2. BRAINSTORMING OR LISTING Brainstorming is similar to freewriting in that it is a timed, flowing exercise meant to elicit
many thoughts and ideas on a given topic. However, instead of putting whole sentences or
phrases to paper, this prewriting technique involves creating a list. It might contain various
individual thoughts or ideas that make sense in a particular order, and/or ideas that are linked
together by association with previous ideas. Unlike freewriting, brainstorming works well
in a limited amount of time. Even with the twenty-five minutes allotted for the SAT essay,
it is worthwhile to spend a few moments jotting down your ideas before beginning to write.
Putting your ideas on paper will be especially helpful on the SAT, where your goal is to estab-
lish a point of view on a topic and support your position.
