Brief presentation on how to brainstorm for a text evaluation assignment for an English 101/111 Comp Course.

1. Evaluating a Text:
What do you think about what you’ve read?

2. Brainstorming/Generating Ideas
• Or, the First Step of the Writing Process
• Objective #2: Identifying and Defending Your
Reaction—Sounds easy, but hard to do!
• Requires personal reflection and
introspection
• Discussion and Freewriting: two great
techniques

3. The “Gut Reaction”
• Or, what you immediately felt after reading a text
• Like/Dislike, Love/Hate, Agree/Disagree
• Two steps to making this reaction more clear to you as the
critic:
1. Figure out where exactly this reaction occurred to you; where
in the text did you establish your feeling about the text?
2. Figure out why you had this reaction…what in your personal
experience or background makes you believe the way you
do?

4. No Reaction at All?
• This can be a normal response too.
• Consider why you have no reaction:
1. Are you unfamiliar with the issue the author is
discussing? Do research!
2. Are you familiar with the issue, but feel like you have no
say in it? Play defense or prosecute!
3. Are you perhaps uneasy or nervous about expressing
your view on this issue or the author? Don’t be.

5. Playing the Believing Game
The Writing Commons: Playing the Believing Game

6. Resources
Bullock, R., Goggin, M.D., & Weinberg, F. (Eds.). (2010). The Norton Field Guide to
Writing (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.
Playing the Believing Game. Graphic. In The Writing Commons: The Home for
Writers. Retrieved from: http://www.oercommons.org/courses/writing-
commons-2/view.

7. Resources
Bullock, R., Goggin, M.D., & Weinberg, F. (Eds.). (2010). The Norton Field Guide to
Writing (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.
Playing the Believing Game. Graphic. In The Writing Commons: The Home for
Writers. Retrieved from: http://www.oercommons.org/courses/writing-
commons-2/view.