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How to Brainstorm for an Essay

Once you get going on a paper, you can often get into a groove and churn out the bulk of it fairly quickly. But choosing or brainstorming a topic for a paper—especially one with an open-ended prompt—can often be a challenge.

You’ve probably been told to brainstorm ideas for papers since you were in elementary school. Even though you might feel like “brainstorming” is an ineffective method for actually figuring out what to write about, it really works. Everyone thinks through ideas differently, but here are some tips to help you brainstorm more effectively regardless of what learning style works best for you:

Tip #1: Set an end goal for yourself

Develop a goal for your brainstorm. Don’t worry—you can go into brainstorming without knowing exactly what you want to write about, but you should  have an idea of what you hope to gain from your brainstorming session. Do you want to develop a list of potential topics? Do you want to come up with ideas to support an argument? Have some idea about what you want to get out of brainstorming so that you can make more effective use of your time.

Tip #2: Write down all ideas

Sure, some of your ideas will be better than others, but you should write all of them down for you to look back on later. Starting with bad or infeasible ideas might seem counterintuitive, but one idea usually leads to another one. Make a list that includes all of your initial thoughts, and then you can go back through and pick out the best one later. Passing judgment on ideas in this first stage will just slow you down.

Tip #3: Think about what interests you most

Students usually write better essays when they’re exploring subjects that they have some personal interest in. If a professor gives you an open-ended prompt, take it as an opportunity to delve further into a topic you find more interesting. When trying to find a focus for your papers, think back on coursework that you found engaging or that raised further questions for you.

Tip #4: Consider what you want the reader to get from your paper

Do you want to write an engaging piece? A thought-provoking one? An informative one? Think about the end goal of your writing while you go through the initial brainstorming process. Although this might seem counterproductive, considering what you want readers to get out of your writing can help you come up with a focus that both satisfies your readers and satisfies you as a writer.

 Tip #5: Try freewriting

Write for five minutes on a topic of your choice that you think could  be worth pursuing—your idea doesn’t have to be fully fleshed out. This can help you figure out whether it’s worth putting more time into an idea or if it doesn’t really have any weight to it. If you find that you don’t have much to say about a particular topic, you can switch subjects halfway through writing, but this can be a good way to get your creative juices flowing.

Tip #6: Draw a map of your ideas

While some students might prefer the more traditional list methods, for more visual learners, sketching out a word map of ideas may be a useful method for brainstorming. Write the main idea in a circle in the center of your page. Then, write smaller, related ideas in bubbles further from the center of the page and connect them to your initial idea using lines. This is a good way to break down big ideas and to figure out whether they are worth writing about.

 Tip #7: Enlist the help of others

Sometimes it can be difficult coming up with paper topics on your own, and family and friends can prove to be valuable resources when developing ideas. Feel free to brainstorm with another person (or in a group). Many hands make light work—and some students work best when thinking through ideas out loud—so don’t be afraid to ask others for advice when trying to come up with a paper topic.

Tip #8: Find the perfect brainstorming spot

Believe it or not, location can make a BIG difference when you’re trying to come up with a paper topic. Working while watching TV is never a good idea, but you might want to listen to music while doing work, or you might prefer to sit in a quiet study location. Think about where you work best, and pick a spot where you feel that you can be productive.

Tip #9: Play word games to help generate ideas

Whether you hate playing word games or think they’re a ton of fun, you might want to try your hand at a quick round of Words With Friends or a game of Scrabble. These games can help get your brain working, and sometimes ideas can be triggered by words you see. Get a friend to play an old-fashioned board game with you, or try your hand at a mobile app if you’re in a time crunch.

Tip #10: Take a break to let ideas sink in

Brainstorming is a great way to get all of your initial thoughts out there, but sometimes you need a bit more time to process all of those ideas. Stand up and stretch—or even take a walk around the block—and then look back on your list of ideas to see if you have any new thoughts on them.

For many students, the most difficult process of paper writing is simply coming up with an idea about what to write on. Don’t be afraid to get all of your ideas out there through brainstorming, and remember that all ideas are valid. Take the time necessary to sort through all of your ideas, using whatever method works best for you, and then get to writing—but don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board if a new inspiration strikes.

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The Writing Process

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• Step 1: Generate Ideas

Brainstorming

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to always be right by having no ideas at all." —Edward de Bono

Most people have been taught how to brainstorm, but review these instructions to make sure you understand all aspects of it.

• Don't write in complete sentences, just words and phrases, and don't worry about grammar or even spelling;
• Again, do NOT judge or skip any idea, no matter how silly or crazy it may initially seem; you can decide later which ones are useful and which are not, but if you judge now, you may miss a great idea or connection;
• Do this for 15, 20, or (if you're on a roll) even 30 minutes--basically until you think you have enough material to start organizing or, if needed, doing research.

Below is a sample brainstorm for an argument/research paper on the need for a defense shield around the earth:

Photo: "Brainstorm" ©2007 Jonathan Aguila

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Brainstorming Templates

Customize brainstorming templates.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

Unleashing Creativity: A Comprehensive Guide to Brainstorming Worksheets

Brainstorming is a powerful tool to help plan and for generating ideas. An example of brainstorming in the writing process is when students use a blank essay brainstorming worksheet to generate ideas for their research paper topic, jotting down various subjects, keywords, and potential angles to explore. Another example is when a team gathers to generate ideas for a new marketing project, utilizing a sheet to capture and organize their creative concepts.

What is a Brainstorming Worksheet?

It is a structured tool that helps facilitate the brainstorming process. It provides a framework for capturing ideas and organizing thoughts. A typical brainstorming worksheet includes sections or categories where you can record different aspects of your ideas and words, such as the main idea, supporting points, related concepts, or any other relevant information. Using a worksheet, such as an essay brainstorming worksheet, is helpful, as it ensures that no valuable thoughts are lost during your brainstorming session.

Techniques for Effective Brainstorming Using Worksheets

Mind Map: One popular technique is using a mind map. Start with a central idea or topic and create branches to represent related concepts. This visual representation allows you to explore connections from different angles. The essay brainstorming template can be particularly helpful for the writing process, helping writers develop their thoughts and create a well-structured essay.

Prompts and Constraints: Prompts are thought-provoking questions or keywords that inspire new ideas and point the writer in the right direction. Constraints, such as time limits or word limits, challenge you to think outside the box and push your thinking further. By combining prompts and constraints, the hope is that you create a dynamic environment for idea generation.

Maximizing the Potential of Brainstorming Worksheets

Blank worksheets serve as a clean slate for individuals to unleash their creativity and explore new ideas, allowing them to freely note their thoughts, connections, and potential solutions without constraints or pre-determined structure.

Collaboration and Discussion: They are excellent tools for group discussions and collaborations. Distribute worksheets to team members during a brainstorming session, and remind them to comment and contribute. The free brainstorming template allows each individual to jot down their thoughts, which can then be shared and discussed collectively. This promotes the exchange of knowledge and diverse perspectives, leading to more innovative solutions.

Leveraging Tools: Take advantage of the numerous online brainstorming makers that offer a wide selection of pre-designed handouts. These brainstorming makers provide a structured solution for your brainstorming sessions, saving you time and effort in creating the page from scratch. Whether it's a writing brainstorming template or a general-purpose brainstorming template, using a pre-designed format streamlines the writing process and allows you to begin to focus on generating and eventually choosing ideas.

Remember to utilize techniques like mind mapping, prompts, and constraints to foster creativity and focused thinking. Collaborate with others to learn different perspectives and expand your knowledge.

Tips for Planning a Brainstorming Worksheet

• Determine the Purpose: Identify the specific purpose, such as essay writing or general idea generation.
• Define Categories and Sections: Decide on the sections to include, such as main ideas or supporting points.
• Design the Layout: Use a blank brainstorming template or a pre-made brainstorming template to create an organized and visually appealing layout.
• Incorporate Prompts and Visuals: Include prompts and visual cues to stimulate creativity and inspire ideas.
• Customize for the Purpose: Tailor the worksheet for the intended use, such as using an essay brainstorming template for essay writing.
• Consider Digital Tools: Explore online brainstorming makers or tools for customizable handouts and additional features.

By following these steps, you can create a worksheet that effectively supports your brainstorming process, whether it's for essay writing or general idea generation.

Even More Storyboard That Resources and Free Printables

• Worksheet Templates
• Making Connections Worksheet
• Making Predictions Worksheets

How to Make a Brainstorming Worksheet

Choose one of the premade templates.

We have lots of templates to choose from. Take a look at our example for inspiration!

Click on “Copy Template”

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions About Brainstorming Worksheets

How can i adapt a brainstorming worksheet for a specific topic or problem.

You can adapt these worksheets for a specific topic or problem by customizing the sections, prompts, or categories to align with the specific context. Tailoring the worksheet to the subject matter or challenge at hand ensures that it serves as an effective tool for idea generation and problem-solving.

Are there any techniques to overcome a creative block when using brainstorming worksheets?

Yes, if you encounter a creative block, try techniques such as changing your environment, taking a break and returning with fresh eyes, seeking inspiration from diverse sources, or using unconventional prompts. Additionally, experimenting with different brainstorming techniques, like reverse brainstorming or role-playing, can help break through mental barriers.

Are there any techniques for how to write a brainstorming worksheet template that is effective or useful for different subjects?

To write an effective and versatile brainstorming worksheet for different subjects, try these techniques:

• Design a flexible structure that can be customized.
• Tailor prompts and categories to align with each subject.
• Use visual elements like diagrams or mind maps.
• Incorporate subject-specific brainstorming techniques.

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College Essay Brainstorming: Where to Start

Bonus Material: College Essay Brainstorming Questions  

The college essay is an extremely important component of your college application. Yes, college admissions officers do care about standardized test scores, academic transcripts, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation.

All of these application components can help officers assess a student’s academic and professional potential (and much more).

The college application essay, however, gives students a chance to share their unique voice with an admissions officer. It’s like a brief interview, where students can give officers a powerful glimpse of who they are outside of their application in roughly 650 words.

So what do you say in those 650 words? How do you pick the right essay topic?

It’s all about the brainstorming process. In general, the more time you can devote to gathering potential essay topics  before  you start writing, the better. Gathering this material can also be helpful for writing supplemental essays down the road.

In this post, we provide actionable tips for guiding your college essay brainstorming process. After reading this article, students will be well poised to gather topics and eventually select the “right” essay topic .

We also give students access to 30 free college essay brainstorming questions to get started. Grab these below.

Download College Essay Brainstorming Questions

Here’s what we cover:

The Importance of College Essay Brainstorming

• 8 College Essay Brainstorming Tips
• Bonus : 30 College Essay Brainstorming Questions

We define the college essay as a “demonstration of character, values, and/or voice.” It is an introspective, personal essay that (ideally) adds significant value to a student’s overall application.

Many students are not well-versed in writing this kind of essay. Indeed, most students are familiar with the concept of the academic essay, with its neat five paragraphs. Very few have had a lot of time in high school classrooms to write deeply reflective pieces, and concise ones at that. (Remember: you only have 650 words or fewer to craft your response!)

That’s why brainstorming is so essential  to the college essay writing process. It’s your key to pinpointing the right topic, which we define as one with the potential to generate an essay that aligns with these 7 winning qualities .

It can also be valuable for gathering potential topics for supplemental essay responses, which many competitive colleges require.

For these very reasons, we spend a significant amount of time brainstorming in our college essay mentoring programs and summer workshops. Students who are able to gather a lot of material in this time tend to have an easier job down the road choosing the right topic, creating an outline, and eventually writing that first draft.

What’s more, they might surprise themselves in what they are able to pull from their many life experiences! It’s not uncommon for an essay student to choose a certain topic they never would have considered prior to brainstorming.

The tips outlined in the next section reflect this great value of brainstorming, and are the same we offer our college essay students at the start of their process.

8 College Essay Brainstorming Tips

Don’t let that blank page intimidate you! Follow these tips to guide your brainstorming process and remember that this stage should and will take time.

1. Know the standards

Students should feel very comfortable with colleges’ general expectations for the essay  before  they start brainstorming. If you haven’t done so already, please check out the following PrepMaven posts:

• What is the College Essay?

7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay

• 11 College Essays That Worked
• What College Admissions Officers Look For

It can also be helpful to review the Common Application’s essay prompts . While students don’t necessarily have to respond to a  specific  prompt, these provide insight into the type of essay colleges are seeking.

2. No topic is “too small” (but some are “too big”)

Students only have 650 words (or fewer) to write their essays. That’s not a lot of space! For this reason, don’t shy away from seemingly “small” topics as you brainstorm.

One student who earned Ivy League acceptance, for example, wrote about her passion for hot sauce in her college essay!

On the same note, if you come up with “big” topics, such as cultural identity, a long-term extracurricular activity, or a religious belief, do your best to highlight specific components of these topics, or one representative experience. The best college essays don’t say everything there is to say about such large topics. Rather, they focus skillfully on one smaller component of a potentially bigger picture.

3. Write down all the details for every topic

When you land upon a topic, mine it for details. Write down everything you can think of about that experience, idea, or memory. Many of our students like to use bulleted lists in a Google Doc for doing this.

It’s important to squeeze out every possible detail so that you can fully assess a topic’s potential! In many cases, such details will become college essay topics themselves.

4. Work by category

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the possible topics out there–and don’t worry, this is common–gather ideas by category. Here are some sample category examples:

• Travel experiences
• Extracurricular activities
• Family life
• Culture and heritage
• Interests and hobbies
• Challenges (non-academic)

Categories can help you build a general portrait of who you are, at least to start. Once you have a few ideas per category, start diving deeper into those ideas and generating further details about each one.

5. Ask the right questions

It is often easier for students to generate a rich pool of potential topics by answering questions designed to encourage deep reflection and introspection. Of course, this begs the question: what should I be asking myself?

Take a look at these 30 questions  we ask our students in our college essay workshops and mentorship programs at the beginning of their process.

Once you’ve answered these questions fully and to the best of your ability, you’ll be poised for essay topic selection.

6. Keep it to yourself, mostly

Many college essay students risk writing about what their parents, friends, or teachers want them to write about. Others risk writing “what colleges want to hear.” Yet authenticity is one of the most important qualities of a successful college essay!

That’s why we encourage students to brainstorm independently. You are the only one in the world most familiar with your life experiences, after all! Consult family members, friends, or mentors only once you are further along in the essay writing process, or if you need clarification on the details of a specific experience. This will ensure you gather topics that are true to you first and foremost.

7. Maintain orderly notes

Brainstorming can be messy. Establish a system early on for maintaining orderly notes! Some tools that can come in handy:

• Bulleted or numbered lists
• Index cards
• Color-coding (digital or manual)
• Google Docs

8. Consider takeaways for each topic

As you compile topics, save time and start thinking in terms of “takeaways” for each. This will allow you to assess a topic’s potential for demonstrating your character, values, and/or voice.

Ask yourself for each topic : What values does this showcase? What does this say about me specifically? What meaningful reflections does it invite? What aspect of my voice is apparent here?

Download 30 College Essay Brainstorming Questions

You can jumpstart your college essay brainstorming process right now by downloading our college essay brainstorming questions.

With this free download, you’ll get:

• 30 of the best brainstorming questions we ask our students
• Guidance for next steps

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED POSTS

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What can you do to improve your college essay quickly and effectively? We have 9 great tips for polishing your application essay.

6 Tips for Choosing That Winning College Essay Topic

May 18, 2020

You've done the brainstorming. Now how do you choose the college essay topic that will result in a successful piece? Our 6 tips will help.

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College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 4.

• Writing a strong college admissions essay
• Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

• How formal should the tone of your college essay be?
• Taking your college essay to the next level
• Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback
• Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback
• Student story: Admissions essay about a formative experience
• Student story: Admissions essay about personal identity
• Student story: Admissions essay about community impact
• Student story: Admissions essay about a past mistake
• Student story: Admissions essay about a meaningful poem
• Writing tips and techniques for your college essay

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Video transcript

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

Where to Begin? 6 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises

←8 Do’s and Don’ts for Crafting Your College Essay

Creating the First Draft of Your College Application Essay →

The Common App publishes a list of 7 prompts each year. They ultimately ask for similar types of responses, regardless of slight alterations year-to-year. The Common App prompts provide you with a forum to write about yourself, using whatever anecdote or vehicle you wish in order to communicate something profound and genuine about yourself to adcoms.

If this feat seems daunting or spellbindingly vague to you, you are not alone. For virtually every student applying to college, the moment when you sit down to draft your personal statement is likely the first—and may end up being the only—time in your life when you are pushed to describe your entire identity succinctly and eloquently. So, where to begin?

As with any writing assignment, the best way to approach the personal essay is to brainstorm what it is you want the entire essay to communicate about you to the adcom that will be considering you for admission. Read on for 4 surprising brainstorming exercises that will lead you to an effective personal statement strategy.

1. Consider the four core questions.

When writing your personal statement, there are four questions that your essay should answer:

• “Who am I?”
• “Why am I here?”
• “What is unique about me?”
• “What matters to me?”

These questions are important because they help bring awareness to the kind of person you are and touch on things such as your personality traits, your journey throughout high school, the interests and skills that make you unique, and what’s important to you. Colleges want to understand how you became who you are, and where you’re going (successful alumni reflect well on their school, after all!).

2. Try freeform writing.

To help answer these questions and start brainstorming, freeform writing is a good place to start. Begin by writing down 3-5 aspects of your personality or experiences and spend some time constructing narratives out of these different combinations.

This process of getting some ideas on paper and seeing how they can relate to each other can help you better identify a prompt that works for you. For example, you might note that you enjoy tutoring students in STEM, and are now working with a local school to create a Women in STEM initiative in your school district. You may also have tried previous initiatives that failed. These experiences could be constructed and applied to a number of Common App prompts. You could address a specific identity or interest you have associated with STEM, discuss what you learned from your failed initiatives, explore how you challenged the lack of women in STEM programs in your school district, envision solving for the lack of women involved in the science and mathematics fields, etc.

3. Make a list of opinions you firmly hold and explain them.

This exercise requires you to think about aspects of your identity that you have actively chosen. While exercise #4 asks you to consider what parts of your identity you have struggled to overcome, this exercise asks you to consider what aspects of your identity you are most proud of—those opinions that you hold because you chose to believe in something specific of your own accord.

This is an important brainstorming exercise because it should get you thinking about things you are passionate about. Ultimately, you will want to write your personal statement about something that defines you, gets you excited, and can exhibit your ability to think and speak for yourself. So now, before you start writing, make a list of the things that you care about most, and explain why you feel that way about them.

This list can include everything from your political affiliation to your stance on McDonald’s decision in the past year to serve breakfast for longer. The point of this exercise is that there is no right or wrong way of going about it, no topic that is more worthwhile than any other so long as you are passionate about it.

4. Make a list of your character flaws.

While the ultimate goal of the personal essay is to present yourself in as positive a light as possible to adcoms, the challenge is to do so in a way that is realistic and genuine. To do this, you’ll need to do some serious thinking about what types of character flaws accompany your best traits.

There are two main reasons why we suggest that students not shy away from talking about their own shortcomings as well as their achievements. The first reason is quite simple: a personal statement that paints a picture of its writer as perfect and without flaws will come across as dishonest and unrealistic. Obviously, you want to avoid this at all costs. Second, and even more important, if you are able to write a personal statement that acknowledges your flaws and recognizes that you are imperfect, it will reflect positively on you and vouch for your maturity.

If it feels counterintuitive or scary to dwell on anything other than successes, do not fret: that is the expected reaction to this advice. But if done correctly, acknowledging that you are not perfect can add genuineness to any personal essay. So, how to discuss character flaws? There are several ways to go about this.

One way is to discuss a character flaw that you have always struggled with and worked to improve upon throughout your life. In this scenario, discussing flaws can help introduce a discussion about growth or maturation and give your personal statement a nice narrative arc. Yet another way to discuss your character flaws is to acknowledge how certain struggles or personal shortcomings have shaped your identity, allowing you to go into more detail about the ways in which you were able to better yourself by identifying a flaw in yourself and being willing to fix it.

The thinking here is that students have no difficulty remembering all of the accomplishments, productive experiences, and glowing achievements that they want to include in their personal statements. After all, it is easy to write about these things. It is much harder to force yourself to think about aspects of your identity that rankle, and to think about how these things have shaped you.

5. Reflect on your choices and why you made them.

Another brainstorming exercise that can help you think of a topic is to reflect on what choices you’ve made and why. Once you come up with a list, it will be easier to see what you value and the direction in which you can take your essay.

Think about some of these questions to get the juices flowing:

• Why are they my best friend?
• Under what circumstances did we become friends?
• When did we last fight?
• If I had to spend 10 days doing the same exercise or physical activity, what would I choose? Why?
• Say I had to pick one food, and my three closest friends or family members could only eat that food for one week. What would that food be and why?
• Say I had to start a business selling something, and I would achieve the average level of success (financially, socially, etc) within that business, what would I choose to do?
• What movie would I want to take the place of a character in and which character would I want to play? Why?
• What class or teacher did I like most, and why? What class or teacher did I dislike most, and why?
• If I had to choose between singing, doing standup comedy, or dancing in front of 18,000 people, what would I choose? Why?

6. Make a list of anecdotes, childhood memories, or stories about yourself. Then choose one and make it your “vehicle.”

Finally, you should conclude your brainstorming session by searching for a vehicle: an anecdote that you can use to frame your personal statement.

You can use anecdotes in your personal statement in a number of ways. Some students choose to open with one, others close with one, and still others will use two or three anecdotes in order to add color and rhetorical flair to the points they are trying to make about themselves. The best types of anecdotes are the ones that tell the most about you or give insight into your character.

When we help students write their personal statements, we usually begin by brainstorming a few potential anecdotes to use in your essay. But if you are wondering what the point is of using an anecdote— Why use one at all when I could save words and just talk about myself ?—it’s useful to first understand why telling a story or two makes your personal statement stronger.

Ultimately, you will want your personal statement to communicate something about your character and personality that is unique and appealing to schools. When an adcom reads your personal statement, they are looking to hear about you in general, they are looking to learn something unique or special about you (so they can differentiate you from other applicants), and they are also looking for evidence that you would be a valuable addition to their community. But the fact of the matter is that these are fairly broad and vague directives to write about if you don’t have something specific to focus on.

This is where the anecdotes come in to save the day! They help instigate a conversation about yourself, your personality, your identity, and your character while also giving you something concrete to talk about. This is why we call it a “vehicle”—it can exist in its own right, but it carries with it important information about you as well.

Now that you know what the purpose of this vehicle is, it should be a little easier to brainstorm the anecdote(s) that you choose to frame your personal statement with. If you are not yet sure what to write about in your personal statement, you can start brainstorming anecdotes from your childhood, from favorite family stories to fond memories, from hilarious vacation mishaps to particularly tender moments. Do your parents have favorite stories to tell about you? Write those into your list as well.

Once you have a collection of stories to work with, you may begin to see certain patterns forming. Perhaps all of your favorite stories take place in the same setting—a vacation home that meant a lot to you or in the classroom of your favorite teacher. Maybe, you will realize that all of your fondest memories involve a certain activity or hobby of yours. Or, alternatively, you may notice that one story from your childhood mirrors or foreshadows a like, dislike, or accomplishment that would come to fruition later in your life.

If you already know what you want to say about yourself, you can come at the same exercise from another angle: try to think of several anecdotes that could be potential vehicles for the message about yourself that you want to transmit. If you want to illustrate that you love to learn, try to think pointedly about where that love comes from or what you have done that proves this. In this case, remember that any given anecdote can reveal more than one thing about you.

It is hard to imagine all of the possible personal statements that could come out of this brainstorming session, but it is almost certain that this exercise will help you come up with several concrete points to make about yourself and provide you with a tangible way to say those things.

Final Thoughts

If after doing these six brainstorming exercises, you still don’t feel ready to write your personal statement, fear not! Writing a personal essay is daunting and won’t be done in three steps, or even three days! 

For more guidance, check out these blog posts:

How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges

How to Come Up With an Idea for a Personal Statement

How to Write the Common App Essays

Mastering the Personal Statement

5 Tips for Editing Your College Essays

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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Essay brainstorming template.

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Essay Brainstorming Template makes simple the brainstorming process and encourages creative thinking . It has visual way to present ideas and concepts , making it easier to organize and explore thoughts and connections.

User friendly design enables addition, editing , and expansion of ideas within the mind map .

Editable format lets editing with colors , icons, and images , enhancing the visual impact of your brainstorming session .

Essay Brainstorming Mind Map is available for download in PDF , Google Sheets and Excel.

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84 comments.

Thank you so much. This has truly helped me in my exams and throughout the beneficial journey of my school year.

Ellen Davis

How will I be able to check my work, when I print it out to work on them? Where are the answers?

I guess it depends on what you are working on. On what are you working?

Kareema Coles

Ummm the pdf version is not working…is the link still valid?

Which link?

This is an amazing website with fabulous ideas and printable ready to go lessons!!! Thank you so much! I wish I could meet you!!!

Thank you very much for this amazing resource and great ideas. They are extremely comprehensive and well designed. Thank you very much for your kind consideration and not adding a Price-tag to your valuable resources. Highly appreciated.

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Lifesaver! Thank you for the great ideas and guidance. I am a new teacher, and finding this site has made a true turn around in my instruction. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Thank you for these great step by step resources

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Despite all the negative comments above, you should keep up for the ones (like me) who are absolutely grateful for these material.

Thanks for sharing! Best.

I give this website 3stares only for the info but in general 1star

I give your comment 0 stars because your position lacks support or evidence of any kind. Complete some of these worksheets and begin your argument again.

that’s stupid from where do u get the worksheets

I wrote them.

I did not see any activities that required the student to write an entire essay.

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/writing/persuasive-essay-topics/

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10 Free Editable Brainstorming Templates and Examples

Brainstorming is an effective technique that helps you discuss your ideas with the team and produce a quality project output. In actual fact, brainstorming templates are very good graphical tools to make brainstorming meaningful and effective. Also, the structure of a template plays a big part in the success of the brainstorming session. So in today’s post, we prepared different frameworks used in the most popular ideation style. You may refer to the brainstorming session templates provided below.

10 Brainstorming Templates and Examples Free to Download

Mind map template, affinity diagram template, double bubble map template, swot analysis template, 5-why analysis worksheet.

• Starbusting Template

Reverse Brainstorming Worksheet

Fishbone diagram template, marketing brainstorming template, brainstorming template for essays.

Mind mapping is probably the famous method for brainstorming. A mind map template starts with one topic at the center and anyone from your team can randomly branch out ideas related to the center topic. Besides, this brainstorming template could be of great help to capture ideas of the team, outline project objectives, and goals, or simplify complex processes. In other words, the mind map template is useful in many ways.

If the team is focusing on organizing ideas, categorizing, and comparing information, the Affinity diagram is a great brainstorming diagram template. After gathering a large amount of data or ideas from brainstorming, this helps you organize them into groups based on their similarity or affinity. Aside from that, it can help the team foster a culture of creativity by grouping the ideas according to their natural relationships.

A double bubble map template has a similar purpose of comparing and categorizing information. Using this free brainstorming template you can identify the contrasts and differences of two items just like how the Venn diagram works. Also, similarities are placed in between the two items being compared but the Double bubble map is composed of several circles instead of two overlapping ones.

SWOT Analysis is a helpful brainstorming diagram template when analyzing the important areas of a business. This includes the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It encourages your team to predict the problems that the business may encounter and take countermeasures ahead of time.

Another framework to perform evaluation and analysis brainstorming is 5 Why Analysis. Sometimes the cause of a problem is completely different from most expectations and this brainstorming template is made especially for this purpose. It allows you to dig deeper by asking whys until you figure out the root cause of an issue. By then, your team can formulate appropriate actions.

Starbursting Template

When developing a new product or organizing event ideas, it is important to go through systematic and comprehensive questioning exercises. Starbusting is an effective brainstorming technique and you can edit this free brainstorming template for free. Rather than formulating answers, the team needs to generate questions and tackle the important aspects including who, when, what, where, why, and how. After exploring the 5W1H, the team then can generate an actionable proposal.

If you want to make your brainstorming session different from the typical ones, you can consider using a Reverse Brainstorming template or worksheet. But instead of brainstorming for the possible solutions, you will encourage your team of the ways that would cause a plan to fail. The end goal should be to come up with solutions how to achieve the opposite effect.

Fishbone Diagram is another brainstorming session template that works best to analyze the cause and effect of an event with a similar purpose to 5 why analysis. You can edit and complete this brainstorming diagram template by placing the problem in the fish head. Position the major factors in the branches closest to the spine. Branch out the major factors and write down the causes of the major factors. Finally, analyze the causes and give emphasis on the important ones by inserting stickers.

There’s also a brainstorming template you can create for your team’s marketing content. A marketing plan is an important stage where business strategies are formed in reaching your target market and generating leads. In order to successfully execute it, you need to collaboratively discuss your ideas with the team using a marketing brainstorming template.

Brainstorm template for essays works great to create coherent essays. You get to write in a systematic way if you are tired of writing essays in a free-flow style. Using this free brainstorming template, you can plan out which points to ponder, the information needed for the topic, and etc. Thus, it’s easier to achieve a quality and coherent essay.

There you have it. These are the different frameworks for various ideation styles for brainstorming with your team. You can select from a variety of templates ranging from ideation process to actions. The best part is, you can choose to use any template you wish to edit for free.

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11 Brainstorming Templates & Techniques

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

May 15, 2024

Brainstorming sounds like it should be easy, right? All you have to do is throw some ideas around and see what sticks. But sometimes, adding a bit of structure to your brainstorming session can help with project planning and team collaboration .

A brainstorming template helps you and your team members stay on track and keep a written record of any bright ideas you come up with.💡

So put the sticky notes aside, and check out our collection of 11 free brainstorming templates in Word, Google Docs, and ClickUp.

What is a Brainstorming Template?

What makes a good brainstorming template, 1. clickup brainstorming template, 2. clickup brainstorm ideas template, 3. clickup sprint retrospective brainstorm template, 4. clickup 5 whys whiteboard template, 5. clickup squad brainstorm template, 6. clickup business brainstorming template, 7. clickup innovation idea management template, 8. clickup project mapping template, 10. google docs mind map brainstorm template by gdoc, 11. microsoft word simple business mind map template by template.net, techniques & examples for brainstorming sessions.

A brainstorming template is a document that helps you generate ideas, take notes, and foster teamwork during your brainstorming session. It can also help with prioritization of ideas so that you focus on the most important things first.

A brainstorming template can take the form of a flowchart, mind map , digital whiteboard, or any number of other formats depending on the use case. Once you’ve found a brainstorming technique you like, you can customize it to suit your workflow.

A brainstorming template should include plenty of blank space for writing things down, but it shouldn’t be a blank slate. Colors, shapes, and symbols can help you keep your ideas organized and see how they all fit together. 🛠️

A good brainstorming template focuses on a specific brainstorming technique . After all, coming up with ideas for a new product requires a different set of creative thinking techniques than problem-solving technical issues or running a design sprint .

Common brainstorming and ideation techniques include:

• Brainwriting: Instead of shouting out ideas and having a facilitator write them down, this creative thinking technique involves passing around a paper or digital document and having each team member write down their own ideas — including ideas they might be embarrassed to share aloud in front of the whole team.
• Round robin: The round-robin creative technique is similar to brainwriting, except that each time the document is passed around, the next team member adds their feedback, resulting in a range of different perspectives. 👀
• Crazy eights: The crazy eights template uses a brainstorming technique with eight squares that team members fill in one by one. You’ll only get one minute per square to encourage fast thinking and concept creation within eight ideas spots.
• Reverse brainstorming: Reverse brainstorming flips the script. Instead of trying to think of great ideas, consider things that would make the situation worse. This can help to identify the root cause of a troublesome problem.

Brainstorming sessions are all about visual collaboration, so use templates that are easy to customize and that offer integrations with other project management tools and brainstorming software . For a remote team, you may want to use a virtual whiteboard template or concept map that team members can edit in real-time.

When you use a brainstorming technique that aligns with your goals, you can expect a more productive and successful brainstorming session.

11 Brainstorming Templates to Use in 2024

Whether you need to focus on problem-solving, idea generation, or big-picture thinking, these 11 templates for 2024 will help you get your team’s thinking hats on so you stay on track.

This ClickUp Brainstorming Template is all about structure and organization. It features six custom fields, including “Problem Description,” “Resources,” and “Winning Solution,” so you can keep track of which main idea falls into which category.

You can also choose from six different view types, including Timeline, Department, and Priorities, making it suitable for a wide range of projects to handle as many ideas as possible.

This is a beginner-friendly template that supports automations when you create a new task, post a comment, or set a custom field—so everyone gets the big picture.

The ClickUp Brainstorm Ideas Template is a simple and straightforward template for collecting new ideas from team members and other stakeholders. You can use it for marketing, operations, project management, and more to quickly generate ideas.

Simply share the template with your team and see what creative ideas they come up with. This template will encourage team members to define their best ideas using SMART criteria and has room to describe big ideas in more detail.

The ClickUp Sprint Retrospective Brainstorm Template is an intermediate brainstorming template that’s compatible with ClickUp’s virtual Whiteboard feature . It’s intended to be used after a design sprint so you can identify what went well and what didn’t.

This template comes with color-coded columns to separate action items, retrospective goals, and other categories, and it has clear instructions on how to use it.

It’s great for startups, agile teams, and other organizations that want to improve their approach to project management and project documentation .

The ClickUp 5 Whys Whiteboard Template is a beginner brainstorming activity template aimed at problem-solving. By repeatedly answering the question “Why?” about each problem, you’ll be able to move through the chart until you get to its root cause.

This 5 Whys template incorporates ClickUp’s Whiteboard functionality, so it’s great for remote teams, webinars, and virtual brainstorming sessions to generate the best ideas.

Use templates like this one to get to the bottom of problems that you can’t solve with another typical brainstorming technique.

The ClickUp Squad Brainstorm Template helps you keep track of ideas from individual team members, which is great if you manage a remote team. It includes categories like Team Health, Team Rhythm, and Team Consensus so you can see how these ideas fit in with overall team goals.

Use templates like this one for team meetings related to sales, creative and design-thinking projects, project execution , and more.

The ClickUp Business Brainstorming Template is a fun and appealing template for visual collaboration that focuses on four main areas:

• What you love
• What you know
• What the world needs
• What people will pay for

Each member of your team can write down their ideas in each category, helping you identify team strengths, areas of interest, and new business ideas through this creative brainstorming activity.

Use the ClickUp Innovation Idea Management Template to keep track of project ideas in various stages of development by sorting them into six main columns:

Each idea gets eight custom fields where you can include details such as the idea type, cost, ease of implementation, and impact. This can be used for design-thinking activities or to create a process to bring concepts to fruition.

Sort your project ideas by Status, Launch Date, and other view types so you can keep an eye on their progress and watch them grow. 🌻

The ClickUp Project Mapping Template is a type of mind mapping that’s useful in the early stages of a project when you need to see how the whole process fits together.

You can break down project elements into categories like Deliverables, Metrics, and Operations, and use statuses like Canceled, Complete, or In Progress to determine which tasks to prioritize in the process and which have already been done.

Ideas are linked together with colored lines so you can show how it’s all connected in a natural way. Use this brainstorming template alongside a project roadmap to kick off a new project and get on the same page with other stakeholders and participants.

Bonus: Bubble Map Templates for Visualizing and Brainstorming

ClickUp’s Affinity Diagram Template offers a structured approach to organizing ideas and insights, facilitating in-depth discussions and brainstorming sessions.

Together with ClickUp’s Whiteboard feature, teams can visualize connections, categorize thoughts, and prioritize actions efficiently, all in real-time. This robust combination is particularly effective for remote teams looking to engage in collaborative problem-solving and idea generation, ensuring all voices are heard and ideas are thoroughly explored.

The Google Docs Mind Map Brainstorm Template by GDOC has a “minimalist” layout that you can use to guide your brainstorming session. This format helps everyone get on their thinking hats to create concepts from a brainstorming session.

It includes steps such as “Find Idea” and “Manage Topics”—although you may need additional space to describe your ideas in more detail and solve more in-depth concepts.

Since it’s built within Google Docs, you or any participants can customize the size, shape, fonts, and other characteristics, and export it for use in PowerPoint and Keynote. This is a great solution for teams working in G Suite to generate ideas.

This Microsoft Word Simple Business Mind Map Template by Template.net is geared for businesses, with prompts such as Finance, Product, and Sales & Marketing.

Each broad category includes subtopics that you can use to brainstorm funding ideas, business plans, digital marketing, and more.

This template isn’t just for Microsoft Word. You can also download it for PowerPoint, Google Docs, Apple Pages, or as a PDF to use for your next brainstorming session and spark creativity.

Brainstorming techniques are a great way to bring out the best ideas from your team and to help them think outside the box. With ClickUp’s powerful features, you can put these templates to good use in your next brainstorming session!

Generate Ideas with AI

AI revolutionizes the way teams brainstorm by offering unique advantages like instant data analysis, pattern recognition, and generating innovative ideas based on vast information repositories.

By leveraging AI, teams can overcome common brainstorming hurdles like creative blocks and groupthink, enabling a more diverse and comprehensive exploration of ideas. AI tools can suggest new perspectives and solutions that human participants might not consider, creating a more creative and productive brainstorming session.

ClickUp Brain , ClickUp’s AI assistant helps teams in generating ideas, providing insightful suggestions based on project data, and helping prioritize tasks, making it an invaluable tool for any brainstorming session.

Organize Ideas with Mind Maps

Mind maps are an excellent way to visually organize and connect ideas. Use ClickUp Mind Maps to create a visual representation of your brainstorming session. You can drag and drop nodes, add descriptions, and even generate new tasks straight from the map.

Use Whiteboards for Brainwriting

ClickUp’s Whiteboard feature allows teams to brainstorm virtually, just like they would in a traditional meeting room. This visual collaboration tool encourages free-flowing ideas and offers a quicker way to visualize connections between concepts.

Explore New Ideas With These Free Brainstorming Templates

Creatively coming up with new ideas is just part of the process. The best brainstorming templates are organizational tools that help you or your perspectives develop new ideas and write them down. That way, you can come back to them later and track your progress.

You can use these templates to solve problems, foster collaboration, or simply keep a record of all of your ideas about a specific project.

Try one of the above 11 free templates yourself, or visit the ClickUp Template Center for even more solutions.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

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Important Tips for Writing TOEFL Essay| Tips 2024

The TOEFL iBT test is a good way to show you know English well enough for university. The test has four parts: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It takes about three hours to finish. The last part, the writing section, has two essays: one independent and one integrated.

The integrated essay lasts 20 minutes and is based on a reading and a listening passage, similar to a typical school setting. You need to remember what you heard and explain the ideas in your own words without copying. In this article, we will give you some really helpful tips to improve your TOEFL iBT writing skills.

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10 Amazing TOEFL 2024 Essay Writing Tips

Tips for writing a good toefl essay, create an essay plan, know what the examiner wants, give yourself a word limit, stick to the prompt, keep on practising your writing, use effective paragraph structure, use specific examples, use varied sentence structure, use academic vocabulary, use correct grammar and punctuation, integrated writing task, transition words and phrases, integrated essay time breakdown.

Here’s a quick summary of our top 10 TOEFL Writing Tips:

• Tip 1: Pay close attention to the reading passage because the listening passage will challenge each point made in it.
• Tip 2: Practice taking brief but accurate notes during the listening passage. You only get to hear it once.
• Tip 3: Paraphrase the passages. The TOEFL grading criteria include vocabulary, and you will earn zero points if you simply quote the material.
• Tip 4: Use lots of transitional words and phrases to help develop your essay and connect your ideas.
• Tip 5: Manage your time wisely. You only have 20 minutes to write an essay of at least 250 words.
• Tip 6: Add to the discussion. Do not repeat points and ideas from the passages in your response.
• Tip 7: Stick to a few simple verb tenses.
• Tip 8: Try to include multiple sentences with more than one clause.
• Tip 9: Plan to edit your essay for at least one minute at the end. There is no spellcheck on the TOEFL.
• Tip 10: Practice writing at home and ask a teacher or trained TOEFL expert to give you a grade and point out your weaknesses.

Must Read: Top 10 TOEFL 2024 Writing Tips to Ace the Exam

Having a plan for your TOEFL iBT essay can make your writing flow better and help you organize your ideas. Writing down a short essay plan before you start will help you use your time well. When you know what you will write next, you won’t have to stop and think between each paragraph.

There are several common TOEFL iBT essay plans that work well. However, the most important thing is to find what works best for you. An organized plan is essential to succeed in the TOEFL iBT writing test because it helps the examiner follow your essay easily. Even if you have great ideas, a disorganized essay can make it hard to get the grades you deserve.

Check the writing rubrics for the TOEFL iBT writing test and set a goal for the grade you want.

The writing rubrics show what the examiner expects from your TOEFL iBT essay. This can help you focus on important skills like organization and clarity.

You can find examples of TOEFL iBT writing test essays with estimated grades online. These examples give you a good idea of what to aim for when practicing. Knowing what the examiner is looking for can make you feel more confident in your writing.

A good TOEFL iBT essay should have at least 150 words for the integrated task and 300 words for the independent task. However, it’s up to you to decide.

Setting a word limit helps you know when to stop writing and start checking your essay. This also forces you to focus on what is essential, leading to a higher grade. In writing your TOEFL iBT essay, quality is more important than quantity.

Under pressure during the TOEFL iBT exam, it’s easy to go off-topic.

After each paragraph, quickly read what you have written to ensure it is relevant to the essay prompt. This will save time because you won’t have to rewrite at the end if you realize you strayed from the topic. It also helps you plan the next paragraph.

With limited time, it’s best to stay on track throughout the TOEFL iBT writing test. This is especially important for the independent writing task but is also useful for the integrated writing.

More Practice is key for the TOEFL iBT writing test as it improves both your writing skills and speed. The more you write, the more confident you will feel during the exam.

Becoming good at writing doesn’t happen overnight, so practice is essential. Spending 30 minutes on a sample TOEFL iBT essay regularly will help you improve. By practicing often, you will retain your skills and become familiar with the essays, making them less intimidating during the test.

Also, it’s important to time yourself when you practice.

Paragraphs are the building blocks of your essay. Each paragraph should start with a clear topic sentence that ties into the main idea of the essay. Support your main point with evidence and examples in each paragraph. Make sure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next by using transition words and phrases to link ideas and create a cohesive essay.

To score high on your TOEFL essay, use specific examples to support your ideas. Include real-life examples, statistics, and facts to back up your arguments. This shows your knowledge of the topic and your critical thinking skills. Specific examples also make your essay more interesting and help you stand out from other test-takers.

Vary your sentence structure to make your essay more engaging. Mix short and long sentences, questions, and statements to add variety. This will help avoid repetition and keep your writing interesting. However, ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and fit well in the context of your essay.

Using academic vocabulary makes your essay sound more professional. Choose words that are suitable for the academic level of the test. Avoid slang, casual language, and overly complex words. Make sure you use words correctly and understand their meanings.

Correct grammar and punctuation are crucial for a high score on the TOEFL writing section. Ensure you use correct verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Use appropriate punctuation to make your writing clear and easy to read. If you’re unsure about any grammar or punctuation rules, look them up or ask a tutor for help.

Transitional words and phrases are crucial and should be used in TOEFL essays. Transition between contrasting points of views in both readin and listening passages are important:

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How to write a good TOEFL essay- FAQs

What is the format of the toefl essay.

The TOEFL essay is a 30-minute written task where you are asked to express and support your opinion on a specific topic. The essay is typically four to five paragraphs long and should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Where can I find sample TOEFL essays to practice with?

You can find sample TOEFL essays in TOEFL preparation books or online. The official TOEFL website also provides sample essays and scoring guides.

How can I prepare for the TOEFL writing section?

To prepare for the TOEFL writing section, you should practice writing essays using sample prompts, develop your grammar and vocabulary skills, and learn how to organize and develop your ideas effectively. You may also want to work.

How to write a TOEFL essay?

To write a TOEFL essay, it is important to understand the prompt, brainstorm ideas, create an outline, and then write a well-structured essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Practice organising your thoughts and expressing them clearly within the time limit provided.

Is 27 a good writing score in TOEFL?

Yes, a score of 27 is considered a good writing score in TOEFL. It demonstrates a high level of proficiency in writing and indicates strong language skills, coherence, and clarity in expressing ideas.

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