Prewriting is the first step of the writing process, done before you start writing a text.
This is the brainstorming and planning stage.
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Generate ideas |
Brainstorming |
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Research |
Look for information |
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Planning & organization |
Regroup |
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Audience & purpose |
Who is the text for? |
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Narrow it down |
Decide on a topic |
Next step: Drafting
Here are examples of tools to help you organize and plan you texts:
Mind maps help organize elements and see how they connect to one another.
Mind maps contain as many elements as you need.
Timelines help organize elements in chronological order, like for story events or steps in a process.
Story maps help outline the main elements of a story.
They can be used for a whole story or for parts of a story like chapters, for instance.
Plot diagrams help illustrate the flow of a story, from event to event.
There are 6 parts to the plot diagram.
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Exposition: the introduction
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Inciting incident: the event that gets the story moving
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Rising action: actions that lead to a final showdown
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Climax: peak of the story, final showdown
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Falling action: wrap up of the story
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Resolution: the ending
