Putting the pieces together!

Reading through Murray this week was short, to the point, and enjoyable. I found chapter 9 very useful because, he gave 11 examples of different ways to outline. As I read through them I found two that I particularly liked. The first one was outline #4, making lists of Beginning, Middle, End, and Brain Storming List. I think I like this structure, because I am a list person. The second one I thought useful was outline #10. In English, my Professor is teaching this kind of technique. So far all I know is that you write on 3 by 5 cards all your ideas in an orderly fashion and then you can physically move your ideas around by moving the cards. I think that making a habit of incorporating either one of these structures or putting a bit of both of them together will really help me understand the structuring process of a paper. Right now I just put random ideas on a page, which are (really) good, but they don't have any where to go once I have written them. My ideas seem to get lost in a big picture that I haven't defined yet, and can't, because there is no definite focus. 

This brings me to the next piece of advice that I thought very well communicated from Murray: The Focusing Line. "... It is the product of all the observation and thinking that comes before the writing: listening, brainstorming, mapping, freewriting" (143). I now understand necessary details that have to be figured out before you start writing. So far I see that you need creativity and structure. After you have enjoyed your creative train of thought you then come to the focusing line. I like this idea very much. It is not your thesis statement, but it is a way of organizing all your creative ideas before you delve into tackling the thesis statement. Basically the focusing line focuses you. Now that is sweet and simple!