How to Build a Solid Paper Through Brainstorming Questions

As a writing tutor at a community college, I understand the frustration of students as they strive to produce quality expository or analytical writing. The tricky part about such writing, especially within college essays, is that there is no law governing the process. Mathematics, algebra, and calculus it is not. Nor is college level writing like Anatomy 101, where rote memorization of already established knowledge is two-thirds of the battle.

Sommerset Maugham once said, "There are three rules for writing . . . unfortunately, no one knows what they are." But for all of you bewildered, overworked, and underappreciated college and high school students, do not despair; becoming better writers just takes a little guidance and practice.

Good writing begins on a solid foundation. Here is a word often thrown around, but rarely analyzed beyond saying "do it": brainstorming.

Reading the word closely suggests a tumultuous tempest within the cranium. Or a process with swings of topic and direction, like a weather vein in a thunderstorm. How could such a wild-sounding concept be useful to students?

The answer lies at your doorstep in the morning; or in the glossy pages on a news rack; or within the slick presentations of the evening news.

Thank goodness (and the First Amendment) for news reporters and their five W's. Who? What? Where? When? Why? Students, let the news reporters process be your guide. Want to make your brainstorming more efficient? Ask effective questions. Begin with "what".

What?

All essays begin with answering this question. What is the subject I want to write about? Sometimes the answer is given by professors. Sometimes a student has free reign. If you have a choice, choose something you know a little bit about. Choose something you are interested in. Once you have a few choices written down, ask yourself which ones might conform to the length of the assignment. For short essays, a topic that you have the knowledge or desire to limit is the better choice. For longer essays, a topic you know less about may be the more appealing choice. The research you do will be more authentic, as you will probably not have an already established opinion on the topic.

Who?

Answering this question will help a student distinguish between the broader topic and the more specific subject. The topic of a paper is determined by the "what". The subject of the paper, the specific direction the paper will follow for concrete detail, is the "who". In analytical or expository essays, the "who" is not always a person, per se. Rather, the "who" (which establishes the subject-be it a person, thing, or idea) narrows the paper's specific focus within the broader topic.

Where?

Answering this question in a brainstorming session will help students with ideas for direction as they construct their paper. With a longer paper, the "where" will probably be bigger: for instance, "in the media"; "in American culture"; or "in the Catholic faith". In shorter papers, the "where" will be more contained: "my school's admission policies"; "grade school cafeteria menus"; or "the city's hiring policies".

When?

Brainstorming answers to this question will help students determine the relevance of the topic. Audience is always a crucial consideration for any writer. In college essays, the rule of thumb is usually to analyze timely issues. Issues that matter now will have more of an impact on your audience.

Why?

This is perhaps the toughest and most complex question to answer. However, the "why" part of brainstorming can lead to many rewards. Why is the topic or subject relevant? Why should someone reading your essay give a damn? In another direction, the "why" can focus a student's energy on fleshing out the details of the subject. Why is a controversial law written the way it is? Why does institutionalized racism and sexism continue to exist in a Democracy? Just asking questions framed by "why" (without necessarily answering them) may be enough in the brainstorming stage; as the drafts progress, let these valuable questions guide your writing.

Expository and analytical writing is difficult-let no one tell you otherwise. But with a strong foundation, the process becomes more and more manageable. Borrow from the news reportes repertoire. Ask effective, focused questions and the journey ahead becomes that much smoother.