Prewriting
Prewriting is the first stage of the writing process, and includes all the things you do
before you are ready to write a first draft of your text.
1. READ CAREFULLY THROUGH ANY GUIDANCE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY YOUR
TEACHER. Do you understand exactly what you need to do? Are there any words you
are not absolutely sure about? If so, use a dictionary. If you are still unsure, check
with your teacher or the Writing Center.
2. THINK: HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WRITE IT? Do not leave essays to the last minute.
Try to plan several sessions when you can brainstorm, research, write an outline,
write a first draft, revise and proofread. Leave a little time between each step to give
your brain time to come up with more ideas.
3. THINK: WHY AM I WRITING THIS? Probably because
your teacher requires you to. But there will also be a
further purpose – your teacher will have chosen this
exercise for a reason, perhaps to show you can use a
particular skill (eg write a commentary on a poem) or
understand a particular topic (eg the causes of the 1st
World War). Have that purpose in mind as you research
and plan. Look at the grading rubric – it may also help
you work out what your teacher is looking for.
4. BRAINSTORM. Now do some brainstorming – think of everything you can that
might fit into your topic and write it all down in note form. There are lots of ways of
doing this; you should find one that suits you.
5. RESEARCH. As you brainstorm, you may find you also need to do some research.
For an English essay, you may need to go back to the text you are studying and reread it with your essay question in mind. You may need to look at what other people
have said about the text. For a history essay, you may need to go back to textbooks
or sources and work out how what you know fits into this particular essay. Your
research will add detail to your brainstorm.
6. OUTLINE. This is the last stage before you write your first draft and involves getting
all your ideas and research in order. For analytical essays, it should always include a
THESIS STATEMENT, the TOPIC POINTS of each paragraph, the evidence you plan to
use to back up those points, and some ideas for your introduction and conclusion.
Frankfurt International School Upper School Writing Center
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