Invention

Invention is the stage of writing a paper before you even start writing.  It is when you take time to analyze the topic of the paper, and decide which approach you want to take and how you want to go about doing it.  Inventing is good in that it can allow you to come up with a variety of ideas, and gives you a chance to sort through them until you find what you believe to be the most effective way to approach the topic.  This can be very helpful in creating an outline as well.