Prewriting is a very important part of the writing process, one of the most important steps, I believe.  Just as an architect develops a house plan, so does a writer develop his plan.  During  prewriting, one decides the purpose of the writing, what will be communicated, and the audience to whom it will  be directed.  The topic is also narrowed during this step to the appropriate length for the assignment.

The writer uses prewriting to decide how the piece will be organized and developed.  With the writing process being recursive, writers often return to the prewriting even after beginning the rough draft.

Prewriting comes with many faces.  Those include freewriting, keeping a journal, using a graphic organizer, making lists, discussing/brainstorming, mapping, and clustering.  As educators, we all have our favorite graphic organizer that can be used for prewriting.

Until students become fluid writers, we must require them to prewrite. Not all assignments will demand the same type of plan, but students need a plan nevertheless. Who builds a house without a blueprint?