Flowing
What is Flowing?
Flowing is the process of recording what has been said in the debate, whether it be on paper, computer, etc.
Why Should You Flow?
Flowing is one of the most important skills to learn it debate: it enables the debater to follow the arguments/claims made on both sides. Flowing allows the debater to recognize what has been said in the round, without forcing them to memorize every word that has been said.
How Do You Flow?
Before we get into how to flow, know this: everyone will flow a little bit different, so there is no single "right" way to flow. There are basic guidelines that could help you learn to flow, but each debater has their own unique style and type of flow, so make sure you figure out what works best for you (easier said than done, I know).
Flowing is generally done on two sheets of paper (more may be used if there is advanced framing/overviews/theory shells). Usually, each side will have one color - personally, I prefer Aff. = Red and Neg. = Blue, but I know a LOT of people that quite strongly disagree with that assessment. One sheet of paper is usually dedicated to the Aff/PRO side, while the other sheet is usually for the Neg/CON side.
Below, I have attached an example flow. This flow is the Aff/PRO side of the debate. For the purposes of simplification, the affirmative first speaker will be pink, affirmative second speaker will be red, CON first speaker will be light blue, and CON second speaker will be dark blue.
"The simple act of listening to someone and making them feel as if they have truly been heard is a most treasured gift."
- L.A. Villafane
