Sarah Allen Volume 1 Chapter Description I work to dispel the myth of the “inspired writer” (the figure who generates perfect prose without the frustrated process of revision or failure) and to tell the truth about the writing process as I and many of my colleagues and students experience it. I find that a good […]
The Inspired Writer vs. the Real Writer Read More »
Lennie L. Irvin Volume 1 Chapter Description This chapter explores the task of writing in college. It details common myths about academic writing and the importance of developing a “writer’s sense” within the writing situation. It identifies features of the complex “literacy task” college writing assignments require and decodes elements of the academic writing situation
What is Academic Writing? Read More »
Paul Lynch Volume 2 Chapter Description The English word “essay” comes from the French verb essai, which means something like “to try” or “to attempt.” Originally, essays were thought experiments, and an essay’s author did not worry about having a main point or a formal structure. This chapter explores this history and describes the difference
The Sixth Paragraph: A Re-Vision of the Essay Read More »
E. Shelley Reid Volume 2 Chapter Description Writing is hard. It’s harder if your students think of it as a collection of arbitrary rules than if they think of it as a human communication process they already understand a lot about. Using comparisons to familiar events (doing laundry, making fruit Jell-O, writing thank-you notes, and
Ten Ways to Think about Writing: Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students Read More »
