Pre-Writing Using the Stasis Theory

pre-writing-using-the-stasis-theory

Sitting down to write can be hard, and trying to find a topic worthy of writing about even more difficult. If you already know the ins and outs of your topic, great. But if you’re having trouble “fleshing” your ideas out and getting them on paper, consider pre-writing using the Stasis Theory.

The Stasis Theory comes from those famous Greek thinkers, Aristotle and co., and is designed to facilitate in-depth thinking about issues. Like the investigative journalist’s need-to-know questions Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, the Stasis Theory aims to get to the root of the matter, whether it’s a character’s motivation in your latest novel or a research paper on genomes. It’s based on four parts of the thinking and debating process:

Pre-Writing Using the Stasis Theory

1)      The Facts. In other words, what happened, and how did it occur? (For example, Has my peach pie indeed disappeared from the windowsill?)

2)      The Nature or DefinitionOnce you know what happened, you can begin to think about why it may have occurred. You can break it down into broader terms and think of it in relation to other, similar events. (Was the pie stolen on purpose or did it fall?)

3)      The Quality. Is the thing that happened bad? Good? Should it be avoided? Continued? Who or what is the situation? (Did a hobo out of the 1930s steal my peach pie, and did he possibly need it more than I did, in which case is it that bad?)

4)      Plan/Policy. What do we do now? How should we go about fixing the situation? How soon should we begin? (Should I only leave my pies to cool on the kitchen counter like the average person to avoid their theft in the future?)

While pre-writing using the Stasis Theory might not solve the world’s problems (as it was designed to do, albeit on a small, Athens-sized level), it may get your creative juices flowing and those ideas marching to the forefront of your keyboard or pen. Breaking any project down into stages makes the individual tasks seem easier and less insurmountable. The writing process is a perfect example of this sort of effective compartmentalization.

Originally posted 11/7/2011 and happily updated 10/26/2017. Thanks for reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

First Editing is equipped to edit ANY type of document you can write! Over the past 10 years, we’ve perfected tens of thousands of manuscripts, books, ebooks, theses, dissertations, essays, letters, websites, articles, scripts, business proposals, poetry, and more! Let us transform your draft into a perfectly edited masterpiece! Click HERE for a FREE sample edit and price quote…
Projects less than 50 pages are completed in just 2-3 business days. Longer documents (manuscripts, dissertations, etc.) require 7-10 business days depending on their length. If you order multiple documents totaling 50+ pages, they can all still be completed in the standard 3 day timeframe since each document may be assigned to a different editing team simultaneously. Additionally, 1-2 day rush services are also available. See our order form for more details.
Professional editors of successfully published books, journals, articles, and more are working around the clock to ensure your editing is letter-perfect and delivered according to your deadline. Each editor has a minimum of TEN years worth of professional writing & editing experience. Show us some of YOUR writing and we’ll send YOU a FREE editing sample!
First Editing is one of the very few online editing services that GUARANTEES client satisfaction! If there is ANYTHING about our work with which you are not 100% satisfied, we will correct it at no additional charge. First Editing is also the ONLY service of its kind to GUARANTEE on-time completion. We NEVER miss a deadline…EVER!! Read more about our Editing Satisfaction Guarantee.
Our basic rates vary from just 1 U.S. cent per word to just over 3 U.S. cents per word. Most basic copy editing that does not require rush delivery costs between $0.0097 and $0.013 USD per word (approximately one cent per word). Larger orders often cost even less. Factors influencing your total price are document type, length of manuscript, turnaround time required, & level of editing required. For a free, no-obligation price quote, CLICK HERE.

Share With :

GTCoding
Get a free editing sample outlining areas you need to fix before publishing. Discover what works!

Add Your Heading Text Here

Add Your Heading Text Here