Page 212
Writing Guidelines
Prewriting ■ Selecting a Problem
When choosing a topic, consider problems in your home, school, or community. Once you have a topic in mind, identify a person or group who can help you solve the problem. Douglas had a strong opinion about school start times and wanted to persuade the school board to consider a shift in schedule.
Gathering Details
Next, you will need to gather supporting information for your letter. You can do this by listing important questions (and answers) about your topic. Find out why the problem exists and why it should be solved. Here is the first part of Douglas’s list:
Details List
You will also need to propose solutions to the problem. Douglas completed a sentence starter to think about his solution.