Writing assignments can range from thought-provoking essays to detailed research papers. But have you ever sat, pen and pad in hand or hands poised over a keyboard, and waited for a stroke of inspiration to get you started? Every writer will tell you that strokes of inspiration are often few and far between. What can help you get started is an organized approach to getting your ideas flowing.

Rather than wait for your mind to generate a starting point, go back to any notes you have relevant to your topic. They will contain core ideas and supporting information. If your topic is a totally new subject, use the mind-mapping method to generate a flow. The most important part of getting started is not to judge each little thought and idea that comes along. This is also not the time to think about grammar, punctuation, and spelling. This is the time to create. Use critical thinking skills to probe all the possible directions that you can go with the topic while staying true to what the assignment requires.

Let’s say that you need to write an essay about the degree to which elected public officials should be accountable for the behavior in their personal lives. The current scandal involving President Clinton is bringing this question to the minds of many U.S. citizens. More than just writing down your opinion and getting on a soapbox, however, you need to express in writing your thoughts about this subject and support your belief. Where do you begin? What are reasonable, sound angles from which to approach this topic?

To get started, you could look at past scandals involving public officials. How did scandal affect those persons’ effectiveness and image? Compare eras and social climates -- how does public consciousness and the morality of the time affect public perception of a situation? What about your personal position -- what values, beliefs, and attitudes shape your view of the scandal? What are the long-term effects of scandal? Does anything positive ever come from an upset of this kind? What about the officials themselves? Should public officials see themselves as role models, or should they only be concerned with their duties on the job? Can individuals, regardless of their roles in society, have different sets of values for their personal and their professional lives?

Whew! That’s a lot to work with. Any one of these ideas could be the basis for a substantial and provocative essay. You can probably come up with even more directions to take this topic. Think it through carefully and get your ideas flowing.

Once you have a clear focus on the direction you want to take, the hard part is over! -- follow the steps for organizing and preparing your finished work. Your next biggest challenge will be to try not to use all your great ideas in one paper. Save some for the next project.