Listing, a type of brainstorming, allows writers to formulate and develop their ideas about a topic. Listing can be helpful at any stage in the writing process, but many writers find that listing helps them most before they sit down to write their essay.

Listing involves continuous writing for approximately 5, 10 or 15 minutes. At the top of a page, a writer jots down a topic. Beneath that topic, she lists all the words, phrases, ideas or emotions that she associates with that topic. All ideas are valuable, and at no point should a writer delete, erase, or censor an idea.

Most writers are familiar with listing as a group activity; groups can generate more ideas than a lone individual can.

After the time limit has passed, a writer will look over his/her ideas, pick out the ones that seem most interesting or most closely related to the topic, and eliminate those that seem off topic. Sometimes writers will organize the “good” ideas into categories or draw lines and arrows to show how they are related.

Many writers find it helpful to make multiple lists. For example, after listing for five minutes, a writer decides which idea seems most interesting. Then, for another five minutes, he creates a second list about that narrower topic.

This technique may also be called cataloging, brainstorming, making an inventory, or free association.

Directions:

Put the topic at the top of your paper. For five minutes, write down all the ideas, feelings or words you associate with that topic.

When the five minutes ends, circle those ideas that seem most interesting or that seem to fit the topic best. Choose one and repeat the listing exercise