Cubing

A prewriting technique: students examine a topic from six different "sides" (like a cube), writing 2–3 minutes on each. The six perspectives ensure writers have considered their topic from angles they'd otherwise miss.

The Six Sides

1. Describe it — what does it look, sound, feel like?
2. Compare it — what is it similar to? different from?
3. Associate it — what does it bring to mind? memories, feelings, people?
4. Analyse it — what are its parts? how do they fit together?
5. Apply it — what can you do with it? what is it used for?
6. Argue for or against it — is it good? bad? both?

Procedure

1. Write the topic at the top of the page: Your hometown / Social media / Failure / Climate change / Tradition.
2. Set a timer for 2 minutes per side. Write non-stop on side 1: Describe.
3. Bell. Next side: Compare. Write 2 minutes.
4. Continue through all six sides.
5. After cubing, read back. Which side produced the richest material? That's often the angle for the actual piece.
6. Use the cubing pages as raw material for a draft.

Why It Works

• Forces angle diversity: writers default to description or argument. Cubing forces all six lenses.
• Discovery, not performance: the pressure is to generate, not to be correct.
• Reveals the writer's angle: whichever side "clicks" is usually the starting point for the real piece.
• Lowers blank-page anxiety: six mini-tasks are less daunting than one essay prompt.

Variations

• Flex cubing: substitute one side for a topic-specific angle. For a history topic, replace "Compare" with "Historical context." For a memoir, replace "Apply" with "Lesson learned."
• Paired cubing: partners discuss each side before writing. Speaking seeds the writing.
• Dice cubing: roll a real die; whichever number comes up, you write that side. Randomness enforces breadth.
• Reverse cubing: read a finished text; identify which cube-sides it covers. Reveals unexamined angles.

Tips

• Insist on non-stop writing. The value is in forced production, not thoughtful composition.
• Skip sides occasionally — if "Apply" genuinely doesn't fit the topic, move on.
• Don't over-use. Cubing becomes mechanical if done every week. Reserve for blocked drafts or hard topics.
• Works for academic essays, creative pieces, and even speech prep.

Source

Cowan, G. & Cowan, E. (1980) Writing. John Wiley. Documented in The Bedford Handbook and standard composition textbooks; common in first-year university writing programmes.