Brainstorming Tip Sheet

Brainstorming is process of creative thinking that is used to generate ideas and/or solutions to a problem. Here are eight tips to help you improve your brainstorming process.

1. Define your topic. Be sure you understand your assignment. What have you been asked to write about and why? These questions will help you focus on the purpose of your writing.
2. Understand your audience. Who are your potential readers? Think about the type of information they will be looking for and what will interest them.
3. Become familiar with the topic. What do you already know? What are your immediate ideas and reactions to this topic? Make a note of your thoughts.
4. Determine what you need to find out. What areas are you still unfamiliar with? Create a list so your research is focused; this will also break the process down into smaller steps so that it’s less time consuming.
5. Try to select a topic based on personal interest. Researching and writing your assignment will be more enjoyable if you choose to write about something you are interested in.
6. Plan your objective. What is the goal of your writing? If you are presenting research, choose a topic that you have great interest in and one that you can find sufficient information about. If you are arguing a point, choose a side you can strongly defend.
7. Talk about your writing. Telling someone about the topic of your writing allows you to hear your ideas and prompts you to clarify your points. Feedback from your listener can also help you refine your ideas.
8. Share your writing. Working with others often results in more good ideas than working on your own. If you are working on a group assignment, start by writing your ideas on a piece of paper, then pass the paper to each of your group members so they can write their ideas down.