One word for thinking out loud

Which of the following words is not a synonym of the others?

• A. experient
  

• B. unpracticed
  

• C. new
  

• D. callow
  

«Thinking out loud» in itself seems to imply literally speaking it with your voice, whereas I’m trying to describe «thinking out loud» silently by writing out thoughts on paper to work through a problem.

answered May 14, 2018 at 3:46

Thinking out loud in English connotes that the person has not sufficiently formed the thought completely or thought the entire idea through, and so is merely processing the idea audibly without knowing its conclusion or validity. Doing something like this on paper (meaning writing it) might be referred to as «drafting» an idea or «sketching,» or compiling notes. Additionally a «rough sketch» or a «rough draft» shows that the writing is not yet polished, edited, or completed.

Think it, jot it down TFD

to make a note of something

answered May 13, 2018 at 21:47

I keep reading your question and wanting to coin new phrases.

writing out loud
mind writing

But that doesn’t help if you’re looking for an already existing word or phrase.

I’ve come across several ideas that express thinking aids (such as mind mapping and the already-mentioned brainstorming), but they aren’t necessarily related to putting words on paper (or doing so on your own). Also, if you are «free associating,» your writing will not be constrained, but if you are actually «working out a problem» (something specific) it’s likely that what you write will have some purpose or framework behind it.

An alternative is to use a qualifier with a different term: a handwritten brain dump:

the act or an instance of comprehensively and uncritically expressing
and recording one’s thoughts and ideas (as on a particular topic)

answered May 14, 2018 at 0:04

I would tend to say «doodling» for this, although this could be interpreted as meaning truly random pictures or patterns rather than text or ideas, so some extra words might be needed; for instance «I’m just doodling on some ideas here, Bob» would probably have the right sense.

I might even use «noodling» in a similar way — strictly this would describe «thinking out loud» with a musical instrument, but in the right context («noodling with a pen and paper», «noodling on the keyboard») would probably convey the correct meaning.

answered May 14, 2018 at 1:44

You might like listing, according to this page from the Colorado State University website:

«Listing is a brainstorming technique many people find useful. It means doing just what its name suggests — listing possible topics and then sublists of things you could say about each topic. A list could consist of the main topic of regional dialects and then sublists would be regional dialects you know or have experienced. Additional sublists might be particular words of each of those dialects, things you have noticed about those dialects (i.e. New Yorkers speak fast), what you think those dialects sound like, etc.»

It doesn’t focus on the writing part, but it doesn’t have the connotation of involving sounds either.

Attribution: Writing@CSU. «Definition of Listing.» The Writing Studio. Accessed May 13, 2018. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/gentopic/pop4b.cfm.

answered May 13, 2018 at 21:01

spontaneous writing

In a review of a book Transforming Memories: Sharing Spontaneous Writing Using Loaded Words the Huffington Post writes

How does spontaneous writing work?

When we practiced spontaneous writing in our writing group, we would either put our finger on a random word in the dictionary, or with our eyes closed, select a photograph from a pile, or use some other technique to prompt our writing exercise. Then, we would just write about it for 10-20 minutes. Our intention was to be spontaneous—to start putting down our thoughts without any pre-determined intention. This approach has become very therapeutic when writing about challenging experiences and difficult memories.

How about ‘Back of an envelope’ ?

I think that «putting your ideas to paper» is a standard phrase that’s almost literally what you asked (replacing «thoughts» with «ideas»).

There’s also «putting your thoughts to paper» (search results skewed by «thoughts to paper» being a commercial name).

answered May 14, 2018 at 11:55

Forgive my non sequitur rambling here but wouldn’t this simply be soliloquy on paper? Which is to say, if one were to ponder all the possible ideations of their mind, through keyboard or pen, it would nonetheless be monologue meant for audience and, ergo, a Shakespearian affect?

Forgive my soliloquy

or

Allow me to think out loud

Except that, classically, soliloquies were not always audible (to other characters) which, I think, might provide you the grey area you’re looking for? I also very much agree with an earlier poster who suggested this as a prime opportunity to coin a new phrase…

I usually just warn that «this may be a bit non sequitur» and then ramble…

answered May 14, 2018 at 2:53