# ✍️ Cheatsheet: Think Before You Prompt: Develop Independent Writing and Original Thought

By Better Wise

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A lookup card for the whole course. Scan, do not read linearly. Each section maps to a lesson in Modules 1 to 3.

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## The Core Rule

> **Important:** 
> **Draft before you ask.** Your thinking must exist on paper before AI touches it. AI is a critic and a mirror, never the author.

**The loop you repeat for every piece of writing:**

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A["🧠<br/>Freewrite"] --> B["🗺️<br/>Outline from memory"]
    B --> C["🎯<br/>Thesis"]
    C --> D["🏗️<br/>Argue + evidence"]
    D --> E["🤖<br/>AI critique"]
    E --> F["✅<br/>Verify"]
    F --> G["✍️<br/>Revise + own"]
    G -.->|"new gaps found"| A
```

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## Module 1: Think First, Draft Before You Ask AI

### 1.1 Freewriting: Dump First, Judge Later

| Rule | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Keep the hand moving | No pausing to fix spelling or phrasing |
| Timer on | Write for a fixed block (course example: 8 minutes) |
| No sources, no notes, no AI | Opening a source turns the page into a summary of that source, not your thinking |
| No deleting | Cross out later; produce volume now |
| Follow the stuck thought | If you stall, keep writing "what I actually mean is..." until motion returns |

**Why no sources during a freewrite:** the draft is a map of your mind. The moment you consult a source, the map becomes a copy of someone else's map, and you lose the record of what you already knew.

**Freewrite prompts to reuse:**
- "What do I already believe about this topic, and why?"
- "What confuses me about this?"
- "If I had to argue the opposite of my instinct, what would I say?"

### 1.2 Outlining From Memory and Naming Knowledge Gaps

**The memory outline (do this before any research):**

1. Close all tabs, notes, and AI tools.
2. Set a short timer (5 to 8 minutes).
3. Write your main points from memory only, in order.
4. Label every point with a confidence tag (see below).
5. List the gaps you noticed, as explicit questions.
6. Only now open sources to fill the gaps.