Lesson 2 of 2 | Essay / Essay Writing Fundamentals
Brainstorming, Dimensions and Using Examples
Spend the first 20–30 minutes thinking
Top scorers spend time before writing to brainstorm. A clear plan prevents drifting and repetition.
Step 1: Decode the topic
Underline key words. For "Technology is a good servant but a bad master", the key tension is control — who controls whom.
Step 2: Brainstorm with the PESTLE-plus lens
- Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental
- plus Ethical, Historical, International, Individual
Jot 2–3 points under each; then pick the strongest 6–8.
Step 3: Order the ideas
Move from individual → society → nation → world, or past → present → future. This gives a natural flow.
Step 4: Collect examples
- Indian: schemes (e.g., Aadhaar, UPI), constitutional values, freedom fighters' quotes.
- Global: reports (UN SDGs), historical events.
- Personal/anecdotal: a short story in the introduction.
Step 5: Draft the conclusion first
Knowing where you will end keeps every paragraph pointed in the same direction.
Quote bank tip
Keep 15–20 versatile quotes (Gandhi, Ambedkar, Tagore, Vivekananda) that fit many themes — but never force them.
Analogy
Brainstorming is like packing for a trip before leaving home. If you list everything first — clothes, tickets, charger — the journey is smooth. If you start travelling and pack on the way, you keep turning back for forgotten things. Essays written without a plan keep "turning back" and repeating themselves.