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English Composition I
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• First phase of the writing process
• This is where you determine your subject
• More importantly, this is where you determine what you do (or don’t) know about your subject
• First you ask yourself a set of questions
• Then you do some exercises
• Then you ask more questions

• First questions to ask:
• Why am I writing this? (purpose)
• Who is my main audience? (audience)
• How am I going to communicate clearly to that audience? (focus)
• To begin to answer these questions, you often have to use invention techniques
• There are many types of techniques – every author has what works for them

The 6 most commonly used methods of invention are:
• Sitting around and thinking
• Freewriting
• Focused Freewriting
• Brainstorming
• Clustering
• Reporter’s Questions
• No writer uses them all
• Find what works for you

Sitting around and thinking

• Most writers CLAIM to use this method
• But very few use it well
• You have to be familiar with the other methods for this to really work
• You have to ask yourself a lot of questions
• Think about purpose/focus/audience
• Every writer should think about their writing before drafting to some extent
• Most need a more specific exercise, though

Freewriting

• This method is designed to “empty” your head of what’s interfering with the writing
• Give yourself anywhere from 5-15 minutes
• Start writing and write EVERYTHING that your brain thinks
• Don’t stop for anything
• Don’t edit at all
• At the end, review or throw away
• You will either have a “blank slate” mind or a starting point on the paper

Focused Freewriting

• Same rules as freewriting
• But you have a subject that you are trying to “write” about
• You will still get off topic if you follow the rules and write everything you are thinking
• But unlike regular freewriting, you are to try to get back on topic as quickly as possible
• This method generates more possible material on the paper/computer screen
• Just a starting point, however, not a draft

Brainstorming

• Variation on word association games
• Write your topic at the top of a page
• Underneath, write as many words or phrases as you can think of about the topic
• Only give yourself 1-3 minutes
• Don’t worry about “misfires” or weird words
• When done, review the list
• Look for connections, common elements
• These can become paragraph points

Clustering

• Variation on brainstorming – more visual
• Write subject in middle of page and circle it
• Brainstorm and write words on paper
• Circle and draw line back to main topic
• EACH circled word, not just main topic, can generate new responses
• Don’t go more than 15 minutes or so
• Each “cluster” of responses can become a paragraph point

Reporter’s Questions

• The 6 questions reporters use
• Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
• Ask them as many times, in as many combinations as possible about your topic
• Write down the answers
• Often works best to have someone else ask the questions
• Great technique to bring back details you had “forgotten” in a narrative

• These 6 methods are the most common
• But they aren’t the only ones
• They aren’t even necessarily the best ones
• YOU need to practice/experiment and find which techniques work for YOU
• Different techniques work for different writing situations
• The point is to begin thinking about what you know and what you want to say

• Once you’ve done invention techniques
• Ask yourself about purpose/focus/audience again
• Your answers should be more complete
• You are then ready to begin the next phase of the writing process
• You may need to come back to these techniques if you need new information later