In the act of revision a writer seeks what Joyce Carol Oates calls "points of invisibility": things not in the text that should be and things in the text that should not be. Composing process research on revision has articulated several aspects of the revising process, but study of creative writers' composing habits remains an…

Substantially updated for today's world, this second edition offers chapters on 12 different categories of writing, each of which is briefly introduced with a definition, notes on appropriate writing strategies, and suggestions for using the book to locate topics. Types of writing covered include description, comparison/contrast, process,…

Offers a method to help writing students generate ideas and collect their thoughts: (1) giving students 10 minutes to freewrite about being stranded on a desert island; (2) writing one page on a thesis statement; and (3) having students "talk through" their papers in small groups. (PA)

Proposes that scholastic journalists should not shortchange the importance of words under, beside, or below photographs. Notes that in-depth cutlines and captions for scholastic publications and photographs can help hook the reader into the feature on the page; extend the visual coverage of a photograph's content; and give readers specific…

Includes an interview with writer Lydia Davis. Discusses her definition of story, her use of endings, and her language choice. Provides an excerpt of her translation of Marcel Proust's "Swann's Way." (PM)

Describes a writing workshop for the elderly, discussing the composition of the group, what they wrote, and how they went about doing so. Offers some specific strategies and recommendations, including catalysts for writing. Describes two ways that elders shared their stories, wit, and wisdom with the wider community. (SR)

Considers what poets themselves have to say about poetry. Discusses how they write poems, why they write poems, and what poetry is good for. (RS)

Provides detailed descriptions of how to teach annotation writing to college students, instruction which serves as a unique illustration of the reading process. Provides instruction for eight sessions, and offers descriptions and examples of 10 kinds of annotations. (SR)

Provides analysis of an imaging exercise. Describes how one experience became something unexpected as imaging met imagination. Lists five steps for teachers to use in conducting the exercise. (PA)

Discusses the rhetorical elements of technical copywriting, including its shared communicative aims with technical writing; authorship considerations such as ethics, education, and professionalism; and the concerns of promotional strategy, audience analysis, choice of media and materials, writing strategy, and style. (SR)

Examines the amount and types of metadiscourse used by novice and expert writers in mechanical engineering design proposals. Finds that the expert took the stance of a member of a community of experts who added credibility by citing other work in his field, whereas students took the stance of agents talking directly to the reader. (SR)

Outlines four essential points to be considered when writing grant proposals: (1) stating needs in terms of outcomes; (2) using the grantor's focus to illuminate those needs; (3) contacting the grant source prior to writing the request; and (4) enlisting the aid of advocates. (four references) (MAB)

The idea that little attention has been paid to the creativity of the craftsmanship which produces a piece of scientific writing is discussed. Examples are used to support the proposition that this craftsmanship is worth studying in biological sciences as well as the humanities. (KR)

Discusses Flannery O'Conner's notion that "stupidity" is a necessary quality for the writer of fiction to possess. Examines the difference between ignorance and stupidity and vicious and virtuous stupidity. Presents pedagogical implications for the teaching of writing. (NH)

Discusses several techniques used in the popular press which may be used in technical manuals to communicate more efficiently and, sometimes, to make the manuals fun to read. (SR)