Flowing
What Is It?
Taking notes properly ("flow sheeting" or "flowing" is the debate term) is an essential
entry-level skill for novice debaters. In order to answer arguments by your opponents,
you must be able to write them down so that you can remember them and respond to
them in order. Likewise, your flow sheet becomes the text which you use when you
speak...it becomes the notes which you speak from.1
Why Is It Called 'Flowing'?
The best way to think of a flow is just how it sounds; a river flows downstream in only
one direction -- it doesn't change directions. Similarly a debate "flows" from a series of
arguments (the 1ac) to a narrower, concise, final speech (2ar). As you write on your
paper, you will notice a natural direction or visual progression of arguments. That fluid
direction of speech is what we call "flowing."
Alternatively, Wikipedia defines "flowing" as "the mental state of operation in which the
person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of
energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity."2 One could
say "flowing" is emersing yourself in argumentation.
What Do I Flow On?
Before flowing a debate round, I have a couple of suggestions pertaining to what to flow
on and with.
First, it's best if you purchase colored 8.5x14" (legal sized) paper. Most stores carry legal
paper, but to save you some time looking for colored paper, I would suggest trying your
local OfficeMax, Office Depot, or Staples. Places like Walmart and Kmart usually only
have white legal paper, not colored.
Why Colored?
Colored paper helps you distinguish in the round between what is paper with evidence on
it and what is a flow that you are taking notes on. Colored paper also helps you divide
pages with evidence.
Why Legal Sized?
Legal sized paper is important because it is extra long and allows for you to copy a long
series of arguments with plenty of room to answer and take notes. Trust me, when you
are in a debate round, it is very easy to run out of room on a regular sized piece of printer
(letter) paper.
What Do I Flow With?
Use something which moves smoothly over the paper and allows you to write quickly.
Use something which does not smear. Use something which is comfortable in your hand.
Try a medium point pen, though if you write small use a fine point, and if you write large
you can get away with a broad point pen. Always have lots of the right kinds of pens.1
Most importantly, use two different colors for the affirmative and the negative position. I
recommend using blue ink for the affirmative position and red ink for the negative
position.
How Should My Flow Look?
Each main category of argument deserves its own piece of paper to separate the various
positions you will have to defend during your speech. This means that for every
counterplan, topicality violation, disadvantage, criticism, case argument, and framework
argument, you will need a separate sheet of paper to dedicate to the corresponding
argument.
For Example:
Say that the first negative speaker stands up to present a series of arguments that
s/he will advance against my case. Before s/he begins, s/he alerts the room that
s/he will be making three off-case arguments and one on-case argument on the
solvency portion of the affirmative. This tells us that we should probably have a
total of four sheets of paper ready to take notes.
Once s/he starts speaking, we find that his first argument is a topicality violation
that argues we have violated the word "should" in the resolution. At the top-left
corner of the first piece of paper, we write "T - Should" to remind us what
argument the negative speaker made. Upon taking notes, the next two off-case
arguments are a criticism and a disadvantage. We label the other sheets
appropriately.
However, the negative moves to an on-case argument that is supposed to be
flowed along-side our solvency. We do not put these arguments on a fresh sheet
of paper -- we copy these arguments on what is called a pre-flow.
What Is A Pre-Flow?
A pre-flow is a pre-written flow sheet containing arguments in note form that you already
know you will be making/running. It is important that you pre-flow your arguments
before every round that you debate.
The affirmative creates a preflow of their affirmative case using a new sheet of paper for
each kind of case position.
For example:
Say that we have an affirmative that has two inherency cards, one "advantage"
(that outlines a "harms scenario" with a few cards), a plan text, and three pieces of
solvency evidence. Before the round, we would take three sheets of paper, each
labeled "Inherency," "Advantage 1," and "Solvency" at the tops, respectively, and
begin to outline tags, authors/dates, and useful statistics/lines in the first column
labeled "1ac." This saves us the time of referring to the 1ac to reference evidence
during the round.
Alternatively, the negative would do the same once it is determined before the
affirmative begins which arguments will be advanced or "ran". If I know that I
will read a topicality violation entitled "substantially," regardless of the 1ac, I will
fill the column entitled "1nc" with an outline of my "subtstantially" argument
before the round even begins.
It is important that you and your partner coordinate on the negative such that if you do
not know what you will run until after you have heard the 1ac, the 2nc is writing a preflow of the arguments being read during the 1nc on two separate copies so that each of
you will have a pre-flow ready before the 2ac speech begins.
Got Any Other Tips?
Leave some empty space for jotting thoughts down, and separate cards/analytical
arguments as you record them. As a speech is given, you write down what is being said in
that speech's column. It is very important not to crowd things together. If things are all
packed together on your flow it will be hard to refer to it and read from it when you are
speaking.1
Do not be afraid to use many pages, with a different major point on each page.
Unfortunately, even on environmental topics, some trees will have to be "killed." You
will soon learn that debaters do not always practice what they preach in terms of
environmentalism…
Cut down on vowels and other letters in various words you commonly use to conserve
space. You do not want to do this in excess. Restrict your abbreviations to words that
you know you are frequently writing. Abbreviating everything you write down will not
help you if you are unfamiliar with the word you are abbreviating.
Some examples:
Nuclear power = nuke pwr
Alternative energy = alt. nrg
Substantial/ly = subs.
Environment = envromnt or enviro
Technology = techn.
Extend = ext.
Cross-apply = xply
Use symbols where applicable. Sometimes using a symbol is even shorter and quicker
than writing shorthand. Already you have seen how I use the equals symbol to represent
the word "is."
oo
o
o
Some common examples:
Topicality =
T
Counterplan =
Disadvantage
=

CP
DA
 Leads to or causes = 
Extend;
 argument =
Conceeded
?
No warrant/Not a warranted argument = 

A piece of evidence = X
How Do I Read A Flow?
You want to read your flow by way of roadmapping before you begin and signposting
during the process.
Roadmapping allows the judges and the other teams to know which major arguments
will be addressed in what order. It is:
1. Usually done at the beginning of the speech for the judges and the other team.
2. Done in the order of, usually, off-case arguments and then on case.
Examples:
1NC: Three off case and then the case debate.
2AC: Will identify the off-case arguments which will be answered first, then the
case.
2NC: Since the 2NC will usually extend some of the off-case arguments, the 2NC
usually identifies the specific off-case arguments in sequence they will be
answered.
Signposting allows the judge and other teams to identify the specific argument being
addressed within each major argument. It is:
1. Done throughout each speech, this requires distinguishing between each argument and
labeling each argument.
2. Usually numbers and letters are used, but debaters might also use other forms of
distinguishing between each argument.
Examples include:
"One. Not-Unique. Present policies will cause the disad. Two. No link. The plan
does not cause the disadvantage. Three. Turn. The plan solves the impact to the
disad."
Alternatively, debaters can substitute the word "next" or "and" in place of specific
numbers.
The important thing to do is "post a sign" that indicates that the next thing you are about
to say is a different argument.
Transitions provide information about where you are on the flow, while also providing
the judge time to organize their flows.
1. This addresses the way that we move from one off-case argument to another or
between the off case and on case.
2. Often in the 1nc, one disad will be read and when moving it to a second one, you
should say, "Next off-case."
3. When moving from the off-case to the on-case, you should say, "Now, on the case
debate."
If you keep everyone with you, you will vastly increase the chances that your
arguments will be noticed and properly applied.1
1. Much thanks to Alfred "Tuna" Snider from the University of Vermont debate team in his book Code of the Debater. It lays down
the basic foundations and even outlines the more complex foundational explinations behind policy debate theory and style.
2. This definition was pulled off wikipedia.