At beginning of session, ask how far along a student is and what they hope to accomplish. Write these down in case you get sidetracked!

Ask the student to think of an anecdote to write for each prompt and see what they can write the most about, which could also lead to an entire essay.

When the student is brainstorming, students might not notice that many of their anecdotes point to a similar theme. If/when you do, don’t hesitate to point it out.

If students are set on a topic, but you’re not sure about its strength, have students explore from a variety of angles and the various options they could take in that essay.

Ask them to write the last part/conclusion first (addresses the “so-what” question) and then fill back in.