Prewriting Techniques: Prewriting techniques effectively prepare the writer to launch into the writing process. These techniques include: Workshopping, Freewriting, and Mapping. Workshopping: Many teachers and experts agree that the writing of students benefits from group and peer discussion and critique. Given the opportunity for the writer to present his topic, to say it and/or tell it, it is often easier to write about it. Writing workshops can be easily created, even with as few as two people. Typically workshops provide casual conversation, discussion, sharing of perspectives, and constructive feedback—all of which lead to new and deeper comprehension of ideas and topics, and better prepare us to write. Freewriting: During or after the collection of notes and data and possibly after workshopping, many writers freewrite. That is, they sketchily and uninhibitively express their thoughts in a stream of consciousness fashion. In other words, one writes down their thoughts as they naturally flow, without hesitation or stopping to reflect or analyze. Mapping: Sketching out thoughts about a topic visually through diagrams and drawings, intuitively allows for multi-level planning and translation of thoughts into abbreviated language and patterns. Graphically recording the expansion and relationship of ideas heirarchically or in varied orders (great and small, breadth and depth, abstract and concrete, etc.) may allow the writer to effectively record the flow or brainstorming of ideas. These mapped records become particularly helpful when referred to in later stages of writing.