Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Weekly Writing Tip: Think Out Loud
Turn on a voice recorder (most cell phones include one) and start saying your thoughts out loud. Don't worry about order or organization. If you were discussing your topic with someone, what would you tell them? Describe what stands out as you think about the topic. Follow a train of thought as far as you would like to go with it. Then, listen to your recording and write down the information that you think will be most helpful in your paper. Add that to your notes and resources, and begin to shape an outline or concept map.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Weekly Writing Tip: Think in Bubbles
Outlines can be very helpful for organizing ideas prior to writing a paper (learn more about outlines). Sometimes, though, we struggle to see connections between our ideas or to consider all the possible directions a topic can lead us. We may have a lot of details and not understand the big picture. In these cases, concept mapping is a valuable tool for breaking out of the box, finding connections and possibilities, and visually creating the message we hope to communicate to our readers. Here are a few examples of concept maps. Use a Google images search to find more. Then, sit down with your topic and see where a concpet map will lead you.
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