you gather your thoughts and identify key ideas and points in
anticipation of your writing the supporting paragraphs. It should not be used to produce the
supporting paragraphs.
Clustering

Clustering allows you to group certain ideas together based on patterns; it usually involves creating
a web diagram or cluster map that places key ideas in circles or squares, and then, creates branches
and boxes/circles to indicate supporting ideas or subtopics. Typically, these diagrams are set up in
order of increased specificity. They also show interconnections between various points.
◦
Advantage of Clustering: Clustering is a great way for visual learners to “map out” their
ideas. It is also useful for creating a hierarchy of ideas, as the tree-diagram structure allows
for a natural flow from big, broad ideas, to more specific, focused details/examples.
Finally, clustering allows for students to look for connections between supporting points.
◦
Disadvantage of Freewriting: Clustering is difficult to do on the computer without a
specific concept-mapping program, and doing it by hand can be tedious. For non-visual
learners, clustering is sometimes less helpful than other pre-writing methods.
Hamlet’s Isolation
Disconnect
from the court
of Denmark
Disconnect
from his
mother
Contempt over
love of
Claudius
Disconnect
from Ophelia,
his love(r?)
Contempt due
to his distrust
of women
Linear Outlining

A linear outline creates a much more formal and structured arrangement of ideas. These ideas are
typically broken down into categories and subcategories, and very detailed linear outlines
sometimes leave room for supporting details as well. Linear outlines account for how certain ideas
relate to one another and build upon each other.
I = First Main Topic
A. Subordinate idea
1. Supporting idea
a. supporting detail
b. supporting detail
2. Supporting idea
a. supporting detail
b. supporting detail
B. Subordinate idea
1. Supporting idea
a. supporting detail
b. supporting detail
2. Supporting idea
a. supporting detail
b. supporting detail
II = Second Main Topic (etc.)
◦
Advantage of Formal Outlines: Formal outlines provide a very detailed map for the writer
to follow when writing the essay. Sometimes, these outlines are so detailed that the writer
is simply “filling in the gaps” between the different points. In other words, the writer has
already determined how all of the different ideas, points, and details connect, and he or she
has established a clear order for the ideas. Now, it is simply a matter of fleshing out these
connections via written prose.
◦
Disadvantage of Formal Outline: For a short (2-3) page paper, a very detailed linear outline
is probably not necessary. Also, formal outlines can be “constrictive” in the sense that they
leave little room for improvisation as the writer is writing the paper.
Deciding on Your Outlining Methodology
There is no one way to create an outline, and you have to find a technique that will work best for you. The
best way to approach outlining is to combine several of the techniques listed on the previous slides. When
writing, it is helpful to begin with general ideas and then transition to more specific ideas; when outlining,
it is helpful to begin with the more general and abstract strategies (brainstorming, freewriting) and then
transition to the more specific and organized strategies (clustering, linear outlining). Brainstorming and
freewriting will allow you to come up with a detailed list of supporting points and examples, while
clustering and linear outlining will allow you to think about the relationships between those ideas and how
you might sequence them in the body paragraphs.
A Note on the Five Paragraph Essay
In most high schools, you learn to write a 5 ¶ essay:
¶ 1 = intro/thesis
¶ 2 = supporting idea A
¶ 3 = supporting idea B
¶ 4 = supporting idea C
¶ 5 = conclusion/recapitulation
The central problem with the five-paragraph model is that it is prescriptive: it tells you exactly how many
supporting ideas you should have (in fact, it tells you exactly how many paragraphs you should have).
However, an argument should be based on relationships between sequences of ideas, and not on pre-
prescribed numbers or formulas. It is impossible to know how many paragraphs you will need until you
actually begin writing (when outlining, it is usually helpful to think in terms of sections as opposed to
paragraphs.)
Moreover, the five paragraph model treats the three supporting paragraphs as though they are
interchangeable. A paragraph is not simply a “box” that you fill up with information. A paragraph must
have a clear focal point in relation to the overarching argument, and it must be placed deliberately within
the middle part of the paper where it can build effectively on its predecessors and set up its successors. The
five paragraph model does not account for the order of the paragraphs, or for transitions between the
paragraphs; it implies that the paragraphs exist independently of one another. Ultimately, the five paragraph
essay does not require you to invest much time or thought into planning out your paper, but the previous
models do, and the more time/thought you invest, the better.