Flowing Basics
When flowing, there are a few things that you should always write down. The first is point titles or taglines. You need to note these in order to refer to your opponent’s points and your own quickly and concisely. It also keeps the round organized to group by point. Don’t be afraid to re-tag or re-name an argument if your opponent gives no title or a lengthy/confusing title. Next, you want to make sure you write down the claim or argument underneath the title. You want just enough to remember how the argument works and the basic logic. Do not write complete sentences. I repeat, do not write complete sentences. You want to take notes on the evidence that supports the argument. At minimum, you want to take down the source and year of publication, then any key facts or figures presented. Impacts are the last element of arguments– whether they are stated clearly or subtly, the presence or lack of impacts must be noted. For clarification on the pieces of argument, please look to the chapter on Case or Constructive.
Flowing with a few rules helps keep your notes organized. Rules will help you develop a consistent flow through repeated practice. To become an expert in flowing, you need consistency. Flowing ultimately will be a very personal thing. Everyone develops a style and format that works for him or her.
If you’re just starting out or wanting to improve your skills, however, I suggest trying the following format. In all my years of debate I have changed my style at least four times and have found this format to be the most efficient and effective. Work first from these rules and after you can confidently flow, modify to meet your needs as a debater.
Flow in columns.
Each speech should have its own column alongside the speech it is responding to. By using columns, you can chart how an argument evolves across the page from left to right. This allows you to see issues that have been dropped, assess your rebuttals, and look at the “big picture” of an entire argument. Because you read from left to right you want to chart arguments in this direction.
Use two colors of pen.
This may seem simple, but two colors will truly make a difference in your flow’s organization. Use one color for your team’s speeches and one for your opponents. I would even urge a third color or highlighter to mark areas of importance or your own notes if you find that useful.
Make sure you leave yourself enough space
Between your lines of writing in case there is additional information you need to add in later speeches. You will also have an easier time reading your own writing.
Finally, I strongly advocate you use two sheets of paper to flow in each round.
By flowing each case on a separate sheet of paper, you can look at the entire round at once by placing the sheets side by side. If you use both sides of one paper, you’ll be flipping back and forth and never be able to compare simultaneously. Some people like to write their own speeches on paper separate to the flow, but this is only going to leave your speech less connected, less organized, and ultimately more difficult to integrate into later speeches. The entire round (yes, you have to flow all of your team’s speeches) should exist on two sheets of paper. Here is an example of what the flows would look like before inserting information.
An example flow for a single debate round can be found at on my blog. Each of the above-mentioned rules is used. These flows are of the 2012 Laird Lewis Invitational Public Forum finals; the video link is provided with the flows. I encourage you to watch the debate in order to understand the flow and the rules of flowing described above.
