As a writer, the thought of staring at a blank page can feel paralyzing. Your mind races with ideas, but pulling them together into something cohesive can be challenging. That’s where prewriting strategies come in. These are the techniques that help you organize your thoughts before you even begin to write. Think of it as your creative warm-up—an essential step to ensure that when it’s time to write, you’re ready to go.
What Are Prewriting Strategies?
Prewriting strategies are the tools and techniques used to collect and organize your ideas, research, and concepts before diving into the actual writing process. This phase helps you map out everything you want to include in your story or project, ensuring that all the necessary information is ready when it’s time to write. Methods like mind mapping, journaling, research, and outlining help writers get clarity, stay organized, and ultimately write more effectively.
Why Do Prewriting Strategies Matter?
Ever find yourself overwhelmed by a flood of ideas? It’s the opposite of writer’s block—it’s idea overload. Maybe you’re unsure where to start or how to structure your thoughts. Prewriting strategies help you get everything out of your head and onto paper, allowing you to see the big picture. These strategies also help you identify any gaps in your thinking and better connect the dots, ultimately making your writing process more focused and efficient.
5 Prewriting Strategies Every Author Should Use
Here are five prewriting strategies you can adopt to organize your ideas and streamline your writing process:
1. Journaling: Let Your Ideas Flow
Journaling is a great way to unleash your creativity. You don’t need to worry about grammar or making sense—just write freely. This process helps you explore your thoughts without restrictions. Personally, I keep several journals on my desk for different categories of writing, and I use them whenever inspiration strikes, whether it’s in the morning or in the middle of the day.
If you prefer digital journaling, there are plenty of apps for you, like:
- GoodNotes
- DayOne
- Penzu
- 750 Words
- Daylio
These apps allow you to capture ideas quickly and easily, so you can refer to them whenever needed.
2. Research and Note Taking: Collect and Organize Your Insights
Whether you’re writing nonfiction or creating an intricate fictional world, research is crucial. Effective note taking ensures that you can find and use important information when you need it. Rather than copying information verbatim, try summarizing the material in your own words to internalize it.
When researching, remember:
- Jot down key ideas and facts.
- Use shorthand to speed up your note-taking process.
- Always verify your sources.
To keep track of your research, apps like EverNote, Notion, OneNote, and Google Docs are all great choices. They make it easy to organize and search through your notes later.
3. Mind Mapping: Visualize Connections Between Ideas
Mind mapping is a powerful organizational tool that helps you see how your ideas relate to each other. You begin with a central theme and branch out to explore related concepts, characters, or plot points. This strategy is particularly useful when developing complex stories or nonfiction projects with multiple layers.
Mind mapping apps like LucidChart, Miro, and Roam Research can help you organize your thoughts visually, connecting ideas and revealing patterns you might otherwise miss.
4. Storyboarding: Map Out Your Story Visually
Storyboarding is commonly used in filmmaking but can be adapted for writing as well. It’s a visual technique where you map out key scenes or events in your story. You can use sticky notes, a corkboard, or apps like Plot, Storyboarder, or Boords to visualize the progression of your story.
This method is especially helpful for visual learners, allowing you to see the flow of events from beginning to end. Tools like Scrivener also feature a corkboard for digital storyboarding.
5. Outlining: Create a Clear Structure for Your Writing
Outlining provides a more structured approach to organizing your ideas. A basic outline helps you arrange your main points and supporting details logically. For fiction, outlining your story’s major plot points—like the inciting incident, climax, and resolution—will give you a roadmap to follow.
If you’re unsure how to create a detailed outline for your book, check out our guide on How to Outline a Novel for a deeper dive into this prewriting strategy.
The Takeaway: Prewriting Makes a Big Difference
By using prewriting strategies, you lay the groundwork for a more productive and effective writing process. These techniques help you organize your thoughts, gather important research, and visualize your story’s structure, ensuring you’re not scrambling to figure things out mid-draft.
A prewriting strategy doesn’t guarantee that everything will be perfect, but it does help you get more of your ideas down on paper and improve the quality of your writing. Whether you choose to use one or multiple prewriting methods, the key is finding the tools that work best for you and help you stay organized.