How to Brainstorm for a Paper

Find a way, any way, to fill up that blank Word document. You'll probably write at least two or three thoughts worth keeping, and if you repeat that a few times you'll eventually have enough for a first draft. Then you order it into sentences and paragraphs and monkey around with it until it actually makes sense.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pen
• Paper
• Brain

1. Jot down all your thoughts about the topic your writing on in a crazy blog monologue screed with no punctuation.
2. Pick your top ten favorite quotes from the book your reading (if your reading) and explain their significance.
3. Write a letter to your professor or the books author explaining how they have changed/improved/ruined your appreciation of your topic.
4. Find a really weird example of your topic and try to explain it using the
   various theories associated with it.
5. Pretend your thesis was written by your worst enemy and disagree with them by arguing exactly the opposite side.
6. Find a sympathetic friend/relative/roommate/innocent bystander, buy them a (root) beer, and set up a tape recorder as you discuss your hypothesis.
7. Pretend to be a character who is not you and coincidentally has to write a paper... it helps if you use a British accent

Tips & Warnings

• Be Patient, Brainstorming takes time
• Highlight important quotes in the book your reading
• Be well rested before you start
• Don't be hesitant to disprove your theory
• Don't stay up all night
• Don't Start the night before your paper is due