In this article, we describe student-centered routines that prepare students for success on ambitious text-based writing assignments. Based on research showing the important role that peer collaboration and classroom discussion play in developing students' thinking, these routines support students to 'try out' their ideas, learn from the perspectives of others, and clarify and revise their own positions in advance of writing. Importantly, these routines can be flexibly applied in both face-to-face and virtual classrooms to meet a range of teaching contingencies.