Flowing
 

• Everyone has a different style.
   

  • If you want a more mainstream approach, here’s a good resource: YouTube Video.
     

• But this is what helped me personally:
   

  • Ignore my messy writing in the example I show — it’s just a demonstration. On the topic of messy writing: use shorthand!!! Writing everything word-for-word is impossible, so develop abbreviations and symbols you’ll recognize in the middle of a round. Also, please do not write entire speeches in your flow chart. Other than the fact that it is almost impossible, jotting down notes for more impromptu speeches allows for a more natural, and, ultimately, more effective tone.
     

What you’ll need:
 

• Paper
   

• 3 different colored pens
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How I set up my flow chart*:
 

• On the left side, top half = my opponent’s case (in black).
   

• On the left side, bottom half = my case (in black).
   

• In red, I wrote everything I planned to say in 1AR.
   

• Immediately to the right of my case, in black, I wrote what my opponent responded with.
   

• In blue, I wrote my 2AR (final speech).
   

• On the top right, I had my CX (cross-ex) questions for my opponent.
   

• Directly under that, I had a section labeled “BL” (basically my version of concluding statements to make an impact on the judge).
   

  • This included crystallization impacts: probability, magnitude, time frame.
     

• On the bottom right corner, I tracked prep times.
   

This way everything fit on one page, and I could see the flow of the round all at once without losing track.

*This is an Affirmative flow chart.
 

​​Computer flowing is also fine (and often faster), but I found paper to be more visual and easier to glance at quickly during speeches.