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8th Grade English Page

Prewriting

There are two basic reasons we write:
(1) We WANT to write: there's something we want to say, a story we want to tell.
OR
(2) We HAVE to write: someone with power tells us we have to write something.

How we begin the writing process depends on which basic reason we have for the task. When we're writing because we WANT to, it's usually easier to get started: we start writing whatever it is we want to say. When we're writing because we HAVE to, it's harder.

When you're writing because you have to, use The Rule of Three:

• Three main ideas
• three supporting ideas for each
• three details or examples 
• etc.

Depending on how long a piece you have to write, keep doing sets of three. Three seems to be the magic number.

If you get all those onto your prewrite (examples below), writing the actual text is easy. For a standard school five-paragraph essay, you only need three main ideas with three supporting details for each. Depending on your style, you may prefer a graphic organizer (such as the example on the left below) or you may prefer an outline (such as the example on the right).

Graphic Organizer	Outline
	I. Introduction II. Body     A.  Main idea #1         1.  supporting detail         2.  supporting detail         3.  supporting detail     B.  Main idea #2         1.  supporting detail         2.  supporting detail         3.  supporting detail     C.  Main idea #3         1.  supporting detail         2.  supporting detail         3.  supporting detail III.  Conclusion

Either style of prewrite will do; they have the same information. Choose whichever type fits your personal style.