The most powerful and profound thoughts known to humankind are the result of freedom to write whatever it is that the soul must purge; whatever a person is thinking that troubles him or her; anything that hinders his or her ability to be in that particular moment of living. On the first day of class, one writing instructor tells her students that…

What pushes a writer over the edge of thought into text production--over what may be called "the writing threshold?" This is the moment when the thoughts in a writer's mind, the writing situation, and personal motivations create a momentum that results in a pattern of written words. There is evidence that not everyone crosses the writing…

Noting that Katherine Paterson's books are loved by school children everywhere, this paper discusses her engagement with the books she writes and how children respond to them. The paper begins with a brief discussion of the inspiration of one of Katherine Paterson's fairy tales and presents an extended discussion of the motivation behind her…

While the roots of students' fear of writing go deep, students fear most the surface of writing. They fear that a person's language indicates the state not only of the mind but of the soul--thus their writing can make them look stupid and morally depraved. This fear of error and lack of confidence prevent students from developing a command of the…

Assumptions that writers of books about creative writing make about their audiences, as well as assumptions about the purposes, practice, and value of writing, differ noticeably from the assumptions made by people who teach and write about composition. In substance and form, the range of creative writing books includes autobiography, interviews,…

This book provides practical help for people writing for publication, especially for those writing for professional journals or university presses. Chapters cover the following topics: (1) reasons for writing; (2) finding topics; (3) getting started; (4) writing style; (5) organizing articles; (6) using journals, libraries, surveys, and action…

The belief that writing can best be understood by understanding the mental processes that govern the production of discourse is questioned in this paper. Plato and Aristotle can form a theoretical base for rhetoric praxis that is democratic, diverse, and empowering. A reexamination of Plato's language underscores his belief that a person must know…

A naturalistic study of 21 college students (at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania) writing research papers provides detailed analyses of the roles that notetaking, planning, goal-setting, and revising play in students' approaches and examines whether these "high investment" reading and writing processes lead to higher quality…

A new theoretical paradigm for teaching writing and organizing composition research was at hand by 1982, focusing on how writers write and the practice of interventionist teaching. Today, the process theory of teaching composition dominates the field, yet it has not shifted teaching practices or research questions toward the settings and…

Despite the paradigm shift from product to process-centered writing theory, the reality is that students still are offered few options and teachers continue to expect set forms of writing. What continues to count is the end product, usually an academic essay demonstrating all the virtues of mainstream literacy. To explore this charge, a survey was…

Writing in Western culture requires mastery of both rhetorical theory and the expressive writing often promoted in composition studies, however great the conflict between them might be. The tension between these two poles can even be a source of excitement and motivation. Landmark composition studies such as those of James Britton and Janet Emig…

The act of communicating is not complete until the message is received and understood by the audience. This paper focuses on formulating messages for comprehensibility, in a discussion that is fundamentally applicable to all media. The ability to understand a verbovisual message depends on its readability, legibility, and its reading value.…

Presenting informal interviews, this book opens a window into the writing processes, influences, work habits, and personal backgrounds of 16 poets who write for children and young adults. The interviews in the book provide not only critical discussions of poetry but also ideas about how teachers can help children understand poetry and enjoy…

That writing promotes learning hardly needs demonstration, despite the fact that actual empirical studies on the premise have been inconclusive. What would further the effectiveness of writing across the curriculum programs is not more empirical studies but rather an assessment of the practices and exercises that further writing as a learning…

Writing teachers interested in overcoming student resistance or unwillingness to question authority should consider using "zines" in the classroom. According to one teen-ager, zines are "sorta like a magazine you publish yourself, but other people help you out." Concentrating on about any subject that interests its writers from…