6.1: Prewrite
- Page ID
- 331509
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Pre-writing
Pre-writing is how you prepare for your project. There are a number of things you need to determine before you can start writing.
A. Understand rhetorical situation.
The acronym WOMPA* is a good way to remember the rhetorical situation. Ask yourself questions to specify each one.
Writer
Occasion
Message
Purpose
Audience
You are obviously the writer. You bring your own perspectives, ideas, style, and knowledge to everything you write.
The occasion is the reason for the writing. In college, the occasion is a writing an assignment for the instructor. Each assignment comes with different choices that you, as a writer, need to make.
Your message is what you want your audience to get from your writing. It includes the position you will take on your topic, your method of development, and the evidence you provide to support your ideas.
Your purpose depends on your assignment. The genre you are assigned determines what you need to do and how you organize it. You may also need to write other things such as applications, emails, reports, or social media posts. Each has its own purpose that you need to determine and write to.
You write to an audience who will read your work. This may be your instructor or your fellow classmates. You may also be assigned an imaginary audience who is related to your purpose. Every choice you may, words, content, style, tone, etc. need to be made with your audience in mind.
B. Invention.
Once you understand your assignment, it’s time to start thinking about what you will write. We do this by brainstorming ideas. This is an exploration of possibilities, not drafting. This is the time to consider many options and then choose rather than picking the first thing that comes to mind. Often the first thing you think of is also the first thing everyone else thinks of too. There are several options for generating ideas. Try different ones and choose what works best for you. Some methods include free writing, mind mapping, listing, and others.
The University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill describes brainstorming techniques in greater detail linked here: Prewriting ideas
C. Determine your main message.
Finally, choose the main message you want to your reader to know. This can be a research question or a vague idea of what you want to say. You will continue to develop it as you continue the writing process.
Works Cited
"Brainstorming." The Writing Center. University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill, unc.edu, https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
WOMPA Copyright by LauraLee Miller.