brainstorming

(noun)

A prewriting technique intended to generate creative ideas quickly and without editing, through word  or idea association.

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(noun)

Brainstorming is a group or individual creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its member(s).

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(noun)

Listing ideas about a topic, even the bad ones, until you find one you like.

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Examples of brainstorming in the following topics:

  • Brainstorming

    • Brainstorming is a prewriting technique used to help generate lots of potential ideas about a topic.
    • At its most basic, brainstorming is listing ideas.
    • Brainstorming is useful for figuring out what you're interested in. 
    • You can also brainstorm in a group if you're working on a writing project with a partner or a team.
    • Perhaps the most important thing to remember about this process is that "there are no bad ideas in brainstorming."

  • Step 1: Prewriting and Choosing a Topic

    • Prewriting refers to what you do before you begin writing, whether that's brainstorming, making a concept map, or making an outline.  
    • Brainstorming, freewriting, and clustering are three forms of prewriting that help spark ideas and can move you closer to the heart of what you think and feel about a topic.
    • You might have heard the phrase, "There are no bad ideas in brainstorming."
    • This process is called brainstorming.
    • Often, in the process of brainstorming, you will discover that many of your ideas are already connected to one another.  

  • Turning Your Topic Into a Question

    • Through brainstorming and free-writing, you might come up with a list of lines of inquiry: Can an accurate moral evaluation even be made when a narrative is written in the first person?
    • This is an area where brainstorming can be very helpful .
    • Brainstorming can be a good way to help develop a research question

  • Brainstorming and Choosing Your Topic

    • Once you've found an entry point into the academic conversation, you're ready to start brainstorming your own ideas on the topic and developing a question.
    • Another good strategy is to reread the text and brainstorm while doing so.

  • Introduction to the Writing Process

    • You might wonder how to approach the drafting phase without feeling overwhelmed, or you might be curious about the brainstorming methods we recommend.
    • Section 3 examines the process of developing a thesis from the brainstorming stage through to the final statement.

  • Step 7: Completing a Final Review

    • Did you have a great conversation with a friend during the brainstorming session?

  • Getting Help Meeting College Writing Expectations

    • Independent paper-writing workshops provide a space for peers with varying interests, work styles, and areas of expertise to brainstorm.